New words every day
English · Early Years · The School
Naming the world
Point at something. Ask, "what is this called?" Every answer is a small gift. A grown-up says "petal". Now you have a new word. Do this all day, everywhere you go. The world is full of things waiting to be named. A flower is not just a flower. It has a stem, and leaves, and petals. Each part has its own name too.
Exact words say more
BIG is a word everyone knows. ENORMOUS says more. It means very, very big. WALK is a word everyone knows. STROLL says more. It means walking slowly, taking your time. An exact word paints a clearer picture in someone's head. Say "the dog was big" and someone pictures a big dog, but any big dog. Say "the dog was enormous" and the picture gets bigger and clearer at once.
Where new words come from
Books give you new words. So does a new place. So does a grown-up explaining something you did not know. Ask "what does that word mean?" whenever you hear one you do not know. That question is how new words get learned. Nobody is born knowing every word. Every single word you know, you learned from somewhere, at some moment.
Walk outside and collect five new words for things you already know. RAIN becomes DRIZZLE, soft and light. BIG becomes ENORMOUS, for the biggest tree. WALK becomes STROLL, for a slow, easy walk. HAPPY becomes DELIGHTED, for something wonderful. SHINY becomes GLISTENING, for wet leaves in the sun. Five ordinary words. Five new, more exact ones.