Vocabulary

Vocabulary is one of the five pillars of reading. The more words our students know, the better they are able to understand their reading. Building vocabulary improves our students' speaking, listening, and writing skills.            

You can improve your vocabulary if you:

• Read lots of different books! 
• The more you read, the more new words you'll come across, and the more you will learn.
• Preview books to learn new vocabulary and concepts before reading, especially school textbooks!
• Keep a personal list of key vocabulary words.
• Practice telling, or writing, detailed stories. Use transition words such as first, then, and finally.
• Challenge yourself with crossword puzzles and other word games.

Parents, you can help if you:

• Make time for conversation every day. Introduce new and interesting words whenever possible.
• Read with your child each day. Stop and discuss new words as they appear. Talk about the books you read.
• Play games such as Scattergories and Apples to Apples. Share jokes and stories.
• Encourage independent reading.

The more words we are exposed to,

the more words we absorb.

Check out the following online resources:

Vocabulary/Spelling City  http://www.spellingcity.com/students-overview.html

Vocabulary. Com  http://www.vocabulary.com/

Vocabulary.Co.iI  http://www.vocabulary.co.il/

3 Ways to Build Vocabulary  http://www.wikihow.com/Build-Your-Vocabulary 

Fun Brain  http://www.funbrain.com/words.html