\n Hanen Certified SLP and Clinical Staff Writer<\/strong><\/p>\n
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Did you know that:<\/p>\n
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- A\u00a0child\u2019s vocabulary growth is directly linked to his or her overall school achievement [1]<\/li>\n
- The size of a child\u2019s vocabulary in kindergarten predicts his ability to learn to read [2]<\/li>\n
- The more words a child knows, the more information the child has access to<\/li>\n
- Having a large vocabulary helps children think and learn about the world<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\nIt is important to encourage children\u2019s vocabulary development so that they develop the language and literacy skills necessary to succeed in school. The adults in a child\u2019s life play a significant role in helping a child learn new words. Through everyday conversations and interactions, caregivers use unfamiliar words and talk about what words mean, which helps expand a child\u2019s vocabulary. In fact, the number of words a child is exposed to by his parents relates directly to the size of the child\u2019s vocabulary [3].<\/p>\nA recent study about vocabulary<\/h2>\n
However, it\u2019s not just about\u00a0how much\u00a0<\/em>you say, but also about\u00a0what\u00a0<\/em>words you use that makes a difference to a child\u2019s vocabulary. In a 2012 study, Meredith Rowe looked at the factors that contribute most to a child\u2019s later vocabulary development. She studied the vocabulary of 50 young children when they were 18, 30, 42, and 54 months of age, as well as the amount (quantity) and type (quality) of words the parents used with their children. She found certain factors that contributed to a child\u2019s vocabulary one year later, such as the parents\u2019 education and the child\u2019s previous vocabulary. But some of her most interesting findings were that:<\/p>\n
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- Children\u2019s vocabulary at 30 months was influenced by the\u00a0quantity<\/span>\u00a0(number) of words a parent used one year earlier<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 This means that children aged 12-24 months benefit from hearing lots of talk and many examples of words.<\/li>\n
- Children\u2019s vocabulary at 42 months was influenced by\u00a0parents\u2019 use of a variety of sophisticated words<\/span>one year earlier<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Children aged 24-36 months have learned a lot of common vocabulary, and are ready to learn more difficult words, such as \u201cpurchase\u201d instead of \u201cbuy\u201d, or \u201cweary\u201d instead of \u201ctired\u201d.<\/li>\n
- Children\u2019s vocabulary at 54 months was influenced by parents\u2019 use of\u00a0narratives (talking about things that happened in the past or in the future) and explanations<\/span>\u00a0one year earlier<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Children aged 36-48 months benefit from conversations about things that happened in the past (e.g. an outing they went on, something funny that happened at preschool, etc.) or something that is planned for the near future (e.g. a trip to see Grandma) is helpful. And providing explanations about things (e.g. answering children\u2019s \u201cwhy\u201d questions) is also helpful at this age.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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Rowe concluded that \u201cquantity\u2026is not the whole story\u201d and that these other influences also have an impact on children\u2019s vocabulary [2, p. 1771]. This is important information, as much literature that advises parents about children\u2019s speech and language development encourages parents to talk to young children as much as possible (quantity). But Rowe\u2019s study highlights the importance of\u00a0quality<\/strong>, especially for children aged 24-48 months. Parents should try to keep one step ahead of their child \u2013 modelling words and concepts that are slightly beyond their child\u2019s level to help his vocabulary grow.<\/p>\n
How to help your child learn new words<\/h2>\n
From Rowe\u2019s study, we know that:<\/p>\n
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- Young children (12-24 month olds) benefit from exposure to lots of words (quantity)<\/li>\n
- Toddlers (24-36 months) benefit from hearing a variety of sophisticated words<\/li>\n
- Preschool children (36-48 months) benefit from conversations about past and future events as well as explanations<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
This tells us\u00a0what to say<\/em>, but what about how to say it?<\/p>\n
Here are some tips to keep in mind when modeling new vocabulary for your child:<\/p>\n
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- Follow your child\u2019s lead<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 This means emphasizing words that come up during everyday conversations and interactions with your child. If you talk about what interests your child, it is more likely your child will pay attention and learn a new word. If your child is interested in playing with cars, you can model words like \u201cpush\u201d, \u201cbeep beep\u201d, or \u201cfast\u201d with a young child or more complicated words like \u201cmechanic\u201d, \u201cspeed\u201d, or \u201ctraffic\u201d with a toddler. You can provide explanations for preschoolers like \u201che needs to get a new tire because his tire is flat\u201d, talk about events in the past such as \u201cremember when we had to take our car in to be repaired?\u201d, or events that will happen in the future such as \u201cOur car is dirty. Maybe we should go to the car wash.\u201d<\/li>\n
- Children need to hear a word several times before they start to use it<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 This means that you might use a word with your child many times before your child actually says the word himself. Children\u2019s understanding of words precedes their use of words. So, they will understand far more words than they can actually say. If you repeat words for your child on different occasions, it will give him more opportunities to hear and learn new words.<\/li>\n
- Don\u2019t bombard your child with words<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Just because quantity is important at some stages of development, this doesn\u2019t mean that you should shower your child with constant talk. You should aim for a balanced conversation between you and your child \u2013 you say something, then your child says or does something, and so on. It is important to\u00a0wait\u00a0<\/strong>after you say something so you give your child a chance to respond in his own way.<\/li>\n
- Help your child understand what a new word means<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 By giving details about new words or explaining what words means, you build your child\u2019s understanding of new words. For example, if you are playing with cars and introduce the word \u201cpassenger\u201d, you might say something like \u201ca passenger is someone who rides in a car or a bus or a train. A passenger goes for the ride but doesn’t drive the car or the bus.\u201d Relating new words to your child\u2019s personal experiences also helps him connect with new words. For example, if you are talking about the word \u201cnervous,\u201d you might say something like \u201cRemember when you started preschool \u2013 you felt nervous. But eventually when you were more comfortable there, you didn\u2019t feel nervous anymore.\u201d<\/li>\n
- Actions can speak louder than words<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 If you accompany your words with actions, gestures, or facial expressions, it will help your child understand the meaning of the words. For example, when modeling the word \u201cweary\u201d, you could do a sleeping action (hands under your head) or yawn so that your child understands what the word means. Your voice can also add meaning to a word. For example, if you say the word \u201cfrightened\u201d or \u201cterrified\u201d with a shaky voice that sounds like you are scared, it will help your child understand what you mean.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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The bottom line\u2026 it\u2019s not just\u00a0how much\u00a0<\/em>you say, but also\u00a0what\u00a0<\/em>you say and\u00a0how you say it\u00a0<\/em>that makes a difference for your child\u2019s vocabulary growth. Keeping one step ahead of your child will promote his vocabulary skills, and also set him on the path for success in school. For more information about building your child\u2019s vocabulary skills,\u00a0click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
References<\/h3>\n
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- Weitzman, E. & Greenberg, J. (2010). ABC and Beyond: Building Emergent Literacy in Early Childhood Settings. The Hanen Centre: Toronto.<\/li>\n
- Rowe, M. (2012). A Longitudinal Investigation of the Role of Quantity and Quality of Child-Directed Speech in Vocabulary Development. Child Development: 83(5), 1762-1774.<\/li>\n
- Hart, B. & Risley, T.R. (1995). Meaningful differences in the everyday experiences of young American children. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
- Children need to hear a word several times before they start to use it<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 This means that you might use a word with your child many times before your child actually says the word himself. Children\u2019s understanding of words precedes their use of words. So, they will understand far more words than they can actually say. If you repeat words for your child on different occasions, it will give him more opportunities to hear and learn new words.<\/li>\n
- Follow your child\u2019s lead<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 This means emphasizing words that come up during everyday conversations and interactions with your child. If you talk about what interests your child, it is more likely your child will pay attention and learn a new word. If your child is interested in playing with cars, you can model words like \u201cpush\u201d, \u201cbeep beep\u201d, or \u201cfast\u201d with a young child or more complicated words like \u201cmechanic\u201d, \u201cspeed\u201d, or \u201ctraffic\u201d with a toddler. You can provide explanations for preschoolers like \u201che needs to get a new tire because his tire is flat\u201d, talk about events in the past such as \u201cremember when we had to take our car in to be repaired?\u201d, or events that will happen in the future such as \u201cOur car is dirty. Maybe we should go to the car wash.\u201d<\/li>\n
- Children\u2019s vocabulary at 42 months was influenced by\u00a0parents\u2019 use of a variety of sophisticated words<\/span>one year earlier<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Children aged 24-36 months have learned a lot of common vocabulary, and are ready to learn more difficult words, such as \u201cpurchase\u201d instead of \u201cbuy\u201d, or \u201cweary\u201d instead of \u201ctired\u201d.<\/li>\n
- Children\u2019s vocabulary at 30 months was influenced by the\u00a0quantity<\/span>\u00a0(number) of words a parent used one year earlier<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 This means that children aged 12-24 months benefit from hearing lots of talk and many examples of words.<\/li>\n