Vocabulary is an essential part of your child’s education. Indeed, many education professionals will argue that word power is the foundation of a good education. There is no question that developing a rich store of words will enhance your child’s performance in school. In summary, s/he will then develop better thinking and communication skills, become more confident and achieve higher grades.

What is vocabulary?

Find out how to improve your child’s vocabulary.

Vocabulary is so much more than knowing the definition of a word. To claim a word as part of your ‘word stock’, you should understand:-

– the meanings of the word;
– how to say it;
– how to spell it;
– its part of speech (i.e. whether it is a noun, verb or adjective and so on).

There are two main categories of word acquisition:

Receptive 

Receptive vocabulary relates to listening and reading. A word is part of your receptive vocabulary if you can recognise and understand it when listening or reading but you do not use it when speaking or writing.

Expressive 

Expressive vocabulary relates to speaking and writing. A word is part of your expressive vocabulary if you can use it correctly when speaking and writing.

How to teach vocabulary

It’s assumed, even by many teachers, that vocabulary is ‘difficult to teach’ or that it is most effectively developed by reading. On, the contrary, at Better Tuition we firmly believe that targeted teaching of new words enables children to develop their skills in a way that is empowering and transformative. The key to good, targeted teaching in this area is to use high quality resources and follow four key steps:-

1) First, read and say the word aloud – both teacher and child should do this.
2) Secondly, explain the meaning(s) of the word.
3) Next, explore the word: use in context, discuss the origins of the word and identify its part of speech (noun, verb, etc.).
4) Finally, encourage use of the word in speech and writing. Review and check recall of the word regularly until it may be truly claimed as part of the child’s vocabulary store.

Resources to use

Better Tuition’s Word Power Vocabulary Workbook is a highly effective resource.

This vocabulary list from 11 Plus Exams is a great starting point. Better Tuition is proud to have published our own Word Power Workbook for Key Stage 2. Ideal for Year 5 children preparing for entrance exams, or Year 6 children who need to boost their word power in the run up to SATs and secondary school, you can download Word Power Vocabulary Workbook in pdf form from our download store or, if you prefer a hard copy, you may purchase it on Amazon.

If you need help with vocabulary

In addition to the work done at home, if your child needs a little bit more help than you are able to give, why not give Better Tuition a call on 0161 748 3912? We are very experienced in teaching language acquisition and we can help your child improve his/ her performance across the curriculum.

Here comes the science bit …

The effect of vocabulary on school performance is backed up by research. Pearson et al found, in 2007*, that there is a direct relationship between vocabulary and reading comprehension. In other words, children with a high word stock will score highly in comprehension – and children with a low word stock will score poorly in comprehension.

Jalango and Sobolak (2010) reported that high-quality vocabulary instruction supports growth in reading, writing oral and language skills more effectively than reading.

Why targeted language instruction matters even more if English is not your child’s first language

In “What really matters in second language learning for academic achievement?” (TESOL Quarterly 18: 199-219, 1984), Muriel Saville-Troike found that: “Vocabulary knowledge is the single best predictor of second language learners’ academic achievement across subject matter domains.”

A note about reading

Finally, we love reading at Better Tuition and it’s very important to recognise the impact of reading on improving word power. Elsewhere on our site you will find tips for creating a reading-friendly home as well as a suggested reading list for students in Years 4 or 5. You will also find posts on the importance of independent reading and how to encourage your child to read alone.

*Pearson, P. D., & Hiebert, E. H., & Kamil, M. L. (2007). Theory and research into practice:
Vocabulary assessment: What we know and what we need to learn. Reading Research
Quarterly, 42(2) 282-296.