Vocabulary is one of the biggest problems we come up against with Kent Test students. Many of them read avidly, yet don’t have the range of vocabulary found in the test (that may be a limitation of the test’s appropriacy as an allegedly accessible test that isn’t supposed to favour children from privileged families, or those who have tutors).
So what can you do to ‘grow’ your child’s vocabulary?
Even good readers tend to stick to favourite authors. Make sure your child reads a wide range of fiction and non-fiction by a range of authors.
Share reading time, maybe reading aloud books that are a little harder than your child might manage alone.
Get your child a notebook, and encourage them to jot down unfamiliar words – you can look them up together.
Watch drama that is based in different times or places. One comprehension had lots of our students stumped because it mentioned pantries and petticoats. Not one of the children had heard of either. Goodnight Mr Tom, The Railway Children, A series of Unfortunate Events, Little Women – films/series like these can open a whole new world.
Discuss what you read/watch. Ask your child if they was anything they didn’t understand.
When your child discovers a new word, encourage them to use it – it will take half a dozen uses before that word becomes part of their regular vocabulary.
Play games with words, see who can find the most synonyms for a word, or who can find the longest word.
Most of all, enjoy yourselves. Words are all we have in an increasingly on-line existence.