How to Expand Children’s Vocabulary

Using ambitious vocabulary: it’s an aim that all educators have for their pupils. A wide and varied vocabulary supports reading comprehension, creates articulate and confident speakers and inspires the creative writing process. However, the path to achieving this is not always an easy one. Our pupils have different experiences with and exposure to language, whether spoken or written. How, then, can we ‘level the playing field’ when it comes to allowing pupils to develop the extensive vocabularies that we know they need?

Make vocabulary visible

It sounds obvious, but if we want pupils to expand their vocabulary, then they need to be able to see the vocabulary that we want them to use.

A well-placed word display in your classroom can work wonders when it comes to increasing children’s vocabulary. Choose a ‘word of the week’ or a ‘word of the day’ and display it prominently. Challenge pupils to use the word in their speech or writing.

Consider providing a space on your vocabulary display for pupils to add a word of their own. This could be a word that a pupil thinks others may want to use; a word that a pupil has recently learnt the meaning of or a word that a pupil thinks is particularly ambitious and is proud of using. Make time to refer to these words, challenging pupils to share sentences that include them.

Explore CGP+’s great selection of vocabulary displays for a range of subjects, featuring cut-out word cards with clear definitions.
 

Tier 1, 2 and 3 vocabulary

Many educators use Beck and McKeown’s tier system for categorising words, which divides vocabulary into three tiers. Pupils will already be very familiar with a wide range of tier 1 words, those words which are used every day such as house, dog, cloud, walk and field, but tier 2 and tier 3 words can present new challenges.

Tier 2 words are formal words which are used across a range of subject areas. Teaching and displaying tier 2 words is beneficial as they allow pupils to articulate themselves more clearly and aid understanding. Examples of tier 2 words are sequence, complex, variable, classify, parallel and approximate.

Tier 3 words are those key vocabulary words which are subject specific. Examples of tier 3 words include isosceles (Maths), photosynthesis (Science), sedimentary (Geography), metamorphosis (Science) and Reformation (History).

Tier 3 words can be pre-taught to pupils at the beginning of a topic to help them with their understanding of the topic as a whole. They should also be prominently displayed with their definitions as a further aid to understanding.

When reading texts or exploring new topics, make it clear which tier new words belong to. Draw attention to tier 2 words in particular as these are vital for understanding and progression in literacy. Creating lists of words in each of the tiers can be a useful aid for pupils, as can emphasising the cross-curricular nature of many of these words; for example, after learning the word ‘condensation’ in Science, challenge pupils to use the word correctly while writing about the weather in Geography.

The Science Topic Packs and History Topic Packs on CGP+ include vocabulary displays and matching glossaries with definitions to display for each topic covered.

Synonyms and antonyms

Encourage your pupils to resist the temptation to use the first word that comes to mind by exploring synonyms and antonyms. Spend time comparing and contrasting words so that they become more adventurous and precise in their language choices. For example, compare the words sad and inconsolable in a sentence and decide which is stronger.

Molly was sad when her best friend moved away.

Molly was inconsolable when her best friend moved away.

A great way to extend children’s vocabulary is to introduce a temporary ban on certain words that are often overused, meaning they have to use a synonym instead. Two of the most commonly overused words are ‘said’ and ‘went’.  Alternatives for said include whispered, shouted, sobbed, moaned, and wailed. Alternatives for went include ran, crept, strode, staggered and limped.

Teach your pupils how to use a dictionary and thesaurus and encourage the use of these when composing their own writing so that they can extend their vocabulary. Ask them to explain what they were trying to convey when they chose a particular word.

CGP+ has a range of resources that you can use to support your pupils’ understanding of synonyms and antonyms. For example, why not try this fun interactive game, this informative PowerPoint or this helpful worksheet?
 

Model ambitious vocabulary

Children learn best by example. When writing on the board, talk through what you are doing and why you are doing it. For example, ‘I am using the word ‘limped’ in this sentence instead of ‘walked’, because I want the reader to understand that Kai has hurt himself.’

Also, model making improvements to your writing. For example, imagine you have written the sentence below:

The wind blew as Sally walked to school.

Talk through how you want to make the vocabulary more ambitious. For example, you might tell the children that you’re changing the word “blew” to a more ambitious one that will tell the reader how the wind was blowing. You might say you want to use the word “howled” and change the phrase “walked to school” to “battled her way to school”. So, the new sentence will be:

The wind howled as Sally battled her way to school.

It is also vital that you model ambitious vocabulary to pupils in your everyday speech. Whether giving directions, asking questions or engaging in general conversation, it is important to consciously choose precise and varied words. When pupils hear you do this, they will begin to view ambitious vocabulary as a natural part of communication, rather than something that they only use in a writing task. Involving teaching assistants and other adults who visit your classroom in this use of ambitious language ensures a language-rich environment.

Have fun!

Making words fun and playing games is a great way to help your pupils extend their vocabulary. Vocabulary games can take many forms, from classics such as Hangman to adapted versions of Bingo or Charades. CGP+ has a wealth of creative ideas, including this Word Family Card Game for KS2, this ‘Don’t Say’ game for KS1, and this food chains wordsearch to help learn topic-specific language. These activities encourage active pupil participation and motivate pupils to use new words.

Why not set up a ‘word scavenger hunt’, where pupils search classroom materials or reading passages for new vocabulary? Alternatively, set up a friendly competition where teams race to define, spell or use new words in sentences. For younger pupils, incorporating movement, songs and chants into activities can help new vocabulary ‘stick’.
 

Conclusion

There is no one right approach to expanding the vocabulary of your pupils. It is a multi-layered process, involving both explicit teaching and time for pupil experimentation. View it as a constant journey rather than a destination! There will always be room for further improvement, and all pupils will progress at different rates. By applying some or all the approaches outlined above, your pupils will be well on the way to becoming confident writers and orators.
 

I have been a teacher for just over 22 years, working mainly in Upper Key Stage 2. More recently, I have worked with Key Stage 1 children as part of the National Tutoring Programme, which has been very enjoyable, giving me a great insight into younger children’s unique view of the world! I have always enjoyed writing resources but often did not have time as a full-time class teacher. Teaching part-time and writing for CGP+ offers the perfect balance.

To see CGP+ resources written by Cathy, click here.