Parenting Articles

Books have the edge when it comes to building vocabulary

According to research, reading aloud to your preschooler may be the best way to build his vocabulary. What makes stories such a powerful tool for boosting young children’s word smarts? Among other things, they offer:

• Exposure to unfamiliar words. Your child hears new words when you talk to him, but he’ll encounter even more of them in stories. In fact, he’s up to three times more likely to hear an uncommon term from a book than he is while talking with you.
• Examples of new ways to use familiar words. Chances are, you use the same words and phrases over and over when talking to your child. (It’s only natural!) But stories give him the opportunity to hear even common words used in different or unexpected ways.
• Clues to how grammar works. Reading exposes your child to the “rhythm” of sentences. It also lets him see what words and letters look like on a page. That information will come in handy when he starts learning to read.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t bother having conversations with your child! There is no substitute for the warmth and comfort of heart-to-heart exchanges. Plus, by showing him how to speak with someone, you’re helping him develop a valuable social skill.

But when you’re focusing on sharpening your child’s word knowledge, break out the books and read together!

Reprinted with permission from the September 2018 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Early Childhood Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2018 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc. Source: D.W. Massaro, “Two Different Communication Genres and Implications for Vocabulary Development and Learning to Read,” Journal of Literacy Research, SAGE Publications, niswc.com/ec_boost-vocabulary.

Does your home environment support learning?

Parents are their children’s first teachers. So that means your home is your child’s first school. Are you supporting learning in your home? Answer yes or no to the questions below to find out:

1. Do you talk to your child about things that interest you and about new things you’ve learned?
2. Do you notice your child’s interests and praise him when he tries something new?
3. Do you keep a variety of reading material around the house, and let your child see you reading regularly?
4. Do you provide learning tools, such as paper, crayons, building blocks, puzzles, safety scissors and paste?
5. Do you replace screen time with learning activities, such as reading, talking and exploring each day?

How well are you doing?

Each yes answer means you are promoting learning in your home. For each no answer, try that idea.

Reprinted with permission from the September 2018 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Early Childhood Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2018 The Parent Institute®, a division of PaperClip Media, Inc.

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