Developing Strong Oral Vocabularies in Pre-Kindergarten

Some Key Understandings to Think About:

• Expanding vocabulary involves much more than learning words.
• Intentional vocabulary instruction can help pre-k students more rapidly expand their knowledge base and the words that describe it.
• Reading aloud is an effective way to build vocabulary. The reading should be accompanied by conversation about the text.
• Shared reading of poetry can also contribute to vocabulary expansion.
• Children should be adding five to ten new words to their working vocabularies every day.
• Vocabulary instruction should be embedded in meaningful conversation.

Pinnell and Fountas in their book Literacy Beginnings: A Prekindergarten Handbook summarize chapter 7 of their book with the above key understandings.