Again, I was not a reader growing up. My mom said that I was a bit behind in learning how to read. I didn't gobble up series books or carry a book around with me as a kid. I was too busy playing, I suppose. Last night I was impressed with my childhood self. How did I comprehend that complex novel? How did I understand all of those words? I guess I did well because my mom used good vocabulary when speaking with me, I usually read some of what was assigned to me in school, I understood concepts well, and I had a lot of books read to me when I was young....and that was just enough to help me get by.
Knowing a lot of words and having the ability to to figure out unknown words is essential to reading well. Many of us are lucky enough to come from homes that know this: Words are spoken purposefully. Words are taught explicitly. Wordplay abounds. But all kids are not so lucky. Even many darn good parents, who want the best for their child in every way possible, don't know about the value of teaching and learning words. And the challenge is, how do we teach kids without a hearty vocabulary enough words once they get to school? How do we catch them up to speed and bridge the vocabulary gap??
I'm in love with this new blog Vocabulogic. It's a treasure trove of valuable resources all about vocabulary, with articles written by the most known and trusted vocabulary researchers. I found an article, Vocabulary for Preschoolers: The Martha Speaks Program (Biemiller), that has some good ideas about bridging this gap.
This article mentions using the Marta Speaks TV to improve students' vocabulary. I checked out the Martha Speaks TV program on PBS, and I'm loving it! Anyone can watch all of the episodes for free online. Did you catch that? It's free! Hey parents- show these to your preschoolers! Hey teachers- use these as centers in your K-1 classroom! I know I certainly would. I love the way the program teaches vocabulary. The programs are engaging, and are proven to improve kids' vocabulary.
