Vocabulary Activities and Workshops for Kids

What Should I Know About Vocabulary Activities for Kids?

If your child struggles with vocabulary tests, it may be beneficial for him or her to do some activities and exercises outside of the classroom. Most of the new vocabulary kids learn comes from hearing everyday conversations and speech patterns, so if your child is struggling with vocabulary, start by incorporating difficult vocabulary words into casual conversation. To provide further assistance, try the following vocabulary activities.

Three Vocabulary Activities

Flashcards

While they may not be the most exciting way to practice vocabulary, flashcards are an effective, traditional method for drilling new words into your child's head. They are great for visual learners because students are able to see what the word looks like and how it's spelled. Your child will then learn to identify the words by the corresponding definition. Flashcards are especially useful for short vocabulary lists because the shorter lists are less overwhelming to cover.

Dramatic Workshop

If your kid is a kinesthetic learner, you may want to add a little drama into the mix. To practice weekly vocabulary words, set up a mini dramatic workshop at your home. If you have other children who are old enough to be involved, ask them to join you.

Divide your child's vocabulary words up between the two of you and any other participants. Each person will take a turn acting out the vocabulary word in a Charades-like fashion. Others will have the opportunity to guess the vocabulary word and state its meaning. This activity will give your child a better understanding of the words, what they mean and how they can be used every day.

Writing a Story

If your child enjoys writing or other creative activities, you can have him or her write a story using all of the weekly vocabulary words. By writing stories, your child will be better able to learn multiple forms and definitions of the words while gaining a better understanding of them within context. To expand on this activity, you can have your son or daughter illustrate the story to make the exercise more visual and hands-on.