Good news if your child isn’t much of a reader: it doesn’t have to affect their vocabulary!
Ask pretty much anyone how to improve your child’s vocabulary and they’ll tell you they need to “read, read, read”. Science tells us something different, however.
Multiple studies indicate that children can – and do – learn vocabulary in three different ways, not just one. We call it the Talk, Read, Listen Method.
These are 3 passive ways of improving vocabulary. As they’re passive, that means they don’t require much effort to pick up the meaning of a new word. (Win!)
Unfortunately, it isn’t possible for your child to absorb all of the necessary 11+ vocabulary using passive methods alone. It would take too long to do so. That’s why, in addition to using Talk, Read, Listen, you’ll also need to actively teach vocabulary to your child.
Using the Wordier toolkit is here to support you in actively improving your child’s vocabulary; however, combining our range with passive methods is a surefire way to take your child’s verbal skills to the top.
Wondering how to use the Talk, Read, Listen approach with your child? Here are our tips:
Use challenging and specific vocabulary in everyday conversation with your child. Swap out familiar words/phrases, like “knives and forks” for less familiar words like “cutlery”.
If you can, help your child to define a word by giving context clues or defining the word later in your sentence, for example, you could say “I had a deluge of messages this morning – they just came flooding in.” (See how the word is explained at the end of the sentence with minimum fuss?)
If defining a word isn’t appropriate, gesturing towards or pointing at your intended subject will help to give your child a better idea of what you mean, e.g. “Oh dear, that glass is precariously placed; I better move it.”
Struggling to get your child to pick up a book? Audiobooks might just be your saving grace.
Listening to audiobooks gives your child the opportunity to listen to books beyond their reading level and to be exposed to stories that they might have refused to read “with their eyes”.
With audiobooks, your child will also benefit from hearing stories read with expression and sound effects, which will enhance their ability to pick up the meaning of new words.
For access to a wide range of FREE audiobooks, use the Libby app and set up a free account using your local library card.
Over the last 10 years, I’ve personally worked with many hundreds of 11+ students. I’ve been doing this so long that my early students are now at top universities like Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial.
Did these students do the “required” reading for the 11+? Nope.
Did I give them a list of books that they simply had to read in order to pass? Again, that’s a no.
Instead, I encouraged my students to read for pleasure and to select their own reading material. If you’re struggling to find books your child will enjoy, try The Reader Teacher. You can also explore Libby, a free online library, to check out books risk-free.
To encourage an interest in reading, try reading to your child regularly (even if it seems like they’re “too big” for it), particularly if they’re just starting a book.
Once you have convinced your child to read, try to discuss their books with them regularly. Don’t do it just to improve their comprehension, though; do it for the love of sharing an interest with your child. Your child will feel the difference.
The beauty of this approach is that each of these methods will support each other. When your child hears words in conversation, they’ll be reinforced by reading, and when your child picks up words through reading, they’ll start to use them when talking to people. It’s the opposite of a vicious circle. (A gentle circle, perhaps?)
Just mix and match the tips above to make the Talk, Listen, Read method work for your child.
