A great way to help your child have a rich and fulfilling life is to build their vocabulary. Studies show that strong language skills are associated with positive outcomes such as happiness, friendship, family connections, academic success, and a fulfilling career.

 You shouldn't wait until your child is old enough to attend school to develop their language skills. Children develop their vocabulary quickly. Approximately 5,200 root words are learned by children between birth and second grade. Reading comprehension is closely linked to vocabulary by grades three and four. Partly, this is because a child's vocabulary is a good indicator of how much he knows about the world.

 Here are some easy and fun vocabulary-building activities you can do each day with your child that will help him or her learn new words.

1) Visit the Library

The library is an excellent place to start building your preschooler's vocabulary and early reading skills. A strong correlation has been established between library use and literacy development in young children. Your librarian can help you if you're not sure what to do when you arrive.The presence of a lot of books and references to literature will go a long way toward making your preschooler feel comfortable with reading.Often, libraries for young children offer engaging events and activities that expose them to new words and provide an opportunity to socialize.

2) Thesaurus of Synonyms

Using new words yourself is a good way to introduce your child to them. After all, you are his or her first and best role model. The best way to do this is to become a walking thesaurus, substituting synonyms for words as you go. Sometimes a synonym will be more descriptive than the original word, though synonyms are typically the same.A word like enormous is always better than a word like big for preschool vocabulary development. Additional suggestions:

Cold: Cool, chilly, bitter, freezing, raw

Hot: Warm, humid, boiling, tropical

Smart: Clever, bright, brilliant, wise

3) Use Describing Words

In order to increase your child's vocabulary, more is better. Your child will learn, absorb and apply more words if she hears them daily. Include descriptive terms in your conversation every day.Try using unusual, relaxing, or creative words to describe a fabric pattern. Using the correct context can make these words more understandable to a toddler, even if they aren't understood yet.

4) Learn rhyming phrases

The joy of rhymes is that your toddler can learn how different words are related. Is your preschooler good at coming up with rhymes? There was a fat cat lying on the rug. The white kite flew at night. Rhymes are important for young children because they help develop an ear for our language. Both rhyme and rhythm help kids hear the sounds and syllables in words, which helps kids learn to read!

Several of Dr. Seuss's books are perfect for learning rhymes, including Hop on Pop and Green Eggs and Ham.

5) Read Aloud Together

Additionally, reading aloud to your preschooler is a great way to introduce them to new words. Pick books that your preschooler will enjoy, but that use words that are a little beyond their comprehension. By considering the context of what the words mean - the other words on the page and any pictures as well - you will be able to find out what they mean.

It isn't difficult to increase your child's vocabulary as you can see, but it is important as your child begins reading. Preplanning is necessary for some situations, such as taking your child to the library or labeling items in your home. Most of the time, however, you are just a natural part of your child's day as he or she learns and incorporates new words.