Words, words, words!

Yes, we know, vocabulary development is important! But just how important is it? Research tells us that “vocabulary is very important to reading comprehension; readers need to know the meanings of individual words to understand the text as a whole”  and “oral language is a predictor of a range of expressive skills beyond comprehension, including putting words together to form grammatically appropriate phrases and sentences and combining words in meaningful ways” (NCECDTL, Oral Language and Vocabulary).

When teaching new vocabulary it is important to reinforce emergent bilinguals (English Language Learners [ELLs]) first languages (L1). Children that “become competent in two or more languages early in life may show improved academic outcomes” (NCECDTL, Oral Language and Vocabulary). Here are several research-based principles focused on vocabulary acquisition that can be *modified to support emergent bilinguals:

1. Use many words and many types of words because children learn the words they hear the most. *Encourage families to use children’s L1 (first language). *Share new words in English and children’s L1s.
2. Engage children in conversations (several back and forth exchanges) because children learn by interacting with responsive adults. *Include words in children’s L1s when possible
3. Talk about things that children are interested in because they are more likely to learn language associated with things they are looking at or focused on. *Use English and children’s L1s when possible
4. Provide opportunities for children to use new words in context because when children act out a new word in an activity or hear it during additional lessons they make learning connections and are better able to remember  it. * Label items and pictures with English and children’s L1s
5. Remember that new vocabulary supports grammatical development because these are reciprocal processes.  Learning new words helps children understand how words fit together.
6. Make vocabulary learning positive by asking children open-ended questions, being responsive to their attempts to communicate,  and rephrasing  their wording rather than  “fixing” their mistakes.

Early Childhood National Centers, National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching and Learning, Oral Language and Vocabulary.

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Lynne Hall is a research associate at the Indiana Institute on Disability & Community’s Early Childhood Center. She holds a Master of Science in Education and an Indiana instructional teaching license (Early Childhood Education and Services; Elementary/Primary Generalist; Elementary/Intermediate Generalist). She formerly taught preschool in a variety of settings for over 15 years. Her expertise includes early literacy instruction and inclusive preschool classroom practices. Email her at hallma@iu.edu