Vocab words for Preschooler?

I taught my 9 year old and 8 year old to read before kindergarten. I did this by turning to this system: http://www.kidzone.ws/dolch/preschool.htm

I used these as flash cards which in kindergarten they say they are sight words. In kindergarten your child should be able to know these words by sight. It was a great system for my children! Look up this system on other sights as well. “Dolch Word” We turned them into flash cards and lined them up on their wall. Every night we would go through them several times. When it was apparent they memorized them in order, we would change the order and go through them again, adding new words once a week. They had a large vocabulary going into kindergarten making it a wonderful experience. Good Luck!

A preschooler will not improve his vocabulary by simply reviewing lists of vocabulary words with him. What you need to do is talk to him, read books to him, and expose him to a variety of experiences. This way the “vocabulary” he learns will be presented in context.

Do what is called “commentary.” Talk about everything. For example, say you are going to the grocery store. So you would tell him that the two of you are going to the grocery store. Then talk to him about what that is, why you go there, what you do there, etc. Talk about some of the things you plan to buy, what ingredients you need to purchase to make a dish, what you are going to have for dinner, what are your son’s favorite fruits, etc. Do you see where I’m going with this. This is just one example, but you have tremendous learning opportunities here. Just keep talking about anything and everything you can think of. When your son talks, listen to what he’s saying. Repeat what he says in the form of a question to make sure you understand what he said, restate it correctly if mistakes are made, restate it using similar but different words (synonyms), or ask a question about what he says to extend his thoughts.

Go to the library and check out tons of books on just about everything. Read several times a day. When you come across a word that you think your son may not know, ask him if he knows what that means; if he does not, find a way to explain it to him in words he can understand.

My son is four and he has a phenomenal vocabulary simply because I talk to him all the time and I read to him regularly. He also loves to watch TV shows like Blue’s Clues and Backyardigans which also provide a lot of vocabulary in context. By the way, I’m also an ESL teacher, and my experiences with my son have helped me with my job, especially in the realm of understanding how a person acquires langauge.

Good luck.

there is not a quick or singularly right way to teach a child to read. Just remember repetition and familiar stories will make it easier. While recognizing the alphabet and understanding the phenoms (sounds) associated with the letters is important it is not the most important. 1} Some of the ways you can encourage literacy is to label the common items in your classroom or household. Labeling will help to associate the shape of the letters/words with the object. Labeling a door and a doll will help a child associate the d shape with the sound ‘d’. 2} Reading predictable and rhyming books like those by Eric Carle, Laura Numeroff, and numerous others. I’m partial to the If you give… series by laura numeroff and Felicia Bond. I have included a link that i have referred to often when creating lesson plans for my class. I hope this helps.

Talk to your son as if he were older. Use appropriate terminology for things he’s interested in and give him an opportunity to ask what that word is. Don’t call it a long neck, call it a brontosaurus. Use words you think he probably doesn’t know. Instead of “going to WalMart” say “we’re going on an excursion. ” Then ask him do you know what that means? It means a little trip! We’re going to WalMart to buy milk and new shoes! Go potty please, so you’ll be ready for our excursion. In no time at all, he’ll begin using these new and interesting words, and after you’ve asked a few times if he knows what that means, he’ll begin asking on his own. You will have taught him some new vocabulary AND you will have taught him to be inquisitive and watch for new words!

I used to work as a teacher’s assistant at a daycare. Rule of thumb 4 year olds learn 4 letter words ex. door, roof, food, pink, blue, etc. It may sound corny but in Kindergarten (age 5) they are starting to read so bigger words are introduced gradually. Don’t worry about pushing the kid, when he seems uninterested or frustrated, then you are pushing too hard!!!

I agree – vocab study is for older students, once they are reading and can delineate different words. For a Pre-K vocab, just read, read, read and talk about everything. Preschoolers tend to be incredibly auditory and hands-on – since they can’t read yet, not much of their learning is visual (as in gaining info through reading it). If you stimulate his learning by reading out loud and talking with him and by letting him handle different things and talking about the size, shape, color, texture, taste, etc. it will grow his vocab by leaps and bounds.

Talk to him and read to him. He will work on figuring out what the words mean by the context in which they are used. If he has any questions he will ask you.

I aggre with the other anwsers. Constantly talk to him in words he doesnt know. Let him constantly write words. When he gets to say 3rd grade.. i recomend this website alot.

www.quizlet.com

Simply use bigger words when talking to him. He will pick up on them from everyday conversation.