A strong vocabulary can set your child up for reading success.
By Lily Jones, M.A. September 4, 2026 updated
In simple terms, vocabulary is a collection of words that enables us to communicate with each other. Imagine how dull our world would be without a rich vocabulary to describe all the things we experience! Children start acquiring vocabulary from birth, and they continue for the rest of their lives.
Building a strong vocabulary plays a key role in your child’s reading ability. Phonics helps them read the “code” of print and connect a written word to a spoken one. The more words they know, the easier it is to make that connection! An expansive vocabulary also increases their potential to learn and express themselves—and you play a big role in helping your child develop it.
As a parent, you already know that young children soak up new words like sponges. Babies’ brains are hardwired to listen to the voices around them.
| Approximate Age | A Typical Child . . . | Examples |
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| 5–7Years |
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By adulthood, the average person knows about 42,000 words or more.2
Having a strong vocabulary helps your child better understand what they hear and read, which is essential for learning. Much of your child’s vocabulary is acquired through talking and listening. You likely talk with your child more than anyone else. How can you be sure you’re helping your child build a solid vocabulary? It helps to understand how children learn vocabulary and what you can do to boost their learning.
In most cases, children learn the meaning of words indirectly, through conversations, being read aloud to, or reading on their own.
To teach vocabulary directly, take the opportunity to discuss any unknown or complex words you come across in day-to-day conversations or while reading a story.
Building vocabulary through reading aloud and using a range of words as you talk with your child are simple ways to build vocabulary every day. Allow natural conversations about new vocabulary words to occur. Encourage your child to talk about the meanings of both known and unknown words. Investing in vocabulary development early on lays a solid foundation and empowers children to use vocabulary effectively in their own lives.
Where will words take you?
When it comes to teaching vocabulary explicitly, how do we know what words to choose? Literacy experts have identified three tiers of vocabulary that provide a helpful set of guidelines. A word’s frequency of use, complexity, and meaning determine which tier it falls into. In order to have a well-rounded vocabulary, children eventually need to understand words from all three tiers.
Words in this tier are generally learned indirectly early in life. They are words that are used frequently in conversation and writing. Native speakers generally do not need to be explicitly taught Tier 1 words. Examples of Tier 1 words include book, dog, eat, big, and in.
These words also appear frequently in conversation and text, but they are more complex. They can include multi-meaning words, academic words, as well as more advanced words. Children often need explicit instruction on Tier 2 words. Examples of Tier 2 words include benevolent, maintain, fortunate, and evaluate.
This set of words are specialized vocabulary words that are usually focused on specific fields of study. Children usually need explicit instruction and support to understand Tier 3 words. Examples of Tier 3 words include mammal, economics, photosynthesis, and metaphor.
Building your child’s knowledge of words in each tier can have a lasting impact on the way to your child becoming a fluent reader.
Vocabulary includes both spoken and written language, and can be further broken down into four different types:
The words we understand when we listen
Listening is an active skill. With solid vocabulary skills, your child can understand the meaning of what the speaker is conveying.
The words we use when we speak
Children who “use their words” can explain how they feel and what they need with more ease. Studies have shown that preschoolers who have trouble communicating their ideas have a harder time playing with other children.³
The words we understand when we read
With solid vocabulary skills, children have better reading comprehension.
The words we use when we write
As your child learns to write, a large vocabulary allows them to choose different words to express themselves—and makes them better writers!
Vocabulary development also fosters other cognitive skills such as:
That’s why words matter—and introducing your child to a variety of words in different frameworks truly aids in lifetime learning success.
Vocabulary is the set of words a person knows, understands, and uses to communicate. It includes the words we speak, hear, read, and write, helping us express ideas, understand information, and connect with others.
For kids, vocabulary means all the words they know, understand, and use when they speak, listen, read, and write. Children build vocabulary in two main ways: indirectly, by hearing words in conversations, stories, and independent reading; and directly, when someone explains what a new word means.
The four main types of vocabulary are:
Tier 1: Basic Words
These are everyday words that children hear and use often when talking or writing. Usually, these words do not need to be taught directly.
Tier 2: High-Frequency Words
These words appear often in books or in school lessons, but they are more complex than basic words. Children often benefit from explicit instruction and practice with these words.
Tier 3: Specialized Words
These are subject-specific words used in particular fields of study, such as science, math, or social studies. They are usually taught when children are learning about a specific topic.
It’s fun to learn new vocabulary with the Word of the Day game in our app. We turn new words into playful learning moments!
Your child hears a kid-friendly definition and sees a simple image along with the printed word. It’s the first link between the word, its meaning, and its spelling.
After learning what the word means, your child sees a sentence that offers real-life context for the word’s meaning. This turns the definition into a word they can use.
Four pictures appear but only one matches the new word. Choosing between similar options sharpens your child’s understanding of the word’s meaning.
As your child drags scrambled letters into place, with each letter spoken aloud, they connect the word’s spelling to its meaning — and that’s what makes a new word stick.
Your child holds the word’s meaning in mind while searching a colorful scene for its image. They’re having fun, and they’re also turning passive recognition into active recall.
Day by day, the digital sticker book grows into a picture dictionary of your child’s progress. Earning new stickers adds a sense of pride and ownership of new vocabulary.
Reading is an essential skill that lets us unlock meaning from written words.
The ability to identify and work with the smallest units of sound in spoken words.
Good readers are fluent readers, because they can read quickly, accurately, and sound as if they were speaking aloud instead of reading.
Phonics teaches children how letters in print represent individual sounds in spoken language.
Understanding the meaning of what is written on the page is the goal of every reader.
Phonics skills can also help readers translate speech to print.
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