Vocabulary Tips to Improve Your Child’s Reading Skills

Vocabulary Tips to Improve Your Child’s Reading Skills

Did you know that if you read to your child for 20 minutes every day, they will hear 1.8 million words per year? Just a small investment of time each day can improve their vocabulary for life! As they start learning how to read on their own, you can actively help them build, maintain, and strengthen their vocabulary. Here are a few tips and tricks:

Spoiler alert! If you’re reading a book with your child, don’t hesitate to take a look at the pictures first. Books for early readers deliberately pair pictures with text that will help kids better understand the story. Before you start reading, talk through what the story might be about and discuss any relevant terms. If the book is about a trip to the beach, talk about the animals that live there and the activities that people do there. This will help your child better understand the story as they read, and it will also improve their vocabulary with words that may not be on the page.

Choose books that will get them excited about reading. School-aged kids may already feel like they have full-time jobs. Leisurely reading shouldn’t feel like a chore, and instead should feel like a break. Make reading a fun and interactive experience for your child and it will become something that you both look forward to. One of the benefits of I Can Read! is that there are so many books to choose from. There are stories about classic and new characters whom children love. If you’ve read The Berenstain Bears or Fancy Nancy  to them, they’ll be excited to read about them to you! Some of our favorite new picks include Pete the Cat’s Trip to the Supermarket, Pinkalicious: Fishtastic, and Amelia Bedelia Under the Weather.

Make sure the books they read are at an appropriate level. Early reading can be a confidence booster, but it can also be frustrating. Choosing books that are the right level is key in helping your child understand the plot and the vocabulary in a story. You can see a breakdown of I Can Read! levels here. Another trick is to ask your child to read one page of a book. If they struggle with five words on the page, the book may be too difficult.

Talk about tricky words. If your child stumbles on a word, take a minute to talk about the word and ask him or her if it makes sense. Have them finish the page, and then go back and read it again. It can sometimes be helpful to think of words that rhyme with the one that tripped them up. For example, words like “could” can be tricky. Encourage your child to brainstorm some words that rhyme, like “should” or “would”. This can help them recognize words with the same sound later, and even introduce them to new words!

For more helpful tips on how to motivate your emerging reader, click here.

For a complete list of wondrous books that are great for early readers, check out the I Can Read! collection.

Featured Books