Vocabulary is a key component of language development. Vocabulary is at the center of many language skills including comprehension, sentence length, grammar, storytelling, and more.
Vocabulary and Language Comprehension
Following Directions: One reason why many children have difficulty following directions is due to not knowing the words in the directions. We tend to use a lot of adjectives (e.g., colors, sizes, etc.), prepositions (e.g., on, under, between), and temporal words (e.g., first, after, before). If a child is unsure of one of the words, they may not be able to follow the direction provided.
Listening and Reading Comprehension: These are everyday skill that requires knowledge of a variety of words. You can miss many facets of a story if you do not understand key vocabulary terms. Whether it is specific places (e.g., city, suburb, lake) or a profession (e.g., vet, cashier, driver). For example: You tell a story about a cashier at the grocery store. A child who knows the word "cashier" will be able to easily place the character. A child who does not know the word may miss critical information while they attempt to infer what or who a "cashier" is, or their attention may dissipate.
Vocabulary and Sentences
Complex Sentences: When a child’s vocabulary grows, they have more flexibility to create a variety of complex sentences by using different words (verbs, adverbs, adjectives, etc.).
Increased Sentence Length: This one may be obvious, but the more words you know, the more words you can use. Sentence length is one of the early markers for language development.
Fosters Specificity: When a child does not know the word for what they are trying to reference they may say, “thing” or “that.” Rather than saying “that” or “thing,” a child will use the specific vocabulary word.
Vocabulary and Story Telling
Makes Stories Interesting: The difference between “The girl went to the park.” vs “Sarah went to the park with fresh cut grass, weeping willow trees, and a dreamlike Koi Pond.”
Expands Character Development: The more adjectives a child knows, the more descriptive they can be when mapping out characters. They can talk about personality traits, physical traits, and more!
Vocabulary plays an essential role in so many language skills. Does your child need help expanding their vocabulary? Let’s chat! Email me at the spotwithmskellie@gmail.comto schedule a free consultation.
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