What is vocabulary?
Your vocabulary is all the words you know. You use your vocabulary every day. You use it when you talk, when you listen, when you read and when you write.
Every time you learn a new word, your vocabulary grows. Children learn thousands of new words before they finish school. Many of those words are learned by talking, listening and reading stories with others.
Why words matter
Words help you:
- Say what you mean. If you know the word thirsty, you can tell someone you need a drink.
- Understand stories. If you know enormous, you understand that the giant is very, very big.
- Learn about the world. Words like caterpillar, volcano and planet open the door to new ideas.
- Read better. It is much easier to read a word you already know how to say and understand.
Ways to learn new words
Listen and ask
When you hear a word you do not know, ask: “What does that word mean?” Grown-ups love this question. Each answer adds a word to your vocabulary.
Look at pictures
In a picture book, the pictures can help. If the words say The fox crept toward the hen house, look at the picture. Is the fox moving slowly and quietly? Then crept might mean “walked slowly and quietly.” That is a picture clue.
Act it out
Some words are easier to remember when you move. Try acting out tiptoe, gallop, wobble, shiver and stretch.
Use the word yourself
A word becomes yours when you use it. If you learn delicious, use it at lunch: “This soup is delicious!”
Kinds of words to learn
Describing words
A describing word tells more about something. Instead of saying a dog, you can say:
- a fluffy dog
- a tiny dog
- a muddy dog
- a sleepy dog
Describing words make your talking and writing more interesting.
Words in groups
Words that belong together make a category. Learning words in groups helps you remember them.
- Fruits: apple, banana, grape, pear, mango
- Feelings: happy, sad, angry, scared, proud
- Weather: sunny, rainy, windy, snowy, cloudy
- Ways to move: run, hop, skip, crawl, swim
Opposites
An opposite means the very different thing.
- hot / cold
- big / small
- up / down
- fast / slow
- happy / sad
- open / closed
Learning opposites in pairs helps you remember both words.
Words that mean almost the same
Some words mean almost the same thing. Big, large and huge all describe something that is not small. But huge is even bigger than big! Learning these helps you choose just the right word.
How to learn a new word, step by step
Let’s learn the word gigantic.
- Hear it. The dinosaur was gigantic.
- Say it. Clap the syllables: gi-gan-tic.
- Find the meaning. Gigantic means “very, very big.”
- Make a picture. Imagine something gigantic, like a whale or a mountain.
- Use it. The pumpkin at the fair was gigantic!
- Use it again. Try to use it three times this week.
Let’s try some examples
Example 1: What does chilly mean?
Put on your coat. It is chilly outside. The coat is a clue. Chilly means “a little bit cold.”
Example 2: Which word belongs in the animal group? chair, tiger, spoon
A tiger is an animal.
Example 3: What is the opposite of empty?
Full. An empty cup has nothing in it. A full cup is filled up.
Example 4: Use a describing word.
I have a ___ ball. You could say red, bouncy, new or striped.
Common mistakes
- Not asking. Many children skip over words they do not know. Always ask!
- Using a new word only once. You need to use a word many times before it sticks.
- Always using the same words. Try to say great, wonderful or amazing instead of good every time.
Word games to play
- What’s in the bag? Put an object in a bag. Describe it with three describing words while others guess.
- Category game. Name as many animals (or foods, or colours) as you can before the timer ends.
- Opposite Simon says. “Simon says do the opposite of stand up!”
- Word of the day. Pick one interesting word each morning and use it as much as you can.
Try it yourself
- Say three describing words for a cat.
- What is the opposite of loud?
- Name four foods in the fruit group.
- What might drowsy mean? After lunch the baby got drowsy and fell asleep.
Answers: 1. Some answers: soft, fluffy, sleepy, orange. 2. quiet. 3. Some answers: apple, banana, orange, grape. 4. Sleepy.
Grown-up tip
Talk, talk, talk. Name things around you and describe them. Read aloud every day, even after your child can read alone, because books use words we rarely say in conversation. When you meet an interesting word, pause and explain it simply, then use it again later in the day.
Quick recap
- Vocabulary is all the words you know.
- Learn new words by asking, looking at pictures and acting them out.
- Describing words make talking and writing interesting.
- Learn words in groups and in opposite pairs.
- Use a new word many times to make it your own.
- Knowing the meaning of more words helps you read and understand.