Vocab, vocab, vocab! Something you are always hearing about from educators, but why is it so important for your student to build his or her vocabulary? The primary answer to that question is that a rich vocabulary bank is the backbone to comprehension, both in reading as well as learning through listening. On the other side of that coin, a strong vocabulary base allows your student to adequately express herself, bolstering her ability to assert her ideas and engage others during communication. Basically, wide-ranging vocabulary skills help your student understand and be understood. Sounds pretty important, right? So how do you help your student build her vocabulary base? Read on for tips and tricks that our staff have found beneficial in helping students learn new vocabulary!
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Utilizing Context – help your student use the context in which the word is introduced to solve for the meaning of the word. Did the word come up in a reading you are doing together? Use the surrounding words and sentences—or context—to help your student understand what the word means. Did the word come up in a conversation or lecture? Discuss the context of that conversation or lecture with your student, focusing on aspects such as what was being discussed, the point the speaker was trying to make and the tone in which the word was said.

Ultimately, relating the word to the context in which it was used will allow your student to connect the word to a bigger picture, making it more likely that she will retain the meaning of the word.

Synonyms & Antonyms – a great way to help your student understand a new word is to provide your student with synonyms (mean the same thing) and antonyms (mean the opposite). Indeed, as your child’s vocabulary grows, many of the new words they learn can be related to another word that means the same thing, or the opposite. For example, the word “enormous” might be related to the words big, huge, large or gigantic. Conversely, you might provide the words small, little, teeny, tiny, minute as antonyms.
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Much like using context to solve for meaning, providing synonyms and antonyms will help your child relate a new vocabulary word to easier, more manageable words.

Looking for a fun summer activity?
Try hosting a family scavenger or treasure hunt.

Treasure hunts are a great way to incorporate literacy and vocabulary building into a fun, interactive activity. Nature-based scavenger hunts are also a lot of fun in the summer. Feel free to use the resources below--or just utilize them as inspiration! 

RIVER-BASED VISUAL CLUES: Use this scavenger hunt as a way to add tier II and tier III vocabulary to a trip down the river. 

1. Ahoy mateys! We’re on a raft, now ye’ must observe, the way the water goes around each curve. Is the current fast or is it slow? Describe the way the water flows.

2. Arrrr ye’ scallywags, you’ve got one clue, but to get the next, here’s what ye’ must do: Observe the trees. Do they have needles or leaves? How many kinds of leafy deciduous trees do you see?

3. Land ho! Observe things to your left and your right. Describe to your captain if riverbanks are in sight.

4. Me hearties, me crew, the breeze is making wave after wave. Observe these small ripples and describe how they behave.

5. A pirate’s goal in life is to discover gold and buried treasure. Can you describe Jackson Hole’s climate by observing the weather?

6. Yo, ho, ho, have you discovered any new kinds of boats? Describe what buoyancy is and why this raft floats.

7. Lads and lasses, this river is full of freshwater, not salt like the sea. We drink freshwater, who has this in common with me?

8. Observers, this water is muddy, it’s opaque and not clear! Can you tell if there are fish swimming right here?

9. There are lot’s of buoyant things in the water, like floating logs, sticks, and grasses. Observers, can you point out any of this kind of debris as it passes?

10. Some trees, called conifers, stay green all year long. Have you observed any conifers, please answer in song!

NATURE SCAVENGER HUNT: If your child completes the entire sheet, allow them to earn a prize!

Can You Find Me?

• Tri-Colored Rock
  
• Three Leaf Clover
  
• Pine Cone
  
• Wildflower
• Feather
  
• Bark
• Litter
• Stick
• Woodchip 
• Spruce Needles 
• Fallen Leaf
• Puddle 

Can You Find....

• Something soft
• Something rough
• Something smooth 
  
• Something circular
• Something triangular
  
• Something square
  
• Something green
  
• Something red
  
• Something blue
  
• Something brown
  

Vocabulary refers to the words we understand and use to communicate effectively. Vocabulary is a very important part of the reading process, as it contributes largely to our comprehension of a given text. We cannot understand a text without knowing what most of the words mean.
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What parents can do to help at home:

• Engage your child in conversations every day. If possible, include new and interesting words in your conversation.
• Read to your child each day. Whenever a book contains a new or interesting word, pause and define the word for your child.
• Help build word knowledge by classifying and grouping objects or pictures while naming them.
• Help build your child's understanding of language by playing verbal games and telling jokes and stories.
• Encourage your child to read on his or her own. The more children read, the more words they encounter and learn.

What our tutors can do:

• First, provide a simple, kid-friendly definition for any new word. For instance, you might say, “Enormous means that something is really, really big.”
• Second, provide a simple, kid-friendly example that makes sense within their daily life. “Remember that really big watermelon we got at the grocery store? That was an enormous watermelon!”
• Third, encourage your student to develop their own example. “What enormous things can you think of? Can you think of something really big that you saw today? That's right! The bulldozer near the park was enormous! Those tires were huge.”