As your child begins to learn to read and write, you may notice that their vocabulary starts to expand rapidly. This is a normal and exciting part of language development! There are lots of ways that you can help your child continue to expand their vocabulary, including reading together, singing songs, and playing interactive vocabulary games.

Keep reading for more tips on how to help your child grow their vocabulary, and to delve deeper into the tips already mentioned above.

1. Read Together

One of the best ways to help your child expand their vocabulary is to read together every day. When you're reading aloud, point out new or interesting words and talk about what they mean. You can also ask your child questions about the story or characters to encourage them to really think about what they're reading. Not only will reading together help expand your child's vocabulary, it will also help them develop a love for reading!

2. Sing Songs

Songs are a great way to introduce new words and concepts in a fun and engaging way. Look for songs that mention things like colours, shapes, numbers, or animals to helps build your child's vocabulary in these areas. You can find lots of great kids' songs online or make up your own!

3. Play Interactive Vocabulary Games

There are lots of fun interactive games that you can play with your child to help them learn new words. Try matching pictures with words, making up sentences with word cards, or playing "I Spy" with items around the house. Not only will these games be enjoyable for both of you, they'll also give your child plenty of practice using new words in different contexts.

4. Encourage Them to Use New Words

Once your child has learned some new words, encourage them to use them in everyday conversation. You can model using the new words yourself or create opportunities for them to use the words in context. For example, if they've learned the word "exuberant", you could say, "You seem so exuberant today! What's got you so excited?" By using the new words yourself and providing opportunities for your child to use them, you can help them feel confident using their expanded vocabulary.

Helping your child expand their vocabulary is a great way to support their language development and prepare them for success in school and beyond

Every time you introduce a new word or concept, you're helping them take one step closer to becoming a confident reader and writer!