Helping your child learn new words

Children need to know the meaning of words to understand what they are reading.  The best way to help children learn new words is to talk and read with them.  Books often use words your child may not hear in everyday conversations or on TV.

Ideas to try

• Talk about new words in a story. Use them again in conversation.
• Stick with the original words in a story.
• Read books that explore concepts such as feelings, opposites, colours, size and shapes. List of titles
• Use dictionaries to look up new words together. List of titles
• Make a dictionary with your child using pictures from old magazines, newspaper flyers, greeting cards and so on.