Aside from a word book, what other tools are good for vocab?

[SamB]

Hi

DD's weakest area is vocab, we use a word book regularly plus she does a few vocab building exercises in her workbooks, however, essay writing is not quite there when it comes to vocab. With only 4 months to go until 11+ DD really needs a real push in terms of vocab. Actual flash cards or something similar online sounds like something that she would like.

If anyone can suggest anything that could help us I would really appreciate it

Sam

[yoyo123]

try http://www.freerice.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[katel]

Watch good TV. Honestly - I reckon my ds has learnt more words from TV than from anything he's read. Not all of them suitable, obviously, but hey ho!

[pheasantchick]

I watched Extreme Parenting with Jo Frost last week. They conducted an experiment( with young children) whereby half the parents read to their children, and the other half read the books themselves, and listened to a cd with the story. The story contained a couple of made-up words (I think they were objects of some sort) which the children were then asked about. 80% of the read- to children identified the object, and less than 20% of the independent group did. Possibly the parents emphasised the made-up words.

However, it made me realise that children were more likely to take in as story/vocal with parental intervention then when left alone. I guess they engage in the books more.

Not sure if this helps, but I thought it was interesting research.

[SamB]

I watched Extreme Parenting with Jo Frost last week. They conducted an experiment( with young children) whereby half the parents read to their children, and the other half read the books themselves, and listened to a cd with the story. The story contained a couple of made-up words (I think they were objects of some sort) which the children were then asked about. 80% of the read- to children identified the object, and less than 20% of the independent group did. Possibly the parents emphasised the made-up words.

However, it made me realise that children were more likely to take in as story/vocal with parental intervention then when left alone. I guess they engage in the books more.

Not sure if this helps, but I thought it was interesting research.

This is great advice, and I think I have seen this mentioned before. I must agree, when I have read to DD she listens intently and seems to absorb much more. DD is reading daily alone and to us but I rarely read to her, something that I shall definitely do more of.

[SamB]

Watch good TV. Honestly - I reckon my ds has learnt more words from TV than from anything he's read. Not all of them suitable, obviously, but hey ho!

Thank you, great advice, we have tried nature shows and DVD's but DD has lost interest in those!

[ourmaminhavana]

What about word games eg alphabet games eg name emotion, game etc; Tell me; the word association game where you have to avoid any link, however slight, between the words, Scrabble, Lexicon, cross word puzzles, anagrams, I Spy; Animal, Mineral,Vegetable etc etc.