Can you suggest some fun ways to build my children's vocabularies? - Word Conscious
Answer:Children's success in reading is tied closely to the size of their vocabularies. The more words they know, the better they will understand what they are reading.
Children do not build their vocabularies by memorizing lists of words or even looking up the meanings of words in a dictionary, although this can be helpful at times. One of the main ways they build their vocabulary is by reading. They also need to learn how to use context clues to figure out the meaning of unfamiliar words. When you are reading to them or when they are reading to you, always stop at unfamiliar words and guide them in determining what these words mean.
Expanding your children's stock of words can be fun. Give them new experiences throughout the year that will lead to their learning the meanings of more words. Take them onvocabulary-building trips in your community. Visits to airports, museums, zoos, businesses, fairs, radio and TV stations, and any new places, as well as rides on trains and buses, can help them learn more words if you talk about what they are seeing. For example, a trip to the state capital can result in their learning such words as dome, rotunda, legislature and governor, depending on their age level. Then when they meet these words in their reading, they will know what they mean.