Speech & Language

Vocabulary

A child must be able to understand what a word means before they can use it correctly. A good vocabulary is an important building block for helping children to use sentences, read and write.

What Difficulties May Look Like:

If a child is having difficulty with vocabulary, they may display the following signs:

  • A limited range of vocabulary or difficulty learning new vocabulary
  • Struggle to 'find' words they know
  • Use the wrong words or made up words
  • Over-use general words e.g. “thingy”, “that”
  • Use a lot of fillers or hesitations e.g. “um”, “er”
  • Become withdrawn or frustrated as pupils are often aware of their difficulties.
Universal Strategies

Adult Use of Language

The following strategies can be useful to help children with vocabulary difficulties.

  • Emphasise key words/concepts when speaking eg "The mouse is under the box”.
  • Reinforce new vocabulary in different situations and contexts – with plenty of
    repetition.
  • Try and link new vocabulary to information the pupil is already familiar with.
  • Give phonological or semantic cues to support word-retrieval. For example: 
    • The beginning sound of the word
    • The first syllable of the words
    • An associated word
    • Can the pupil describe it or talk about what the word means?

Visual Support Strategies

Using images to help a child understand vocabulary can be very beneficial. The following techniques could be helpful:

  • Use pictures/symbols/objects to support understanding
  • Use tools such as word maps
  • Use a multi-sensory approach when teaching, rather than relying on spoken language alone
  • Encourage the child to create personal word glossaries, with diagrams and pictures.

Targeted Interventions

Aims of targeted interventions:

  • For pupils to develop a range of words including nouns, verbs, prepositions (e.g. ‘in/on/under’) and adjectives/adverbs (e.g. 'heavy' 'little')
  • For pupils to be able to identify and use synonyms
  • For pupils to be able to sort words into categories and identify similarities/differences
  • For pupils to be able to describe a word based on its attributes/ functions or provide a definition
  • For pupils to be able to use word finding strategies when unable to retrieve a word.

Who Can Help?

You can access Speech and Language support by calling Just One Number on 0300 300 0123. Our opening hours are 8am-6pm Monday-Friday (excluding bank holidays).

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