--- title: 7 ways to boost your child’s vocabulary description: What can you do to improve your child's vocabulary? Try these tips to help your child build a better vocabulary. slug: 7-ways-to-improve-vocabulary author: Ginny Osewalt published: '2019-08-06T21:57:35.211Z' thumbnail: https://cdn-images.understood.org/p0qf7j048i0q/5WJPK4xsQglYvfDREwrINg/a03f3c226fad8a34c616ea12ab07cae7/G1478130206.png source_url: https://www.understood.org/en/articles/7-ways-to-improve-vocabulary lang: en --- # 7 ways to boost your child’s vocabulary There’s a strong connection between understanding words and understanding what you read. This means that kids who learn and think differently often do better at reading comprehension when they spend more time learning, practicing, and understanding words. Here are some at-home teaching methods to try that will improve your child’s vocabulary. ## 1. Describe the word. Provide a description of each new word you introduce. For example, maybe you’re teaching your child the word *merchant*, which is common in upper elementary social studies textbooks. You can talk with your child about the *local* merchants in your town. What kinds of stores are in your town? What do they sell? ## 2. Say it your way. Once you’ve described a new word, it helps to ask kids to come up with their own way to describe it. For example, after explaining how *fortunate* you are to have such a nice family, your son or daughter might explain how *fortunate* they feel to have the latest video game. ## 3. Act it out. By acting out a word, your child is bound to better understand it. This may be particularly helpful if your child has lots of energy and loves to run around. The new word *frolic*, for example, can come alive through jumping around like a puppy, goat, or lamb. Why not bring the fun outdoors as well? *Frolic *in the garden, yard, or along the sidewalk. ## 4. Quick draw. Get some pencils and paper. Without using actual words, draw a quick sketch of what the new word is. For the word *reluctant*, you might decide to represent it by drawing a person standing at the edge of swimming pool with only one toe in the water. Your child, who is *reluctant* to eat vegetables, might draw a big bowl of broccoli and a frowny face next to it. ## 5. Analyze this. Teach your child the meanings of common prefixes, suffixes, and root words. For example, the prefix *multi-* means *many* and the suffix -*less *means *not* or *without*. *Geo* is a root word that means *earth*, as in *geo*logy. Recognizing these patterns will help your child with word meanings and understanding. ## 6. Write a story. Using a list of new words, ask your child to be an author and write a story. In order to do this well, your child will need to use all of the words correctly. Bringing words together into story form from a list will take imagination. Encourage your child to be creative and have fun. ## 7. Tell me once, tell me twice… Use the new word all the time. So, if the word is *essential*, you might discuss what is *essential* to pack for a camping trip or talk about what is *essential* for happiness. A checklist of *essential* chores might help remind your child to walk the dog, do homework, and set the table before dinner. --- ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.understood.org/en/articles/7-ways-to-improve-vocabulary#webpage","url":"https://www.understood.org/en/articles/7-ways-to-improve-vocabulary","description":"What can you do to improve your child's vocabulary? Try these tips to help your child build a better vocabulary."},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://www.understood.org/en/articles/7-ways-to-improve-vocabulary","name":"7 ways to boost your child’s vocabulary"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","datePublished":"2019-08-06T21:57:35.211Z","description":"What can you do to improve your child's vocabulary? Try these tips to help your child build a better vocabulary.","headline":"7 ways to boost your child’s vocabulary","url":"https://www.understood.org/en/articles/7-ways-to-improve-vocabulary","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.understood.org/#organization","name":"Understood for All Inc","logo":"https://cdn-images.understood.org/p0qf7j048i0q/307jFAYQevghG8nQMCjh89/ccdbbec895765824db43f6d30b496e83/logo_lockup_navy.jpg"}}] ```