Children tend to retain more information when there are associations made with the words that they are learning. One way to increase a child's retention of vocabulary words is to make picture and word associations. For example, a preschool child can remember the word "tiger" better when there is a picture of a tiger placed above the vocabulary word "tiger."
Visual learners have to see the word before they form a concrete memory of it. Children can play a game of charades with a vocabulary list. Simply have some children act out associations with the vocabulary word while one child takes a guess about which word is being presented.
This activity involves having children decipher vocabulary words whose letters are jumbled. The child has to use critical-thinking skills to rearrange the letters and determine what the word is. Once he does so, he has to define the word. For example, the child is given the following letters: "lagufr." The word is "frugal." The child will then define what "frugal" means.
Play "Go Fish": Write both the definitions and vocabulary words on 3X5 cards. Place all cards face down. Have the child "fish" through the cards and select two cards. If the card with the vocabulary word on it matches the card with the definition, the child receives one point and another chance to fish for matches again. The child with the most matches wins.