Today is rung 4 of 6 on this topic
Growing vocabulary on purpose
Can do: Notices unfamiliar words, asks what they mean, and uses new words in their own talk.
Why it matters
Vocabulary at six predicts reading comprehension at eleven better than almost anything else, and it is built at home through talk far more than at school.
What it looks like when it's wobbly
Reads straight past words they don't know without noticing, and vocabulary stays at the level of the words used at home.
⏱️ Two-minute check
Read a sentence with a word they won't know. "Any word in there you're not sure about?"
Solid looks like: They flag the word rather than gliding past it.
The full activity for this topic · 5 minutes
Word Collector
- 1Every time an interesting word turns up — in a book, on TV, from you — write it on a slip and post it in the jar.
- 2Give the meaning in child language on the spot, plus an example from their life.
- 3Once a week, pull out three and use each one in a silly sentence.
- 4Give a point every time anyone in the house uses a jar word in real conversation.
- 5Deliberately use grown-up words with them. Downgrading your vocabulary is the one thing to stop doing.
If it's too hard
One word a day, and just use it a lot rather than defining it formally.
If it's too easy
Collect word families: enormous, gigantic, massive — and rank them by size.
Say this
"That's a brilliant word. It means… — where else could you use it?"