HANDS-ON LEARNING

GAMES: IMPROVE YOUR

CHILD’S VOCABULARY

By Rachel Speal http://teachingthefuture.net

Why is communication

important?

The ability to communicate effectively is one of

the most important skills a child needs in order to

succeed in school.

Children who can persuade, defend, elaborate- or

even exaggerate - have a distinct advantage

over their less fortunate peers.

A child who possesses a good command of

language is better able to manipulate ideas in his

head, examine the various shadings of word

meaning, and connect ideas common to several

seemingly unrelated topics.

The child who is unfortunate enough to suffer

from weak language skills, on the other

hand, is often misunderstood, maligned, and

made fun of.

He may be considered less intelligent than his

peers or other family members, since his

inability to express himself is often assumed to

be due to a lack of intelligence.

If your child often has difficulty recalling

words, describing his day at school, or

explaining why he feels he should stay up

later, then you already know how frustrating

this can be.

Fortunately, it is possible to help your child

improve his vocabulary within a relatively short

period of time.

The following hands-on learning game is easy

to make and fun to play.

It can be played with children as young as 3

years old, and is also good for ESL learners or

for those wishing to teach their child a second

language.

Materials

-index cards

-recipe box

-rubber bands

1. Choose 10 names of objects you would find

around the house, and write them on the

cards. Make sure that your child knows at

least 8 of the 10 names.

2. This is to ensure that he feels successful

when he plays the game. No one wants to

play a game where they don’t know the

answers.

How to Make the Game

Making sure he is at least 80% successful

ensures that he is sufficiently challenged and

motivated enough to play the game.

When he finds the object, instruct him to lay

the card on top of or next to the object.

When your child doesn’t know one of the

words, name the card, and show him where

he object is. Instruct him to place the card

next to it.

Once your child masters a card he doesn’t

know, add another card with the name of an

unfamiliar object.

TIPS

This game can be played with an endless amount of variations. Instead of writing a noun on the cards, you can write a verb or adjective. You can write short sentences, and ask your child to act them out: “Sit on the floor and kick the door.”

You can write a short paragraph for the reader, and ask them to act it out. This can help them understand the finer meanings of words that he might not otherwise understand.

An example might be: “The girl looked around her, eyes wide with fear. Clutching her sweater in one hand, she slowly turned around in a circle, peering at the shadows which shifted around her in the failing light.”

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