Build your child's language skills by increasing verb vocabulary PDF Print E-mail
Verbs have a great deal of meaning to young children. Preschoolers are active and engaged--so they can easily understand words that describe what they are doing. Once they learn verbs, they usually take to them and enjoy using them.

Here are three ways to build your child's verb vocabulary:

1. Explore synonyms. For example, tell your child he just sprinted across the room. Then explain that the word sprinted means to run really fast.
2. Find pictures of people being active in a book or photo album. Show your child the pictures and ask him to tell you what the people are doing. Are they eating, riding, jumping, swimming?
3. Play charades. Pretend to perform an action, such as sleeping. Ask your child to tell you what you are doing. Once he understands the game, ask him to pretend something for you to guess.

Reprinted with permission from the September 2009 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Early Childhood Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2009 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: Lillian Alice Noda, June Mori-Shida and Nancy Chisato Adachi, Off to a Great Start: Activities for Becoming Your Child's Best Teacher, ISBN: 0-7802-4207-6 (The Wright Group, www.wrightgroup.com).