5 Ways to Help Your Child Expand His Vocabulary

by Linda Rocco, President GummyLump.com

We've all heard the saying that children are like blank slates. Their brains are like sponges just wanting to absorb as much information as possible. A great way to satisfy a child's thirst for information is to help them expand their vocabulary. Abby Cadabby on Sesame Street sings "Words Help Me Mean Just What I say". A child needs the command of language in order to communicate effectively. You can help your child with this. 5 Ways to Help Your Child Expand His Vocabulary: 1. Read! Read! Read to them! The #1 way to expand your child's vocabulary is by reading to him. Your child is never too young for you to read to him. As he gets older make going to the library a special event. It's a great adventure for rainy days too. 2. Watch Movies Together and Comment: When watching a child's movie together you can add commentary like "That shark has an enormous amount of teeth. E N O R M O U S means very very big!" or "That dinosaur is gigantic. G I G A N T I C means very very big!". 3. Expand on What Your Child Says: Small children will talk in phrases saying things like "Room Messy" or "Doll Fall Down." Expand on these statements by saying something like "Yes, your room needs to be straightened out. Then it won't be messy. It will be clean." This is fun for your child because you're making conversation with him but you're also introducing new words to him. In the previous example you're also including opposites: messy vs clean. 4. Use "Big" Words and Explain What They Mean: Don't think that children as young as 15 months can't handle big words. They LOVE big words. It's fun for them to try to repeat them. Make it even more fun by singing a really big word. Take the word "amazing". That's not considered a toddler word but toddlers can say it or even sing it. Remember to give them clues to what it means. For example, "Charlotte you are amazing. You are so wonderful. You are great. You are so smart. You're amazing." You can also sing a song you make up! 5. Make a Habit of Using Synonyms When Responding to Your Child: Children love conversing with us. When they are young it's often difficult for them to say what they mean and sometimes difficult for us to understand what they are trying to communicate. Make a habit of using synonyms (words that mean the same thing) when talking to your child. For example if your child says "I'm very hungry." you could respond with "You're hungry? You're starving? You're feeling ravenous? Are you famished? Good thing dinner is soon!" There are so many fun ways to help your child expand his vocabulary. As with all aspects of learning making it fun is the best approach! Try these ideas starting today and before you know it your child will be saying "wonderful", "fantastic", "beautiful" and "amazing." Brought to you by GummyLump.com.