Understanding Vocabulary

A child's vocabulary consists of all of the words they know.  When thinking about your child's vocabulary, think of it in terms of these characteristics:

• Breadth: How many words does your child know? Children show an increase in their vocabulary breadth in numerous ways such as the following:

Having various words to describe similar actions like throw, toss, and fling.
Using adverbs more often.  Examples of adverbs include always, only, and really.

•  Depth: How much knowledge does your child have about the words he/she knows? Can they use the words appropriately in a sentence? Children show increased depth in ways such as:

Understanding synonyms and antonyms for words like "happy" and "joy" or "empty" and "full".
Understanding words with similar roots and how they are related like "fire", "fire truck", and "fireman".

• Speed: How fast can your child remember and use the words in their vocabulary?

 A child's vocabulary may differ depending on their culture, language spoken in the home and community, and language spoken in school.  It is especially important for the families of bilingual children or children taught in a language other than spoken at home to work closely with teachers and school faculty to ensure your child is on the right track.

Some average milestones to be aware of:

• Two and half year olds typically have a vocabulary consisting of 500 or so words.
• By the time they reach six years old, children average about 6,000 words!

Studies have supported the notion that the more words in a child's vocabulary by the 1st grade, the better their reading comprehension will be as they get older.  The best way to expand your child's vocabulary is to expose them to new words through reading and other activities.

Ways to help expand your child's vocabulary breadth, depth, and speed:

• Ask your child to identify items at the grocery store, in a book, at a museum, or anywhere that presents an opportunity for them to learn new vocabulary as well as use the vocabulary they already have. 
• Help your child to learn a new word every day.  Each day, select a word from the dictionary to discuss with your child.  Relate the word to their life and their experiences.
• Practice synonyms and antonyms with your child.  Create index cards with groups of words and play a "matching game" with your child by pairing words that are synonyms or antonyms.

References

Griffin, P. (2011). Language aspects: Vocabulary [Power Point Slides].  Retrieved from online lecture notes.

Maroulis, L., & Neuman, S. (2010).  The effects of vocabulary intervention on young children's word learning: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 80 (3), 300-335.