Children do not like and cannot concentrate on one lesson for a long time and monotonously learn long lists of words or grammar rules. You will not convince your child to do boring exercises in a textbook for an hour. It is important for modern children to understand why they do this and to be interested in the process itself. Therefore, learning should be fun and playful. This is the only way to quickly achieve results in the language classes.
For many children who are learning two or even three languages, keeping vocabulary and remembering the right word during a test or when relatives ask them to say something in a foreign language is not easy. Many parents or teachers note that some children sometimes find it difficult to remember what they learned in class, especially when foreign words were completely out of context.
And if the child does not repeat the words or does not use them constantly, then even the colors or names of pets, with which there were no problems in the lesson, can cause difficulties. In this regard, visualization is a powerful tool: you can use an educational poster template from https://www.storyboardthat.com/create/poster-templates or come up with your methods.
How to learn words in a foreign language quickly?
Children learn everything new very quickly. But sometimes long lists of words can’t be learned. They get bored. You can quickly learn words with a child in several ways, using associations, abstract thinking, and the classic but most effective method – playing. Make the process of learning new words exciting for your child. For example, you can use the following methods:
1. Draw
Let the child draw the word as he or she imagines it. It can be an abstraction or a fairy-tale creature. Sign the picture and hang it on the wall until your kid remembers the word. Draw cards: on the one hand a hint picture, on the other – the word itself. Play who will be the first to say all the words, excitement motivates children very well.
2. Make up a story
Depending on the child’s level of language proficiency, you can write different stories with new words. If the level is still low, insert new words into the texts in your native language. This will make it easier for the child to remember them. Make up funny stories and fairy-tale characters, and let the child be actively involved in the creative process. If you highlight keywords and emphasize them and then ask your child to repeat and memorize those words, you will notice how your child’s vocabulary will change. That’s why stories are a great way to introduce a child to new vocabulary, keeping their attention with an interesting plot and bright illustrations.
3. Play
Play active games using new words. You can find ideas for many games online or come up with your own. The main thing is that the process is fun for the children. During the game, new words are memorized much faster. You don’t have to do this with gadgets, sometimes a 10-minute card game with words can help your kid to take a break from homework or repeat words before continuing!
4. Make it personal
It is easier to remember what directly concerns us. Children learn languages in the same way. So, if you can relate the topic of the words you need to learn to your child’s personal experience, the chances of memorizing words increase. For example, when you study animals, it is better to focus on those that the child likes and those they would like to have. What animals has your child seen recently in the park? And what pets do her friends have?
Repetition of learned words should become a daily habit for your child. One way to encourage a child to do this is to record and listen to his/her voice. Invite the child to write down and listen to how he/she pronounces words with different intonations: when he/she is happy, sad, angry, and so on. Repeat the exercise until the child memorizes all the words.
How to quickly learn the alphabet with children?
The same pictures, cards, cubes, colorful books, and songs will help you learn the foreign alphabet quickly. Remember how you taught your child the alphabet of your native language. Bright cubes with different characters or a book will help children visually memorize letters. Learn the correct pronunciation at once, and find funny songs or cartoons. There are many options for such videos on YouTube.
Fun Ways of Teaching New Words
Vocabulary development is essential to enable kids to comprehend the words they read. Beginning at birth and continuing throughout adulthood, word learning is a crucial process. A rich vocabulary influences a child’s academic success. One of the most critical milestones on your child’s path to becoming a confident, independent reader is learning a language. However, teaching new vocabulary may be intimidating to kids and parents. Here are some fun ways to teach vocabulary:
1. Word Detective
This game offers your child to learn and remember new words. To do this vocabulary game, prepare a list of phrases you want your child to learn. Write the words on a strip of paper, roll each strip, and mix them in a fishbowl or a hat. To start, select a strip of paper and let your child guess it by describing or acting out it. The objective is for your child to think of the word quickly. With the aid of this game, you can ensure that your youngster has access to various tools for learning vocabulary terms. After the game, your kids will learn new words and be familiar with the definitions, synonyms, and actions of the new vocabulary terms.
2. Two Lies and One Truth
This game is simple to learn, quick to play, and can be done outdoors or indoors. In this vocabulary game, you give your child three different options; one of the choices will be the word’s true meaning, while the other two are false; the goal is for your child to identify the word’s true meaning. You can become more sophisticated with your white lies as your youngster becomes more adept at identifying vocabulary words and the appropriate definition. It’s best to refrain from switching the definitions of other vocabulary words they’re concentrating on to avoid confusion.
3. The Million Word Club the Million Word Club
Add a list of vocabulary words you want to improve. The Million Dollar Word Club is an organization that members join every time they use a term from the list in a conversation with you or another family member. You may ask them to sign a fictitious contract or award them a badge at the end of the game that represents a particular reward.
4. Word Collection Game
This is similar with one of those picture books that young and older children will love. Use it to remind your children that new words are all around them, and they don’t need a vocabulary list to learn them. To keep track of new vocabulary, they want to learn and use more frequently, encourage them to keep a word list or notebook.
5. The Quest for The Perfect Word
This is a fun outdoor game for your kids and their playmates. Do this with the help of other members of the house. Prepare a stack of vocabulary words on cardboard and have your partner hold the stack of vocabulary words and wait at the other end of the room while you stand on the other end. Let the kids get one vocabulary card and return it to you with the correct explanation of their chosen words. For smaller children, feel free to have the person holding the cards read the text aloud. Depending on your child’s reading ability, you can make this game harder or easy.
The Importance of Learning Vocabulary
Language arts, social studies, math, and science require students to have a strong vocabulary. Compelling reading and writing abilities, which are also essential for succeeding in school, are closely related to vocabulary development. It enables your child to communicate effectively and express their ideas and opinions since they have different words to describe an experience or emotion. Most importantly, teaching vocabulary aids in your child’s comprehension of what others are saying and what they are reading, and their capacity to understand concepts and think logically is strengthened. Here are some signs of teaching your child a wide range of vocabulary.
1. Knowledge is improved through vocabulary
Your world will grow as your vocabulary does. Pay attention to the importance of picking up a new word each day. Your student’s knowledge expands along with their vocabulary.
2. Reading comprehension is improved
To be able to have a clear grasp of the material they are reading, children must comprehend ninety-eight percent of the words they read. A stronger vocabulary will help them learn books and textbooks better.
3. The ability to communicate is improved by vocabulary
A rich vocabulary enables an individual to communicate clearly and successfully. A good grasp of vocabulary allows a person to formulate ideas clearly and effectively to make the message clear.
4. It’s crucial for the development of language
Youngsters who build a strong vocabulary tend to think more deeply, communicate more effectively, and read more. Early language and literacy development will help children succeed academically and in communication.
5. Critical thinking abilities are improved by vocabulary
Improving a child’s vocabulary is essential for enhancing that student’s capacity for analytical reasoning. A student’s ability to process information and grow intellectually is constrained by a lack of vocabulary, which would severely impact the child’s potential.