One of the things you can contribute to your child’s future is providing him with quality education, which includes broadening their vocabulary. Being knowledgeable of words and their meanings is very essential in human understanding in a way that it helps people with conveying their thoughts, ideas, and feelings in a concise and appropriate matter. Some research suggests that strong language ability correlates with a person’s success in relationships, career, and life.

The good news is you shouldn’t have to wait until your child is entering the school-age phase. You can start building your child’s vocabulary even after birth. If you are to give your child something inexpensive and useful, it would be the expanded vocabulary, so you might as well follow these effective tips as early as now.

1. Read Books

While it gives you the opportunity to bond with your family, reading children’s books could also open your child’s ability to engage with the characters and the story. You can begin with simple picture books with colorful graphics. Sound effects like animal sounds can also help your child further engage in the characters. Gradually progress from simple picture books to the ones with short sentences, then further their reading with lengthier stories. Not sure which books suit your child’s reading ability?

2. Communicate With Your Child

As soon as you notice your child showing interest even in the simplest things, interact with them by simply asking questions and help them describe what they saw. These opportunities not only help your child with expressing herself, but they also open a chance to form a bond with your child and deepen your relationship with them. Encouraging storytelling can serve as a way of introducing new words to your child with similar meanings. New words, when repetitively used and understood, may benefit your child’s vocabulary.

3. Engage by Playing

Play is an integral part of a child’s development. Not only do they develop relationships with other kids, but they also discover new words and interpretations through pretend play, specifically. A good example would be a child pretending to be a patient. A parent or guardian says, “I will be using a stethoscope to listen to your heartbeat.” The child then realizes that stethoscope is a thing used by doctors to listen to a heartbeat. Simply teaching your child about a stethoscope may not be as effective as using it through pretend play.