Written by: Danielle Baron, Senior Level Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Danielle Baron stands as a distinguished authority in the field of education, diversity and inclusion. With her remarkable achievements, she has earned recognition as a finalist for seven upcoming prestigious awards this year alone, such as The Great British Entrepreneur Awards, SME National Business Awards, and Ms. Great Britain. Her passion lies in empowering individuals across generations, from children to teenagers and women, equipping them with the essential tools to foster autonomous empowerment.
As an education expert, I am aware that vocabulary is important and especially the vocabulary language that one is needing to use, for example, in school. Over the years, I have found that children of parents who have English as a second language struggle with vocabulary usage in their writing and come to me for help. This is completely logical. of course. because they are not being exposed to such words at home. I also find that if parents are not modelling high-quality vocabulary at home, then children’s story writing seems to be very colloquial and the vocabulary needs a boost. This is why high-quality vocabulary usage during conversations is as important as reading a variety of books. Children are like sponges when young and absorb lots of new vocabulary faster than adults do, so it is important to expose children to high-quality vocabulary as early as possible.
This is one out of a variety of reasons why strong vocabulary is beneficial and the more children understand the intricacies of words, the more they can comprehend other people and explain in a variety of ways to be understood. It also empowers children to communicate effectively, excel academically, and think critically. It enhances their writing and reading comprehension skills, boosts self-esteem, and prepares them for future career success. Moreover, a rich vocabulary contributes to improved problem-solving abilities, better social skills, and a heightened cultural awareness. Cultivating a good vocabulary is a fundamental aspect of a child's development that equips them with the tools to navigate the complexities of both their educational journey and their future professional and personal relationships.
Parents can encourage their children to expand their vocabulary at home by fostering a language-rich environment through activities like reading together, playing word games, and engaging in meaningful conversations. They can also introduce new words within relevant contexts, promote storytelling and writing, and utilize educational resources such as word games and books. Encouraging curiosity about language, celebrating word discoveries, and being patient and supportive throughout the process are essential in helping children develop a strong and diverse vocabulary, which will benefit them academically and in their communication skills throughout their lives. For older children, they can investigate words further by finding synonyms and antonyms of words to better understand them. Also, using words in context is also helpful because sometimes children think they understand a word but when using in a sentence, sometimes they struggle.
Expanding one's vocabulary as an adult is not only beneficial but also a rewarding pursuit. It can enhance communication skills, enrich writing and speaking, and foster a deeper understanding of the world. To achieve this, adults can read widely, play word games, learn a new word daily, and actively engage in discussions and debates and surround themselves with others or online media that uses a wide range of high-quality vocabulary. Writing regularly, seeking diverse sources of information, and setting personal goals for vocabulary growth in different genres are also effective strategies. Ultimately, the journey to expand vocabulary is a continuous process that fuels intellectual growth and opens doors to more nuanced and effective communication.
3 tips for boosting vocabulary
1. Read together
Choose engaging books: Select books that are appropriate for your child’s age and interest.
Read loud: Spend time reading aloud to your child and encourage them to read aloud to you. Take turns reading a page each.
Discuss the story: Talk about the plot, characters, and any new words they might have encountered.
Word exploration: Pick out a few new words from the reading and explore them together. Look up their meanings, synonyms, antonyms, and use them in sentences.
Benefits
Exposure to new words in context.
Improvement in listening skills and comprehension.
Encouragement of a love for reading.
2. Creative storytelling
Word Jar: Keep a jar of interesting new words that you come across. Encourage your child to pick a few words and create a story using them.
Picture Story: Provide a series of pictures and ask your child to weave a story around them, using specific new words.
Role-Play: Choose a story and enact it with your child, placing emphasis on using new words in your dialogues.
Benefits
Encouraging the creative use of new vocabulary.
Enhancing imaginative thinking and narrative skills.
Promoting the active usage and retention of new words.
3. Cooking adventures
New Recipe Exploration: Choose a recipe that has some ingredients or cooking techniques with which your child may not be familiar.
Go Shopping Together: Encourage your child to read from the shopping list and find the items with you.
Cook Together: While cooking, introduce the new words and talk about their meanings and origins, if applicable.
Create a Cooking Show: Record a fun “cooking show” where your child explains the process and ingredients using the new vocabulary.
Benefits
Practical use of new vocabulary in a real-life context.
Learning about food, cultures, and culinary techniques through new words.
Engaging in sensory experiences to reinforce memory.
Tips for effective vocabulary building:
Be patient: Remember that building vocabulary is a gradual process.
Be consistent: Engage in vocabulary-building activities regularly.
Praise efforts: Always acknowledge and praise your child’s efforts and achievements.
Use words in daily conversations: Ensure that new words are used frequently in daily interactions to reinforce learning.
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Danielle Baron, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Danielle catalyses children and adults to rise like a phoenix from the flames and to reach their optimum potential. She is an entrepreneur, inspiring 11+ and 7+ entrance exams tutor, rapid transformational therapist®️, business coach for overachievers, a life coach for all, and an NLP Master practitioner, and she is also certified by the ILM.
One of Danielle’s much-loved abilities is being an overachiever because she thrives on the excitement and follows her passion, which is to help people live fulfilling lives.
