May 2009

Word Games

Words are a vital tool. We need words to express ourselves, to communicate with other people, even to think straight. Children learn about words and their meaning by talking and by reading. The larger your vocabulary, the better you function both at school and later in the workplace. This is why it is so important to read to your child.

The words we use in everyday speech are really rather few. Books teach you words that will open up new worlds of knowledge and experience. Through them you can travel in time and space, explore feelings, assemble facts and most importantly, enjoy a good story.

Parents are crucial in helping children to learn and store up words, both spoken and written. Talking to your children from the moment they are born, and later reading to them, gives them the best chance to become skilled in the use of words.
How you can help:

• Listen to your children and respond when they talk to you. If you don’t listen to them, how can you expect them to listen to you?

• Enjoy books together from a very early age. Reading with mum and dad is one of the memorable experiences of childhood.

• When you are choosing a book, think carefully how it will be read. Make sure you have the correct level of reading material for the right occasion. Is the child going to read it to himself? Or are you going to read it together, when you can help with any harder words? And if you are reading it to him, you can select something more challenging. 

• Make reading together a regular habit. Do you have a comfortable place to read together? Look on it as a special treat for both of you. Try to find a quiet time when you won’t be disturbed The better you can concentrate, the better your child will, too. A few favourite nibbles and perhaps a drink make it all that much more fun.

• Keep a book in your bag for boring moments, for when you’re travelling or waiting at the dentist.

• Have a special shelf of your child’s favourite books. It is important to let children say openly that they don’t like a book or an author. Search around until you find one they do like, and then get hold of several by the same author. Use the library or charity shops to find books you can try out. Don’t buy books until you’re sure your child will like them.

• Draw in grandparents, if available, or older siblings or family friends to read to your child, if you have limited time.

• If you do not enjoy reading aloud, and some people don’t, listen to an audio tape with your child. You can still discuss unfamiliar words, talk about the plot and characters and share the delights of a tale well told.

• Encourage your child in the art of storytelling by recounting tales from your own childhood. Your children will love to hear about the way you lived and the things you did, especially the naughty tales! Encourage them to tell you stories about what happened to them at school. Concentrate on getting them to express themselves clearly so that you can understand them.

• Confidence with words is such an essential skill. Telling jokes is always a great challenge. Try working out carefully how they’re best worded, and then test them on friends or relatives.

• Finally talk to your children about the books you read together. If you get a bit of an argument going, so much the better. Try to guess what will happen next? How will it all end? Who is their favourite character? Which is the most exciting bit? Why? Sharing your ideas is one of the best ways of developing language.

Patience Thomson is a writer and lecturer and an expert on reading. Ten years ago, she co-founded Barrington Stoke, a company that publishes books for reluctant readers. She is the author of 101 Ways to get your Child to Read.

Back to top of page