Talk to Your Child About Their Interests

When a child shows interest in something, whether it's a cute animal or a funny TV show, this is a perfect chance to engage them in conversation to expand their vocabulary. They're already interested in the subject, so why not expand on it? Use the time to use words that your child might not be already familiar with and then explain those words.

"These exchanges are prime opportunities for adults to name, describe and explain things," wrote David Dickinson, a professor of Teaching and Learning at Vanderbilt University. "Occasions when parents and children talk about things they are both attending to are powerful instructional moments. Words are paired with objects, events, and emotions. The importance of these exchanges is shown by the fact that the amount of pointing by children at 18 months is related to language development at 42 months."

Conversation is Key

Engaging your child in active, two-way conversations on a regular basis is fundamental to strengthening their vocabulary. And just because they're children, that doesn't mean you have to oversimplify your language. In fact, using bigger words and then explaining what the words mean is a key factor in expanding your child's vocabulary and encouraging them to use the words themselves. According to the Hanen Centre, a Canadian non-profit that promotes children's literacy and communication skills, meaningful conversation with adults is one of the best ways for children to strengthen their vocabulary.

"Children with less adult input have lower overall vocabularies and are, therefore, at risk for later academic difficulties," the Hanen Centre says. "Encouraging children's expressive vocabulary development should, therefore, be a priority for parents of young children, as well as for professionals working with young children and their caregivers."

Use New Words Often

Retaining new information can be the most difficult part of improving vocabulary. That's why it's good to practice new words that you taught your child yesterday, last week, or even last month. The more often these new words are used, the more likely children will retain the information and reuse them themselves in regular conversation.

"There's no point in your child learning new words if they don't know how to use them," theschoolrun.com says. "Getting them to use a word in a spoken or written sentence will help them understand its meaning and context."

Read Out Loud Together

Reading together is a natural and entertaining way to engage your child in vocabulary-building exercises. Every book is an opportunity to learn new words and practice language and vocabulary by talking about the story.

When you come across a word that is new to your child, talk to them about it. Discuss the meaning of the word, other words that have similar definitions, and allow your child to fully absorb the new word.

"Vocabulary development can be improved through explicit teaching techniques such as providing definitions for new words," wrote Margaret Kristin Merga, a senior lecturer in education at Edith Cowan University in New Zealand. "For example, while reading to your child, when you encounter a new word you may pause and ask the child what they think it means."

Reading out loud is so effective at improving vocabulary, studies have shown that simply listening to a story being - even without help from an adult to explain words the child doesn't know - can improve a child's vocabulary by up to 15 percent.

Don't Forget to Write

Writing is just as important to vocabulary building as reading and talking. And for some children, it might be the most effective, which is why parents and educators should not put the written word to the side.

"Children are sometimes turned off writing by being made to write about things that don't interest them at school," theschoolrun.com says. "Try to counter this by encouraging your child to write for pleasure on any subject that enthuses them."

As they write, encourage the use of words you have been teaching them. Another way to do this is by having the child write down words they learn on flashcards. When your child is doing their writing exercises, give them the flashcards and tell them to include the words in their writing. Not only is this like a game, but it reinforces the words verbally, visually, and even physically as they engage their motor skills to write a word that is unfamiliar to them.