Reading is one of the most effective ways to increase vocabulary. Children are able to ascertain the meaning of new words through context as they listen to the story. Before reading to your kindergarten students, briefly explain the book's unfamiliar words and ask the student to be listening for the new vocabulary. Read the vocabulary words with emphasis. After reading, ask the children if they remember any vocabulary words and their meanings. Try reading the book again and pausing when you come to the vocabulary word, letting the children say the word. As with many forms of education, repetition is key to helping children build vocabulary skills.
Not all children will be able to learn new words solely through hearing them read aloud. Some children benefit from visual reminders of the vocabulary. Give your students a vocabulary list and ask them to illustrate each word. Hand out magazines and have them cut out pictures that represent the vocabulary words. Put together vocabulary collages. Create a word wall with a bulletin board to highlight your vocabulary words. Place the written vocabulary word and a picture depicting the word on the word wall. Throughout the day you can call attention to the words on the wall when you encounter them in ordinary teaching time.
Because children have different learning styles, try to incorporate various sense and styles when teaching vocabulary. Kinesthetic learners especially enjoy reinforcing and studying vocabulary words with a game of charades. Before class, write the vocabulary words on index cards and draw corresponding pictures underneath the letters. Have the children take turns picking a card and acting out the vocabulary word. You may need to whisper the word in a sentence to the child who is acting out the word if he cannot remember the meaning.
Kindergarten children are very receptive to learning through play. Transform a dry vocabulary lesson into a series of games and watch your students grow to love learning. Stage a trivia game show by giving each "contestant" a clue to guess the vocabulary word for points. Some kindergarten students can find words in a simple word search worksheet. Have the students draw pictures of the vocabulary word and ask the rest of the class to guess which word it is. No matter what game you use, your students will be happy that you interjected their vocabulary lesson with fun and games.