We know a big vocabulary is a good thing! But how do we actually teach our learners new words we want them to know??
There are three key ways we can do this:
Semantic instruction - This is when we teach a new word by linking it to something your child can see, touch or do, and giving a short, simple meaning they can understand.
E.G “Smooth means it feels flat and soft, with no bumps. Feel how smooth this stone is!”
This works because children remember words better when they experience them, not just hear them.
This takes time and lots of repetition so best to use it for a small set of important words.
Mnemonic instruction - These are quick, fun ways to help your child remember what a word means, using pictures, rhymes, sounds or actions.
EG: “Enormous is HUGE, like an elephant!” while stretching your arms out wide and stomping like an elephant. “Enormous Elephant!!”
This works because linking a word to a picture, sound or movement gives your child a “hook” to help them remember it.Keep in mind though that while these tricks are great for recalling words that don’t seem to stick, they don’t teach the deeper meaning of a word.
Strategic instruction - This teaches kids strategies to independently discern the meanings of new words.
This is more about teaching kids how to break down a word’s form into parts to derive its meaning, or to notice the surrounding context around the word to infer the meaning.
E.G Breaking the word into parts un means ‘not’, so unhappy means ‘not happy’.”
Using clues around the word: “The frog was camouflaged in the green reeds and we couldn’t see it.” The clues tell us camouflaged means hidden by blending in.
This is great because you’re teaching your child skills by which to learn new words by themselves, long after therapy ends.
Primary Reference
Beach, K. D., Sanchez,V. M., Fitzgerald, M. S., Neal, E., & Jimenez, M. P. (2025). Utilizing semantic, mnemonic, and strategic approaches to vocabulary instruction to promote word learning for students with learning disabilities. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice. https://doi.org/10.1177/09388982251239905 [open access]
Secondary Reference
New year, new ways to organize your vocabulary instruction. The Informed SLP.
