Tahirh Bushey M.A.C.C.C.
Speech and Language Pathologist
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Creating the desire to learn a new word
Games can create a reason for learning a new word. This should be kept in mind because in everyday life, it is possible to create a reason to learn a new word or a new phrase in a thousand situations.
By learning how to do this throughout your day, you will help your child develop vocabulary much more rapidly.
Using words in real situations
It can be useful to show video clips to help children learn new games. Children can see the order of the game and not be distracted by the real toys or the real social activity.
But do not rely upon videos to teach new vocabulary. Vocabulary is learned within real social interaction and with real objects and activities.
Video tapes and even games can introduce a word, but the word needs to be used in the real world in a variety of different situations in order for it to become fixed in a child's vocabulary.
Introducing words in games
Here is a video clip where an older sister is teaching her younger sister the names of fruit as they make a Fruit Train.
Games are just an easy way to introduce, highlight, and practice words. Although we are talking about learning words in the context of games, the principles for teaching a new word hold just as true in daily life situations.
To successfully teach a word, you need to set up a game where it is essential to know the meaning of a word in order to keep playing. The game itself also needs to be interesting enough to motivate learning. The game also needs to teaching the meaning of a word, not just require that the child say or repeat the word.
Usually this involves demonstrating the meaning of the word many times before requiring the child to use or understand the word.
A Hide 'n Seek word game
You will notice that in video of Hide 'n Seek, I show the child where to look as soon as he demonstrates confusion. I continue to do this for as long as he is enjoying playing the game but not comprehending the words.
I would occasionally leave a little more time to see if he was starting to understand the verbal direction. But if it took 100 times to learn to understand three words, and my little friend was willing to keep playing that long, then we'd do it 100 times.
If you are wondering what new words you should try to teach your child, in games or in everyday life, I have included a discussion of Useful Words in the Parent Tips section.
A game always serves two purposes
Remember, a game always serves two purposes. First, the game should encourage your child to interact with you socially. Second, the game should promote language acquisition.
Even though in these games aim to teaching your child new vocabulary, don’t lose track of purpose number one: enjoyable social interaction. But there is also every reason to be smart in your pursuit of purpose number two, vocabulary acquisition.
Why do games work well for teaching new words?
Games allow you the opportunity to repeat the vocabulary over and over in a more natural way than you would in a drill type activity. This makes it more likely that your child will truly learn the meaning of the word.
See Build a Giraffe for an example of how games that has a repeated sequence of activities and words can help a child learn new words.
Over time, vary the game to be certain that your child is learning new words and these words in new contexts. In a game, you can gradually change or increase the variables to make the game easier or harder. In life, you can check comprehension be using the word in new situations.
For example, in the puzzle Hide 'n Seek game, the puzzle pieces can initially be hidden beneath one of only three items. You may increase the number of new words that you teach by putting puzzle pieces under a different three items.
You may also help your child understand the first three words by moving the three items to different places in the room. For example the bear could sit on the dining room table and the drum on the floor and the house on the couch. You may add a few more hiding places — thus teaching new words.
You may have a different person play the game with your child helping your child understand the word regardless of the pitch or unique intonation of the voice saying the word. This would also serve the social goal of helping your child learn to interact and enjoy other play partners.
If you taught another child to play this game with your child, it would serve the purpose of helping your child learn to play with a peer.
To make the game easier
You might find that you have to make the game easier because your child does not understanding the word you are trying to teach him or her - even after many times hearing the word.
In the puzzle game, you could do this by checking to see if the three places that you are hiding the puzzle piece all sound different.
Here we model the words bear, house and drum. These words do, indeed, sound different. But perhaps these three words do not sound different enough. If not, you might try saying beee ar with a bit of a melody and housssssse with a hiss at the end.
Leave off the third hiding place for a while. Add a sign language sign and then drop this after your child is listening for the word. Once your child understands the new words, say the words more naturally.
Words provide useful information
If your child does not understand that you are telling him or her where a puzzle piece is hidden, you might add sign language or even show your child a picture of the place the puzzle piece is hidden.
In the following game, Animal Tickle, pictures are used initially to help the child understand the words. This game is easy and most children will enthusiastically play it. By adding the picture choice board, a child is likely to learn animal names.
More challenging games for older children
The Straw Games were taught to me by my friend, Janet Oliver who is a Neurodevelopmental Specialist. She uses these games for other reasons altogether. Blowing and sucking activities are, apparently, very calming and organizing, she tells me. (Is this another reason we smoke cigarettes?)
But for older children who can manage a straw in this way, the game is interesting and challenging enough to motivate and the game can be used to teach more complex vocabulary and language structure.
In the Straw Game clip the target vocabulary is color words. But given the right little pictures, one could teach the child to move a picture of a boy who is sleeping and a boy who is driving and a girl who is sleeping and a girl who is driving. Then the target language being taught would be embedded who clauses.
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