Stories, songs, poetry and finger-plays with repeating words can help young children build vocabulary skills by providing them with the same words over and over again. Choose rhymes that connect to classroom content or current lessons in order to maximize the effects. For example, if you are working on an animal theme, try reciting rhymes such as "Five Little Ducks," "Bluebird, Bluebird" or "This Little Piggy." Make sure to point out the specific vocabulary words as the children say the rhyme. In the case of the animal rhymes, you would reference the ducks, bluebirds or pigs.
Arts and crafts activities can help you introduce new words to your preschool students. As a visual means of communication, art easily connects to language-building endeavours. Teachers can choose to create letter-based art that directly links to specific vocabulary words, introduce new art vocabulary during lessons or build word usage through focused discussions on child-made artwork. Ask students to draw, collage or paint pictures of new vocabulary words. Help them label the pictures correctly. Use the correct art words for the processes, materials and concepts at hand such as primary colors or tempera paint. Hold a class art show where the students can use their new vocabulary words to talk about their artwork after the lesson.
Choose a few books for each class theme or unit that use specific vocabulary words. For example, if you are starting a transportation or community helpers theme, try reading the book "Road Builders" by B.G. Hennessy. Verbally highlight the words that you want the children to learn. Another way to use books as vocabulary boosters is to interactively read with the students. Ask questions that encourage the students to predict what might happen next or why something occurs in the story. The children will naturally use their new words to describe the different facets of the narrative.
A themed show and share, or show and tell, can help young children to learn and use new vocabulary words through simple discussion. Create a show and share theme based on a classroom lesson or vocabulary list. For example, if you are focusing on animals, ask the kids to bring in a favorite stuffed friend. Go over your word list with children prior to the show and share. For the animal example, you may want to use specific animal names and words such as patterns, fur, claws or whiskers. Have children verbally introduce their animal from home using words from the vocabulary list. Encourage the other students to engage in a discussion, asking questions or making comments, using some of the other words from the class list.