From the article: Developing Vocabulary at Home
In the book The Shut-Down Learner, author Richard Selznick describes a method for developing a struggling child's vocabulary at home. Do you have a trick of your own for helping your child know and remember new words? Share Your Strategies
The Vocabulary Project
- My formula is for children to create pictures in their mind to recall words. For example, the word "apple" is a basic word for all children and is learned as early as pre-kindergarten. The child of that age knows "apple" as a shiny, red fruit. That picture is already installed in their mind. However, words such as salicate, crimson, masticate, circumference, speherical, etc can be added to this word picture over the years, all created from that first picture in mind of that shiny apple. Fast forward to a more complex vocabulary. The words "adamant" is a power word meaning stubborn. Rather than trying to memorize dictionary defininitions, my formula calls for the student to picture someone who immediately brings to mind a stubborn picture in their mind. If they would prefer an object, a rock or similar inflexible obkect will suffice. This picture will trigger a cluster of similar words to grow the vocabulary. Obstinate and obdurate are two of my favorites.
- —Guest Steve Tarde
