There are a few among us who run to the table with pen in hand when we hear we’re going to learn new words. If that’s the reality in your home, why not start with a book about a kid who created a new word and take it from there?
Frindle
In the book Frindle by Andrew Clements, a kid named Nick starts to think about why the words for different things are the words for different things. Why, he wonders, is it a pen and not a frindle? From there on until the end of the book, we see what happens when Nick uses “frindle” instead of “pen.” This terrific book gets kids to think about words. It’s also a great way to get them to consider what they would call the things around them.
Alexander
Another book that gets kids invested in the right word is Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst. I’m not even a kid, and I love to read about the way Alexander just can’t catch a break. However, while everything is terrible, horrible, and not good on this very bad day, there are other words your child can use to describe each event. Read it with them to spark a discussion about the words they would use.
Amelia Bedelia
And, of course, there’s Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish. Some of the terms she uses may not be familiar to your kids, so send me an email and I’ll fill them in! Meanwhile, it’s fun to see how two people can be speaking about the same thing while not communicating in a meaningful way!
Bottom Line
The more words your kids are exposed to, the more vibrant their vocabulary will be. They get a lot from the words you know and use with them, but these books will give them a reason to think about and explore more words while having fun.