Guest Post: Vocabulary Lesson Ideas for the Homeschooler

Just about every child today has one subject that is a struggle for them. One subject that can cause significant trouble for young children is vocabulary. However, thanks to all of today’s technological advancements, including the Internet, there are plenty of resources available online today to parents and homeschoolers alike.

One technique that can help a child with vocabulary is reading. Reading usually helps increase a child’s vocabulary, or at minimum, help keep the child from falling behind. It can also fuel a child’s love of reading. Look at the Harry Potter phenomenon as a perfect example. The magical book series sparked an entire generation of readers! A good way to spark that love of reading is to take a child to the library regularly, or contact the local school system to ask if they do bookmobile days and inquire if homeschoolers would be permitted to participate. The American Library Association also sponsors a “National Bookmobile Day” to remind everyone of the importance of bookmobiles and libraries in communities. By encouraging children to read, chances are their vocabulary will continue to improve. It is important for parents to take time to read aloud to their child, which will also help a child’s vocabulary. Parents can take turns reading sentences or paragraphs, depending on the age of the child, so they not only practice annunciating, it will help with their reading comprehension as well as their listening skills when it is the parent’s turn to read.

Thanks to the Internet, parents and homeschoolers have access to resources to help their children unlike ever before. Homeschoolers can connect with other homeschoolers around the country to share teaching methods, identify resources, and even plan a get together with other homeschoolers nearby. This can be especially helpful when a child is struggling with a specific lesson or subject. Zaner-Bloser offers great vocabulary lesson ideas for homeschooling. By utilizing the provided vocabulary lessons, parent and child can work together to overcome the trouble with vocabulary.

Ultimately, the keys to overcoming trouble with any subject are patience and consistency. Children want to please their parents and do well in their studies. What it is important is to now allow them be too hard on themselves. Parents should consider sharing a struggle they had in school and talk about how they overcame the challenge. It will help them understand that everyone has a subject or two that can be difficult. It will also be a wonderful bonding opportunity between parent and child.