Helping Your Preschooler Build Oral Language and Vocabulary

Why it matters

• Talking and listening skills are important building blocks for reading.
  
  
• Children who know more words are better prepared for school success.
  
  
• Everyday conversations help children learn how language works.
  
  
• Early vocabulary growth supports future reading comprehension.
  
  

What the evidence shows

• Children learn new words best when adults explain and use them directly.
  
  
• Reading books together supports vocabulary development.
  
  
• Repeated exposure to words helps children remember and use them.
  
  
• Conversations during play and daily routines strengthen language growth.
  
  
• Children often understand words before they can say them.
  
  

What families can do

• Read with your child every day and talk about the story.
  
  
• Explain unfamiliar words and use them again throughout the week.
  
  
• Ask questions that encourage your child to talk and describe ideas.
  
  
• Encourage pretend play and storytelling.
  
  
• Talk during everyday activities such as meals, shopping, and routines.
  
  

What to watch for

• Limited interest in talking or responding to questions.
  
  
• Difficulty learning or remembering new words.
  
  
• Challenges following directions or understanding stories.
  
  
• Fewer opportunities for conversation and language practice.
  
  

Tips for different learners

• Multilingual children
  
  
  • Continue using your home language regularly.
    
    
  • Read and talk in both languages when possible.
    
    
  • Encourage children to use all of their language skills.
    
    
• Children with disabilities
  
  
  • Use pictures, gestures, and visual supports.
    
    
  • Repeat words often and provide extra practice.
    
    
  • Celebrate all forms of communication.
    
    
• Children needing extra support
  
  
  • Increase opportunities for conversation throughout the day.
    
    
  • Read favorite books multiple times.
    
    
  • Encourage children to explain and describe what they see and do.
    
    

Family takeaway

Talking, reading, singing, and playing together are some of the most effective ways to build the language and vocabulary skills children need for future reading success.

The information provided in this summary is based on findings from Oral Language and Vocabulary Instruction for Preschool-Aged Students: A Narrative Synthesis.