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Developing a wide vocabulary is important for children. This is due to the fact that the size of a child’s vocabulary as an infant can be a clear predictor for their educational outcomes when they are a teenager. It also helps boost their social skills and confidence right from their childhood up to when they become adults. Many rely on schools to teach their children what they need to know, but the input a parent puts into their child’s education is just as important. Up to 95% of the words a child learns is from their parents’ vocabulary, which shows just how important parental involvement is at this point in a child’s life. Here is some advice from a senior school in Hampshire on helping your child develop their vocabulary.
Talk to your child
Conversations that are back and forth with your child is one of the greatest ways to stimulate their brains and help them pick up new vocab words. You can talk to your child whilst you make dinner, are on long car journeys and even put them to bed. The beauty of this is that you don’t have to talk about anything interesting. Just listening to you talk will help introduce them to words they haven’t heard before.
Encourage your little one to question new words
Whether your child is asking you for the fifth time what a word means, don’t make them feel embarrassed if they want to know the definition of a word. Take your time to explain the word clearly to them and put it in a sentence so they know how to use it properly. Don’t forget to be enthusiastic too.
Don’t dumb down your own vocabulary
Ensure your vocabulary is as wide as possible when talking with your child. Aim to speak to them as though you are talking to another adult as this is what will help them develop their vocabulary the quickest.
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