A Guide to Teach Preschoolers About Adjectives
As your preschooler begins to get more and more talkative by the day, it is imperative that you teach him about adjectives. Read this guide to know how you can accomplish this.
Now that your child is a preschooler, he will want to share his thoughts and experiences with you. It is only natural that he will have limited vocabulary at this stage in life. So how can you help your child express himself better? Simple. All you have to do is teach him how to use adjectives.
Simply put, adjectives describe nouns and pronouns, and are used by all of us in daily speech. Why, even your little one will be using some everyday – without even knowing about it. For instance, if your child dips his hand in his bath and exclaims, “Ooh! Hot water!” he just used the word hot as an adjective to describe the water. Follow this simple guide to teach your child about adjectives:
1. Show and Tell
Just like adults, kids prefer application to theory. So instead of just telling them what adjectives are, use them in your speech and then talk about them. Start with one concept at a time – trying to teach too much too soon will only confuse your child. Also, it’s best to start with something your child is already familiar with – like shapes, seasons and colours.
2. Make a Game of it
In order to get your child interested in learning, you need to come up with some interesting games to keep him engaged. What does your child like? Food? Flowers? Colouring? Why not try using flash cards to get him to give the appropriate adjective(s)? Or if your child likes to draw and paint, you could give a word and tell him to draw or paint an adjective for it.
3. Practice, Practice
To ensure that your child remembers what you are teaching him, you need to revise regularly. Set aside some time at least two-three times a week just for revision. And once you are sure he has learned something, you can move on to a new list of adjectives. It is important for him to revise what he has already learned so that he doesn’t forget it, especially because he is learning new concepts not just with you, but also at school and via self-learning.
Kids are natural storytellers, and teaching them how to use adjectives correctly will enhance their storytelling skills. Give it your best shot!
