I've always had an excellent vocabulary.  My father really gets the credit for starting me on my love for vocabulary.  Rather than tell me to look it up if I didn't understand a word, he actually explained it.  My step-mother always told me to look it up, which greatly annoyed me, as we didn't actually have dictionaries handy.  We also didn't have computers when I was growing up.  Forget having the web!!

My father had an excellent vocabulary, and never spoke "down" to me.  I appreciated that, and when I didn't understand what he said, he'd explain.

I did the same with my own children, and they too have excellent vocabularies.  I had learned somewhere that when you have babies, you should use the same words for the same things.  Not true!!!  That type of thinking is simplification, and life just doesn't work like that.  If you do use the same words all of the time, you aren't doing yourself or your children any service.

What I recommend, and have also done, and it WORKS!:

First, don't ever talk to babies, or children with baby talk, or intentionally easy vocabulary.

 Why?  Because children and babies are a lot smarter than you think they are!  I remember when I was little, I can actually remember back to when I was around 1 year old.  I was always insulted when grown-ups didn't speak to me with truth.  I knew they weren't telling the truth, and were trying to couch their answers.  I am quite certain I was not the only child like that.  I baby sat from ages 12 through 20, and I spoke to my wards as if speaking to contemporaries (I  am not talking about using curse words in case you went there!) .  I always explained to my wards, and later my students, and my own children what words meant which they didn't understand.  People of all ages appreciate this. 

Second, watch tv, movies, read books, magazines, newspapers, etc. with your children.  I'm not telling you to intentionally choose media which is inappropriate in any way.  I am telling you this because great vocabulary is everywhere.  When we don't know what a word means, our natural tendency is to ignore it.  Pay attention when you hear or read words with your children, which you don't think they understand.  How will you know?  Easy, look at their faces.  ASK!!!!

If they do know the word, the context of the situation in which it comes up may spark a whole new discussion.  There is no better way to learn words, than to use them to communicate!  If you point out words which you are not sure your children know, than they and you will start noticing them everywhere.  Why?  Because now you are aware of a particular word, your brain won't skip over it!

I have to relate a story.  I was interviewing children at a school for a video which was part of the accreditation process.  I asked a forth grader what his favorite thing (of a particular nature) was.  He looked at me blankly.  I tried to be more specific regarding the type of program I was referring to.  I then gave him specific examples of what he had done in school, hoping to jar his memory.  I could not understand why he couldn't answer the question.  Finally some adults who were with us, asked him which activity he liked best.  They told me he didn't understand the word favorite.  I was floored.  He was in forth grade, and my own children were toddlers.  They knew what the word "favorite" meant!

I tell you this story to relate a very -in my opinion- sad because it is far too common, situation.  "Favorite" is not a dirty word, it's not a difficult word.  By always stating the question as "which do you like best?", that child is not being challenged.  You don't think if you don't have to.

Your brain is a muscle.  USE IT!!!

A funny story about language.  My son Brandon was around four years old and asked me for a piece of cake.  I told him it was close to dinner time, and of course I didn't want to ruin his appetite.  He then proceeded to ask me if he could please have a "slice" of that "chocolate dessert we have in the refrigerator"!!!!  I was duly impressed.  Still, the answer was not until after dinner of course!  He got kudos from me for his creativity though!

Creativity is another positive outcome from having an expanded vocabulary.  One of my teachers once told the class that you can only think in terms of words you know.  Sounds simple, but it is very true!  I never forgot it either!

In case you may have noticed my inability to be concise, my forth grade teacher told me I was loquacious, and I never forgot what that meant!  I also must concur!

One last recommendation is let your children see that when you don't understand a word, you ask, or look it up.  Modelling behavior you want to see, is the best way to teach!  Of course once your child reaches high school, and then college, and have to take the SAT, GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT, etc.  your child will have been building vocabulary for a life-time, and won't have to learn a whole slew of words all at once.  I taught students how to take these tests for over thirteen years, and the ones with generally good vocabularies generally did better.  It's true in all areas of life.

Good luck!  Get learning!  Have fun!

Spiritually Yours,

Laura Weakley