collecting useful vocab, homonyms, antonyms etc.

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fatbananas
Posts: 1411
Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 2:03 pm

collecting useful vocab, homonyms, antonyms etc.

Post by fatbananas »

Hi,

I was reading with DS (yr 3) last night and we came across the word 'gait'. I've been wondering for a while about collecting useful vocab etc, antonyms etc but don't know whether to involve DS in doing this (aside from pointing out these words and what makes them interesting), or exactly how to do this. I wondered if people could share their tips. Have people just jotted these words in a book, formally created flashcards or anything else? I'd like to try and create something in a fun way to increase DS's vocab/ grammatical knowledge now so that we don't have a big catch-up later on.

Any tips people don't mind sharing would be really helpful!! :D
Seize the day ... before it seizes you.
scarlett
Posts: 3664
Joined: Fri Jul 16, 2010 10:22 am

Re: collecting useful vocab, homonyms, antonyms etc.

Post by scarlett »

Any words we come across in books , I explain at the time and then I feel the best way for my DC to retain these plus understand their meaning is to use them in our everyday conversations. So, for me , it's best if I remember the words and then if we were walking to the shops and someone shuffled past I would comment.." Oh, look what an unsteady gait that person has !" I might ask if they remember what that means depending on their response. Actually, that sounds pretty awful.. I don't usually comment on peoples appearance to the dc...it's just an example !
fatbananas
Posts: 1411
Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 2:03 pm

Re: collecting useful vocab, homonyms, antonyms etc.

Post by fatbananas »

Thank you, Scarlett! I can see that I'm going to have to be careful in public when using 'characterisation' vocab etc! I do try and bring some of these words into everyday conversation but I don't always remember/ find a way to do it. Perhaps I should jot them down and then try and bring a couple of them into conversation per day?
Seize the day ... before it seizes you.
Fran17
Posts: 1440
Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2010 10:16 pm

Re: collecting useful vocab, homonyms, antonyms etc.

Post by Fran17 »

My sons had word books. If we came across a word they were unfamiliar with I would explain it's meaning, then they would write it in their word book. Like Scarlett we would try to use it in everyday conversation. The Haydn Richards Junior English book (the brown one) has all sorts of lists of words, homophones, synonyms, antonyms, proverbs, idioms etc. My youngest son's school asked the children to learn them over a period of time.
MrsChubbs
Posts: 363
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 7:36 pm
Location: High Wycombe

Re: collecting useful vocab, homonyms, antonyms etc.

Post by MrsChubbs »

We played games with the ********** cards that you can buy on line. Happy families types of games. They have a lot of vocab children wouldn't necessarily come across. You take it turns to spot the opposite with one pack or the same with the other.
Mrs C :)
MrsChubbs
Posts: 363
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 7:36 pm
Location: High Wycombe

Re: collecting useful vocab, homonyms, antonyms etc.

Post by MrsChubbs »

Oops that wasn't very helpful as I have been unintentionally advertising! :oops:
Pm me if you want to know the name.
yoyo123
Posts: 8099
Joined: Mon Jun 18, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: East Kent

Re: collecting useful vocab, homonyms, antonyms etc.

Post by yoyo123 »

google antonym, synonym or homonym games , there are lots of good online games which make it fun.

http://www.scholastic.com/wordgirl/synonym_toast.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
is good, but there are lots more

http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/game/en ... rossword-1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
um
Posts: 2378
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 1:06 pm
Location: Birmingham

Re: collecting useful vocab, homonyms, antonyms etc.

Post by um »

The act of writing vocab down in a book or on cards can be useful in itself if your child is a good memoriser.
But I am afraid that the best way is to have a list which you definitely want to learn - and learn them by rote.
Easier to say than to do, I know :roll:

Children absorb language at an amazing rate - I can't believe my 2 year old sometimes - they seem to learn 50 words a day at that age. I admittedly, having been rather monosyllabic when my eldest were younger, try to 'enrich' my language a lot now when talking to the others.

As in, 'Darling offspring, do not, through repeated procrastination, cause continued hindrance to my efforts to punctually disperse you at your various educational institutions. Hark! I request you to disembark from this automotive vehicle in order to enchant your educators with your delightful punctuality.'

(Translation: Get your bags and get out the car now or you'll be late for school again).

I have become used to getting odd looks in public. And feeling like an idiot. But on the bright side, my 2 year old's playgroup keep talking about how his speech is very ahead...it must be working :lol:

Another great game for vocab building is http://dynamo.dictionary.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
It is free.
fatbananas
Posts: 1411
Joined: Mon Mar 08, 2010 2:03 pm

Re: collecting useful vocab, homonyms, antonyms etc.

Post by fatbananas »

:lol: Thanks Mrs Chubbs and Um! Um, I also have a preschooler and he keeps asking me, every time he uses a new word, 'is that a good word, mum?'. Today it was "I'm keeping my patience! Is patience a good word, mum?' Can't think why that concept should've impacted on him!!!

Think I must make a conscious effort to make my speech more varied (am going to try and use 'hark' more, instead of 'will you ****** well LISTEN!'), as in 'look at your father's gait; he's been at the beers again ...'. :roll: :lol:
Seize the day ... before it seizes you.
scarlett
Posts: 3664
Joined: Fri Jul 16, 2010 10:22 am

Re: collecting useful vocab, homonyms, antonyms etc.

Post by scarlett »

fatbananas wrote: 'look at your father's gait; he's been at the beers again ...'. :roll: :lol:
I read that " look at your Father's girth" .....maybe in a few years with all those beers !
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