In speech therapy sessions, I often talk with families about how important vocabulary is for a child’s communication and learning. Vocabulary is more than just “knowing words”. It’s the foundation that helps children express themselves, understand others, and feel confident in everyday interactions.
What is Vocabulary?
Vocabulary has two parts:
- Receptive vocabulary: the words your child understands when listening or reading.
- Expressive vocabulary: the words your child uses when speaking or writing.
Many children understand more words than they can say. As their confidence and skills grow, their expressive vocabulary usually expands to catch up with what they already understand.
Why Vocabulary Matters
A strong vocabulary supports your child’s ability to:
- Share their ideas, feelings, and needs clearly
- Understand instructions, conversations, and stories
- Join in play, learning, and social experiences at home, school, and in the community
When children have difficulty with vocabulary, they may struggle to keep up with peers or feel left out during group activities. Building vocabulary gives them the tools to connect, learn, and thrive.
Vocabulary Milestones
Children grow at their own pace, but here are some general guidelines:
- By 18 months: 20–50 words, often names for favourite people or objects (mummy, ball, dog)
- By 2 years: 200–300 words, including simple verbs (go, eat, play) and two-word combinations (want juice)
- By 3 years: 1,000+ words, including pronouns, adjectives, and early questions (why? what’s that?)
- By 5 years: thousands of words, able to tell simple stories and use joining words (because, but)
If your child’s vocabulary is developing differently from these milestones, a speech pathologist can provide guidance and support.
The Building Blocks of Vocabulary
Vocabulary is made up of a mix of words, such as:
- Nouns: people, places, things (car, teacher, playground)
- Verbs: actions (run, climb, laugh)
- Adjectives: describing words (big, noisy, excited)
- Conjunctions: joining words (and, because, but)
Children need all these different types of words to build sentences and express themselves fully.
5 Simple Ways to Boost Vocabulary at Home
Here are some practical, fun strategies you can try at home with your child:
1. Read Together
Reading is one of the best ways to grow vocabulary. Read aloud to your child, or if they are older, take turns during shared reading. Pause to talk about interesting or tricky words, and encourage your child to use them in different contexts.
2. Word of the Day (or Week)
Choose a new word and use it often at home. You might even stick the word of the day or week on the fridge and have a points or sticker system for the person who is able to use it in the most sentences, or the most creatively. For example, the word enormous can be used when talking about a “big truck,” a “huge dinner,” or a “giant teddy bear.” Repetition helps children remember and use new vocabulary.
3. Talk About Everyday Activities
Routine moments like cooking, shopping, or walking through the park, are perfect opportunities to introduce new words. Use descriptive language, such as “Let’s slice the crunchy apple” instead of just “Cut the apple.”
4. Play Word Games
Games make learning fun. Try I Spy (but instead of looking for words that start with particular letters, you could “spy something huge” or “spy something emerald green”), rhyming games, or category challenges (Can you name 5 fast animals?).
5. Encourage Storytelling
Invite your child to tell you about their day, make up a story, or describe a picture. Use prompts like “What happened next?” or “How did that feel?” to encourage more detailed language. These conversations can happen anywhere, from the car ride home from school to bedtime chats at home.
When to Seek Extra Support
If you’re concerned that your child isn’t meeting vocabulary milestones, struggles to recall words, or finds it hard to join conversations, a speech pathologist can help. At both local schools and my Pennant Hills speech pathology clinic, I work with children and families to build vocabulary step by step, making communication fun and rewarding.
By combining everyday strategies at home with professional support when needed, you can give your child the best chance to become a confident communicator.