Advice and resources : Vocabulary

Overview

Our vocabulary is made up of words that we understand and can use in a correct and meaningful way.

We learn the meaning of words and how they relate to each other (semantics) through life experiences, and practice.

For example, 'wave' your hand or a 'wave' in the sea.

A child’s vocabulary can be affected by their:

• listening skills
• ability to remember the sounds of words
• speech difficulties
• if they have difficulty remembering a word when they need it
• reading ability
• need to learn English as a second language

What you might see

You may notice some signs if a young person is struggling with their vocabulary.

Remembering words

• have difficulty learning and remembering new vocabulary
• have difficulty naming familiar objects and may make up new words, for example 'cheese scraper' for cheese grater
• overuse non-specific words, like 'it', 'there', 'that', 'thingy', 'whatsit'
• hesitate with certain words, or repeating them
• use an inappropriate choice of words
• use a lot of fillers such as "well" and "er….”

Topics and confidence

• change the subject to avoid the word they can’t find
• appear to talk fluently but without clearly expressing their meaning
• make false starts and run-ups, for example, "I went to the…, I went to the…"
• talk around the word for example, "well you know the thing you put tea in...

Non-verbal signs

• use a lot of gesturing and pointing

How you can help

Immediate strategies

There are changes you can make right now to help young people.

• If you know what they’re trying to say, give the first sound of the word, for example 'm' for 'microorganism' 
• Ask them for more details to trigger  their memory, such as where they might find the item, what it’s for, what colour it is
• Encourage them to use word-finding strategies, like asking for the meaning of the word, describing it, talking about its function, or where you find it for example
• Using a mix of short and long words, syllables, starting sound, and rhyming (phonological features) for example bat is a short word that has one syllable, starts with b and rhymes with cat

Long term strategies

Some changes can take time, but the impact can be worth it.

• Give them opportunities to pre-learn material before it’s presented in class
• Help them practice speaking material, such as presentations and opinions or argument, for class and group work
• Use vocabulary maps to show how different words link together, such as ‘spidergrams’, attributes webs and multiple meaning trees
• Create a word lists (glossary) for each school subject, with a simple definition for each word, using words they understand and always using the same definition
• Use drawings and colour to make word maps, to assist visual memory - start with a template, but encourage them to drawing freely, so the word map can be adapted to suit different words in different subjects
• Introduce new vocabulary by using visual materials, objects, symbols, and real experiences
• Practise new words regularly
• Use key vocabulary charts, labelled pictures, words. and symbols
• Read a variety of books, magazines, and comics together every day

Teach vocabulary using

You can develop their vocabulary in many different ways. 

• Give them simple definitions
• Explain category types, such as apple is a type of fruit
• Associations when words are connected to themes, such as sea is associated with boat
• Talk about similarities and differences, such as how are cat and cow the same
• Finding the odd one out from a list
• Do individual reading sessions and find any words they may struggle to understand 
• Create a vocabulary book divided into topic areas and using pictures, symbols, diagrams, and simple definitions to explain word meanings
• Make a vocabulary wall and label displays

Help yourself as a young person

Small changes can help improve your vocabulary. 

• Ask for the meaning of a new, or hard to understand word
• Keep a list of new words and their meanings (glossary)
• Tell people you need time to remember the word for example “Can you just give me a minute to think of the word?” or “I can’t think of the word just now, could you come back to me in a minute?”
• Describe the words you can’t remember, or choose a similar word
• Make a word map at the beginning or end of topics and keep it in your subject folder to help with revision

When to ask for help

If you’ve tried all of these techniques and you’re still not seeing any improvement after four months, please speak to a teacher at school or a health professional.

Self-help and other support

Online language development workshops

Our team run online workshops on early language development.

They're for parents and carers and those working within early years settings.

We have three training sessions available on different topics to equip you with everyday strategies to support your child, aged up to five.

• Early language development workshops