Vocabulary development is huge for young children. Low vocabulary is one leading indicator of
children who are at-risk for reading difficulties. And the problem starts very early. Researchers have found that children from
low-income families may start Kindergarten with 10,000 fewer words in their
vocabularies than their classmates.
One great, simple way
of increasing the vocabulary of children, even very young children, is to read
with or to them. Most teachers recommend
reading at least 20 minutes each day. A
few years ago I ran across a chart that really brought the importance of that
reading time home to me. I’ve shared it
our parents every summer since then and wanted to share it with you today.
It’s hard for me to look at this graphic and not be
astounded each time. The difference
between reading about 5 minutes a day and 20 minutes a day is 1.5 million more
words per year. The value of that
increase and practice with vocabulary cannot be overstated.
Misty
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