Having Fun with Words

We can teach our children about literacy and language in our daily routines and interactions. We do not need specialized teacher training, but only have to think about our actions and extend them into purposeful playful activities.

Why is having fun with words important?

• Your child learns patterns and predictability.
• Allows you to hear your child's ideas.
• Allows you to encourage their thinking to expand vocabulary and ideas.
• Gives him a headstart on learning to read.

Having fun with words is saying words over and over, saying words that your child knows in new sentences, saying or singing rhythms, poems, chants or songs and creating nonsense rhyming words. Having fun with words is important in your child's development because it helps her learn the individual sounds that letters represent and provides many experiences with the rhythm of the language. Children learn that language has a melody, rhyme and rhythm in the way that we put words together to communicate our ideas.

More Ways to Have Fun With Words:

• Check out books on tape from the library.
• Make charts with a child of fun or interesting words (color words, names, action words, rhyming words, words that start with the same letter).
• Invite your child to make alphabet books or posters.
• Provide opportunities for your child to make up sentences, rhymes, finger plays to lean the melody of language.
• Point out words as you read.
• Create silly words and rhymes.

Rhymes

It is important that you show your child that our language has a rhythm and that many words rhyme. You can do so by singing chants, nursery rhymes and making up rhymes. Children supply their own rhyming words. Remember to giggle, laugh and play with your child as you teach nursery rhymes, songs and engage in finger plays. Phonological awareness involves the appreciation of sounds as well as the meaning of spoken words. Research shows that children who come to school with knowledge of nursery rhymes and the ability to rhyme have a stronger foundation to learn to read (Goswami & Bryant 1990).

Real and Silly Words

During the preschool years, most children gradually become sensitive to letter sounds, as well as the meanings of spoken words. They demonstrate this awareness in many ways. For instance, they notice rhymes and enjoy poems and rhyming songs; they make up silly names for things by substituting one sound for another (e.g., bubblegum, bumbleyum); they break long words into syllables or clap along with each part.

Think of real words that rhyme. For example, "goat" and "coat," "bat" and "sat," "lip" and "sip." Try this with your own child.

Practice hearing and clapping the parts of words with your child. For example: "jump ing" (2 claps), "go" (1 clap), "Hap py" (2 claps), "Ma ri a" (3 claps).

Fingerplays and Acting Out Stories

Acting out stories and performing finger plays helps children learn that print has meaning and contains a message. Finger plays are movements of the hands to create a story or rhyme. The movements also make it easier to learn new words.

Finger plays can become bigger when children use their entire bodies to act out a story. As you read a story in which the main character does things, you and your child can act like you are the main character doing these things too.