How to stimulate vocabulary development in preschool children

Experts constantly emphasize that by developing the speech of a preschooler, parents can achieve a lot in the intellectual education of their child. It has long been proven that speech is of great importance for understanding the world around us, obtaining the necessary knowledge, and fully communicating with others. Of course, to form speech it is necessary to develop vocabulary. What do adults need to know about the proper development of vocabulary in preschool children? The main thing is to get acquainted with the features and methods of formation. Let parents not be intimidated by the word “methodology”; it means conditions, means, techniques that help achieve the desired result.

Formation of vocabulary is an important means of developing children's speech

Perhaps the most difficult thing in the development of speech in preschoolers is the need to form the child’s vocabulary in a timely manner. Parents do not need to go into all the intricacies of the work of specialists who use a special technique for this purpose. In raising their baby, they need to know the main thing: the formation of a child’s vocabulary goes in two directions. This is his quantitative growth and assimilation of the meaning of words.

Quantitative growth

The increase in quantity occurs due to the constant accumulation of words, adding new ones to existing words. It is noted that the enrichment of vocabulary largely depends on the environment in which the child lives and his upbringing.

• If parents take their child’s development seriously, then by the end of the first year his vocabulary will accumulate up to 10-12 words. Let their small number not upset parents, because these are words that the baby actively uses. There is also a passive dictionary, that is, speech understanding. The baby understands more words than he speaks. That’s why you need to talk to him as much as possible in order to give him the opportunity to master a large stock of passive vocabulary.
• In the second year of life, the accumulation of an active vocabulary proceeds quite rapidly; by the time a child enters early childhood, he has 300-400 words in his vocabulary, and by the age of three – 1,500. According to experts, it is in early childhood that the largest increase in words in a child’s vocabulary occurs.
• At four years old the vocabulary is 1900.
• By 5 years ‒ 2000-2500.
• Seven-year-old children have up to 4,000 words in their dictionaries.

Learning the meaning of words

When mastering the meaning of words, it is noted that the vocabulary of preschool children increases due to nouns and verbs, since they are closest in meaning to children. After all, the study of the world around us occurs through the names of objects and actions with them.

• The accumulation of adjectives is much more difficult. It must be remembered that this feature of improving children's vocabulary depends on upbringing, the behavior of surrounding adults and the mental characteristics of the preschool child.
• If adults are not concerned about the quality of a preschooler’s speech, and there is no familiarity with color, shape, smell, material, or the purpose of objects, then learning adjectives is more difficult.
• Difficulties also arise from the fact that the adjective refers to an abstract part of speech and is quite difficult for children to perceive. The speech of adults, rich in epithets and comparisons, becomes an example to follow.

Ways to develop vocabulary

There is a generally accepted formula that describes the mechanism for replenishing a child’s vocabulary:

1. the child hears the word;
2. understands its meaning;
3. remembers the word (sends it to the passive vocabulary);
4. learns to use it in speech (translates it into active vocabulary).

It is on this universal formula that exercises and activities should be built to help increase the baby’s vocabulary. If even one link is missing, the necessary word will not become part of the child's vocabulary.

What do you need to know about the features of vocabulary development in early childhood?

As quickly as a baby develops at an early age, his vocabulary grows just as quickly. At each age stage of this period, a special accumulation of words occurs.

• Thus, in the first year of life, a baby’s supply is replenished due to the speech of the people around him. He hears frequently repeated words, which affects the replenishment of the passive vocabulary. Experts constantly remind parents not to think that the baby does not understand anything and that there is no need to develop the child’s vocabulary yet. On the contrary, there is an intensive accumulation of passive vocabulary, so it is necessary to communicate with the child, even if hygiene procedures or feeding are simply carried out. A baby already at 2 months understands the intonation of an adult’s words.

• In early childhood, the vocabulary is replenished through words denoting objects in the immediate environment: dishes, clothes, toys, furniture. At this age, kids understand nature very sensitively and are sensitive to the living world, so to expand their vocabulary you can use the names of animals, plants, seasons, natural phenomena, and various events.

An adult needs to give the correct and precise designation of objects and phenomena, try to correct errors in the child’s pronunciation without switching to the child’s language.

• At this age, a feature of preschool children manifests itself - word creation. Children begin to come up with their own words and expressions. The classic of children's literature K. Chukovsky collected a whole collection of such words “From 2 to 5”, which contains words and expressions composed by children of two or three years of age, for example, little cones, Madonna and Little Madonna, a fantasy story, a terrible spun (dream), angry (wrinkles), song.

Observation with comments

From the very birth of the baby, start talking to him: the baby must get used to the sound of human speech. Lesson options:

1. While walking, tell your baby everything you see. Try to make the story picturesque and figurative: use many adjectives, use synonyms. An example of a good description: “This is a tree. It is green, bright, with lush foliage. And how big, tall and majestic it is! This is a truly gigantic tree!” Try to comment on events emotionally: say how you feel from contemplating a rainbow or how you feel when a hot object touches your hand.
2. An eight-month-old child can already be taught about the structure of the body. Touch it and say: “This is a pen, your pen; little pink hand." Then show your hand and say: “This is my hand: look how big it is.” Remember to use as many adjectives as possible.
3. Organize a joint observation of something: a pet, an insect, a tree swaying in the wind, or something happening on the street. At the same time, comment on what is happening: “Look, a grasshopper is crawling along a leaf. Now he moved his paw. Funny, isn't it? Oh, that’s it, he galloped away.” If possible, let your child touch, smell, or even lick the observed object.
4. You can conduct several experiments with your child. Bring his hand to the cat’s fur and say: “This is a cat; It’s soft, warm and smooth.” Then invite the baby to hold a piece of ice and say: “This is cold, hard and wet ice.”
5. From the age of 2, you can purposefully introduce new lexical units into your child’s vocabulary. To do this, you must demonstrate the object to the child, say its name several times and make sure that the baby remembers it. Try to do it naturally. On a walk, as if by the way, show him a tree and say: “This is a spruce.” Point to another spruce and say again: “And this is a spruce.” Then, pointing to the tree, ask: “Do you think this is a spruce?” To make sure that your child remembers the word, point to the spruce and ask: “What kind of tree is this?”

How to enrich vocabulary in preschool age?

In middle and older age, preschool children become more independent, and the same phenomenon occurs with vocabulary. They understand many words, they hear them not only from their parents, but also from other people around them, so slang and parasitic words appear that clog the child’s speech. For preschoolers, adult help in developing vocabulary is simply necessary, to which experts pay close attention to parents.

• If children of the younger age group were not yet able to designate emotional states, qualitative characteristics of objects and phenomena, then middle preschoolers actively use words that convey feelings and emotions. They already have access to words that have a connotation of evaluative characteristics. For example, this fairy tale hero is kind and brave, while the other is evil and unfriendly.
• In older preschool age, the accumulation of children's vocabulary continues. The largest number of words enters the active dictionary at this age, and its quality content increases. It begins to include words that were not present at the previous age stage: denoting time, space, numerals, social events.
• One of the main tasks during this period is to replenish the child’s vocabulary with different parts of speech. Intensive work on adjectives is especially important, as they make a person’s speech expressive, that is, more emotional. First of all, it depends on the parents whether their child’s speech will be rich or remain primitive.

Types of vocabulary in the development of preschool children

Work on the word, the initial unit of language, occupies one of the most important places in the overall system of work on speech development.

Work on the formation of vocabulary in preschoolers is considered as “a purposeful pedagogical activity that ensures the effective development of the vocabulary of the native language.”

The development of children's vocabulary is understood as a long process of quantitative accumulation of words, mastering their socially assigned meanings and developing the ability to use them in specific communication conditions.

The word provides the content of communication. Fluent oral and written speech relies, first of all, on having a sufficient vocabulary.

Language, as a means of communication, is, first of all, the language of words. Words call specific objects, abstract concepts, express feelings and relationships.

Vocabulary work in kindergarten is the systematic expansion of children’s active vocabulary using words that are unfamiliar or difficult for them. It is known that the expansion of the vocabulary of preschoolers occurs simultaneously with their familiarization with the surrounding reality, with the development of a correct attitude towards the environment.

The process of children learning the meanings of words and their semantics was studied by L.S. Vygotsky, who established that a child, as he develops, moves from random, unimportant signs to essential ones. As age changes, the completeness and correctness of his reflection in his speech of facts, signs or connections that exist in reality change.

Features of the development of thinking largely determine the features of a child's vocabulary. Visually - effective and visually - imaginative thinking explains the predominance of words denoting the names of objects, phenomena, qualities. The emergence of verbal and logical thinking causes children to master elementary concepts.

The method of speech development considers such an important issue as the concept of active and passive vocabulary.

Active vocabulary is words that the speaker not only understands, but also uses (more or less often). An active vocabulary largely determines the richness and culture of speech.

Passive vocabulary is words that a speaker of a given language understands, but does not use himself. The passive vocabulary is much larger than the active one; this includes words whose meaning a person guesses from the context, which emerge in consciousness only when he hears them. The formation of children's vocabulary is considered in two aspects.

The first aspect is the child’s mastery of the subject-matter of words and their conceptual content. It is associated with the development of children's cognitive activity. In preschool methods of speech development, this aspect was developed, first of all, in the works of E.I. Tikheyeva, M.M. Konina, L.A. Penevskaya, V.I. Loginova, V.V. Gerbova, A.P. Ivanenko, V.I. Yashina.

The second aspect is the assimilation of the word as a unit of the lexical system, its connections with other lexical units. Here, familiarizing children with polysemantic words, revealing their semantics, and using antonyms, synonyms, and polysemantic words accurately in meaning, is of particular importance, i.e. development of the semantic side of speech. This direction is largely represented in the works of F.A. Sokhin and his students (O.S. Ushakova, E.M. Strunina and others). Both of these aspects are interconnected, and, of course, work on the semantic side of the word becomes possible only when children master the objective, conceptual content of the word.

In the domestic methodology for speech development, the tasks of vocabulary work in kindergarten were defined in the works of E.I. Tikheyeva, O.I. Solovyova, M.M. Horsemeat and refined in subsequent years. Today it is customary to identify four main tasks:

• Enriching the vocabulary, i.e. assimilation of new words previously unknown to the child, as well as new meanings of a number of words already in their vocabulary. The enrichment of the dictionary occurs, first of all, due to commonly used vocabulary (names of objects, features and qualities, actions, processes, etc.).
• Clarification of the dictionary, i.e. vocabulary and stylistic work. Mastering the accuracy and expressiveness of language (filling with content words known to children, mastering polysemy, synonyms, etc.). This task is due to the fact that in children the word is not always connected with the idea of ​​the object. They often do not know the exact names of objects, so work is required to deepen children’s understanding of already known words, fill them with specific content based on an exact correlation with objects in the real world, further mastery of the generalization that is expressed in them, and develop the ability to use commonly used words

Activation of the dictionary, i.e. transferring as many words as possible from the passive to the active dictionary, including words in sentences and phrases;

• Elimination of non-literary words, their translation into a passive dictionary (colloquial, dialect, slang). This is especially necessary when children are in a disadvantaged language environment.

What to do if a child knows words, but does not use them in conversation?

Much attention should also be paid to how often the child uses certain words in conversation. The technique reveals such a concept as a “dead word” - not activated, found only in the passive dictionary of a preschooler. It is not used for certain reasons: the preschooler does not understand the meaning of the word or is not involved in the scope of its use. It is important for parents to know what passive vocabulary their child knows in order to translate “dead words” into an active vocabulary. If an adult is faced with such a problem, then he should know:

For a preschooler, it is important to explain each new word: its meaning, use in a certain situation, expressive (emotional) connotation. Then the adult must pronounce the new word with clear articulation so that the pronunciation is fixed in the child’s memory.

• It’s good if an adult remembers works of art in which the “dead word” is used: poetic lines, a fairy tale, a story.
• Experts advise using life situations when these words can be interpreted from the opposite point of view, that is, choosing antonyms.

Methods and techniques for developing vocabulary in preschool children

There are two groups of methods:

— methods of accumulating the content of children's speech;

- methods aimed at consolidating and activating the vocabulary, developing its semantic side.

The first group includes methods:

* direct acquaintance with the environment and enrichment of vocabulary: examination and examination of objects, observation, inspections of the kindergarten premises, targeted walks and excursions;

* indirect acquaintance with the environment and enrichment of vocabulary: viewing paintings with unfamiliar content, reading works of art, showing films and videos, watching television programs.

The second group of methods is used to consolidate and activate vocabulary: looking at toys, looking at pictures with familiar content, didactic games and exercises.

Didactic games are educational, cognitive games designed to expand, deepen and systematize children’s ideas about the environment, to cultivate cognitive interests and develop cognitive abilities.

Didactic games are a widespread method of vocabulary work. Play is one of the means of mental education. In it, the child reflects the surrounding reality, reveals his knowledge, and shares it with friends. Certain types of games have different effects on children's development.

A particularly important place in mental education is occupied by didactic games, the obligatory elements of which are cognitive content and a mental task. By repeatedly participating in the game, the child firmly assimilates the knowledge with which he operates.

Solving a mental problem in a game, the child practices voluntary memorization and reproduction, classifying objects or phenomena according to general characteristics, identifying the properties and qualities of objects, and identifying them according to individual characteristics.

In didactic games, children are given certain tasks, the solution of which requires concentration, attention, mental effort, the ability to comprehend the rules, sequence of actions, and overcome difficulties. They promote the development of sensations and perceptions in children, the formation of ideas, and the acquisition of knowledge.

These games make it possible to teach children a variety of economical and rational ways to solve certain mental and practical problems. This is their developing role.

It is necessary to ensure that didactic play is not only a form of assimilation of individual knowledge and skills, but also contributes to the overall development of the child and serves to shape his abilities. Each didactic game has its own program content, which includes a certain group of words that children must learn.

In preschool pedagogy, all didactic games can be divided into three main types:

- games with objects (toys, natural materials),

— desktop-printed;

- word games.

Games with objects:

Playing with objects uses toys and real objects. By playing with them, children learn to compare, establish similarities and differences between objects. The value of these games is that with their help children become familiar with the properties of objects and their characteristics: color, size, shape, quality.

The games solve problems involving comparison, classification, and establishing sequence in solving problems. As children master new knowledge, the tasks in games become more complex: preschoolers practice identifying an object by any one quality, combining objects according to this characteristic (color, shape, quality, purpose, etc.), which is very important for the development of abstract, logical thinking .

While playing, children acquire the ability to put together a whole from parts, string objects (balls, beads), and lay out patterns from various shapes.

By playing with dolls, children develop cultural and hygienic skills and moral qualities. A variety of toys are widely used in educational games. They clearly express color, shape, purpose, size, and the material from which they are made.

In games, knowledge is improved about the material from which toys are made, about the objects that people need in various types of their activities, which children reflect in their games.

The teacher uses games with natural materials (plant seeds, leaves, various flowers, pebbles, shells) when conducting such didactic games as “Whose children are these?”, “Which tree is the leaf from?”, “Who is most likely to lay out a pattern from different leaves? " The teacher organizes them during a walk, directly in contact with nature: trees, shrubs, flowers, seeds, leaves. In such games, children’s knowledge about the natural environment around them is consolidated, mental processes are formed (analysis, synthesis, classification) and a love for nature and a caring attitude toward it are fostered.

What tools can parents use?

Reading and discussion of what you read

The main means of enriching children's vocabulary, as recommended by the methodology, remain reading fiction and active discussion of what they read. Teachers know the methods of such work, but parents should also understand that active verbal communication plays a big role in the accumulation of vocabulary. What do experts advise?

For reading aloud to give positive results, you must:

• pronounce words clearly, maintaining correct articulation;
• correctly place stress in words;
• clarify unfamiliar or difficult to pronounce words;
• constantly use new words in different situations;
• invite the child to express the main idea of ​​the text;
• discuss the characters of the work, their actions, using adjectives.

An effective tool has always been and remains books with colorful pictures, which the child, first with the help of an adult, and then independently, examines and discusses with parents or other children.

Classic vocabulary enrichment tools

• a variety of toys with the help of which the baby learns the names of things and objects and gets acquainted with their qualitative characteristics;
• watching children's films with the obligatory discussion of heroes, events, and supposed actions (“What would you do if you were the hero?”);
• telling favorite fairy tales, memorizing poems, reading tongue twisters outside the preschool curriculum;
• family events that need to be discussed with the child (where to go on a day off, where you like to relax in the summer, what to buy for grandma for her birthday, what to give to a friend, what toys can already be given to your younger brother, and which ones to buy for playing).

There are always plenty of topics for discussion and events to involve preschoolers in the family. The main thing is that parents do not ignore the opinions and reasoning of their child, are ready to answer his questions, and set an example themselves with varied, correct speech. Then the child’s vocabulary will be rich and rich, which will allow him to study successfully at school.

Vocabulary games

1. “Name the animal (plant, name, etc.).” Take the ball and place the children in front of you in a semicircle. Throw the ball to the children one by one: the child who caught the ball must name a word from a given thematic group and throw the ball back. The kid who couldn’t remember the word is eliminated from the game. The winner is the child who was able to stay in the game.
2. "Edible - inedible." The presenter says any word and throws the ball to the child. If the word denotes an edible object, the child catches the ball; if it is inedible, he throws it away. The exercise helps to understand how correctly the child has mastered the meaning of words. For example, if a child claims that a plate belongs to the group of edible objects, there is reason to think about it.
3. "Big small". The rules are the same as in the previous game. The presenter pronounces one word from a pair (“chair” or “high chair”, “table” or “little table”, “spoon” or “spoon”). If the child believes that the leader named a small object, he catches the ball, if it is large, he throws it away.
4. "Package". Each player receives a “package” with some item. The child must describe his subject in detail so that others understand what he is talking about.
5. "Analogies". Write the “equation” on the card: “A pigeon is a bird, a cat is a ?” The child must understand which thematic group the second word belongs to. This exercise helps you learn words with specific and general meanings.

Games and exercises to improve your vocabulary

The most effective means for enriching and expanding children's vocabulary have always been and remain games and exercises, since they help solve many issues in raising children. The method of speech development for preschool children offers many interesting and varied tasks for preschoolers. The task of parents is to find play tasks specifically for their child, so that they correspond to his temperament, intellectual capabilities, and do not require large expenses and intensive preparation. The following games and tasks meet these requirements:

Ball exercises

• “I know five names of boys (girls, names of vegetables, fruits, toys, professions, etc.), for middle and older preschoolers;
• “Say it the other way around” for any age. An adult throws a ball to a child, saying a word, and the child returns it with a word that has the opposite meaning. You can use different parts of speech: adjectives (soft-hard, cold-hot), nouns (winter-summer, heaven-earth), verbs (runs-stands, turn on-off);
• “Tell me who lives where?” for all ages (similar to the previous one, but the child must name the place where an animal lives, for example, a squirrel - in a hollow, a bear - in a den, a dog - in a kennel);
• “Small-big” for middle and older ages (the ball flies to the child with a word denoting a large object, he must return the ball with a diminutive word, for example, doll-doll, spoon-spoon);
• a similar game “Moms and Babies” (the names of the animals and their cubs are fixed).

Word games

Games for descriptions and comparisons are a good way to replenish your vocabulary. The classics of these are the didactic games for speech development “Wonderful Bag”, “Riddle an object, and I will guess (according to the description)”, “Tell me what you saw”. In them, preschoolers expand their active vocabulary and replenish their passive vocabulary with the help of new words offered by adults.

Board-printed games

Children are interested in printed board games, which give children a lot not only in terms of speech development and the development of personal qualities: patience, endurance, and the ability to follow the rules. Parents can choose any of them, the main thing is that such games are appropriate for the child’s age. Otherwise, if you fail to follow the rules, the baby will lose interest in them. Preschoolers can be offered a modern game in the children's version of "Monopoly", multi-age "Plot Cubes", "Cut Pictures", themed "Loto", "Four Seasons" and many others.

In fact, you can find quite a lot of game tasks and exercises. Interested parents can always turn to the methods of speech development for clarification, and find there various options for games to expand and enrich the vocabulary, develop coherent speech skills, develop intellectual abilities, and creative possibilities. You need to proceed from your capabilities, age, psychological characteristics of the child and the situation in which the family with preschool children finds itself. Then everything will definitely work out. Good luck in raising your children!

Features of vocabulary formation in preschoolers

After listening to a preschooler, you can very quickly determine how rich his vocabulary is, and how the child’s grammatical structure of speech is formed. Each age period corresponds to a certain speech level. A child’s achievements depend on how much attention parents and educators pay to this issue.

Approaching preschool age - by the age of 3 - the child knows most of the words that adults address to him. The baby does not pronounce all of them, but he understands what is being said to him.

Basically, this is still a passive dictionary. But gradually the child masters pronunciation and uses, albeit in a peculiar sound, word after word in his speech.

The formation of vocabulary in preschool children occurs somewhat differently than in schoolchildren. Older children add new concepts to their vocabulary, which they already have quite solid. Preschoolers have yet to reach this level.

First, they need to comprehend words at different levels of generalization. Try telling a 3-year-old child, pointing to his doll or little car: “What a beautiful toy you have!” And the baby will definitely correct you: “This is a doll (car)!”

For a younger preschooler, each word acts as the name of its own separate object or phenomenon. He still doesn’t understand how a doll can be called a toy. And all because the peculiarities of vocabulary formation in preschool age consist in the consistent acquisition of the meaning of the words used.

Stages of mastering the semantic content of a word

The issue of a child’s consistent comprehension of words is very well covered by Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor of the Academy of Education M.M. Koltsovaya. Let's take a brief look at what levels of verbal generalization a preschooler will have to overcome.

1. The child understands the word as referring to a specific object known to him. A cup is the name of that convenient item from which the baby drinks milk and juice. The bunny is that soft pink lump that sits next to the doll. Boots are what you put on your baby's feet. There are no other cups, bunnies or shoes for a child, since a strong connection has been established between the child and specific objects. This is the stage of early comprehension of a word, lasting up to about 1.5 years, and even longer in the perception of new words.
2. The meaning of the word becomes broader. The child already understands that other people eat with spoons, not just him. There are many cars, apples are different, and other children and even adults may have shoes. That is, the word already denotes a group of objects. This level of comprehension is available to a 2-year-old child if speech development corresponds to the norm.
3. A qualitative breakthrough occurs after 3 years and is manifested in the fact that the preschooler begins to combine some accessible concepts into more general groups. Mom calls a tasty apple, pear and orange fruit, and the child gradually remembers this new concept. Further comprehension tells the child that banana can also be included in this list. The preschooler already calls all his play objects toys. At this stage there is no end to the work. We need to comprehend new categories: furniture, transport, clothing, pets, wild animals...
4. A preschooler begins to perceive generalized concepts that include several smaller groups (plants, things, natural phenomena, etc.) only from the age of 5. Understanding the semantic meaning of such general concepts requires logical thinking. A high degree of generalization is too distant from real sensations, and systematic work is required for a preschooler to include general concepts in his vocabulary.

The statements of some developed children under 5 years of age may sometimes contain general concepts: “My things,” “We saw a beautiful plant.” But it is enough to ask a preschooler a few questions and it becomes obvious that he uses these words in a narrow sense.

The place of vocabulary work in the system of development of coherent speech of a preschooler

Bibliographic description:

The place of vocabulary work in the system of development of coherent speech of a preschooler / E. V. Mazur, O. V. Dudina, E. V. Korolenko [etc.]. — Text: direct // Questions of preschool pedagogy. — 2022. — No. 2 (19). — P. 13-17. — URL: https://moluch.ru/th/1/archive/115/3909/ (access date: 01/03/2022).


In the system of speech work in kindergarten, enrichment, consolidation and activation of vocabulary occupy a very important place. The word is the basic unit of language, and improving verbal communication is impossible without expanding the child’s vocabulary. But cognitive development, the development of conceptual thinking, is impossible without mastering new words and consolidating the new knowledge and ideas acquired by him.

In preschool age, a child needs to master a vocabulary that will help him communicate with peers and adults, study successfully at school, and understand literary works and television programs. Therefore, in preschool pedagogy, the development of children’s vocabulary is considered one of the most important tasks in the development of coherent speech.

Vocabulary development is a long-term process of expanding your vocabulary.

There are quantitative and qualitative sides to this process. First of all, quantitative changes in the child’s vocabulary attract attention. If at 1 year a child actively uses 10–12 words, then by 6 years his active vocabulary increases to 3–3.5 thousand words.

If we talk about the qualitative characteristics of the dictionary, then here there is a gradual mastery by children of the socially assigned content of the word, which reflects the results of cognition. The results of this knowledge are consolidated in the process of communication with other people.

In psychology, the content of a word is defined as a generalization or concept. L. S. Vygotsky wrote: “The meaning of a word from the psychological side, as we have repeatedly seen throughout our research, is nothing more than a generalization or concept.” And further: “... we have the right to consider the meaning of a word as a phenomenon of thinking.” [2]. Therefore, the process of expanding the vocabulary is closely related to the mastery of concepts and therefore has specific features.

One of these features can be considered the content of children's vocabulary. Due to visual-figurative and visual-effective thinking, the child first of all learns the names of groups of objects, phenomena and qualities, relationships that are clearly presented or accessible to his understanding, which are reflected in the children's dictionary quite widely.

Another feature is the gradual understanding of the semantic content of the word. At first, the child associates words only with a specific object or phenomenon. Such a word does not have a general character; it only tells the child about a specific object, phenomenon, or evokes images of these objects.

In the process of becoming familiar with the surrounding reality, with objects, phenomena, their features, properties, qualities, the child begins to make generalizations using various signs. Very often these signs are insignificant for adults, but emotionally significant for a child.

Another feature of a preschooler’s dictionary is its significantly smaller volume compared to an adult’s dictionary, because the volume of accumulated information about the environment is significantly inferior to the volume of knowledge of an adult.

Tasks of vocabulary work with preschoolers.

Features of vocabulary development determine the tasks of vocabulary work:

1. It is necessary to ensure a quantitative accumulation of words that the child will need for meaningful communication.
2. Ensure that the child masters the socially assigned content of words. To solve this problem, some conditions are needed:

a) understanding the meaning of words based on their exact correlation to objects of the surrounding world, their characteristics and relationships;

b) understanding the general meaning of a word based on identifying the essential features of objects and phenomena;

c) understanding of the figurative structure of speech and the ability to use it.

1. Activation of the dictionary, i.e. not only knowledge of words, but also the ability to use them in communication.

The features of children's vocabulary and the tasks of vocabulary work determine the principles on which the program and methodology of vocabulary work in kindergarten is built:

1. When forming a vocabulary for children, emphasis is placed on their active and effective knowledge of the surrounding reality; the content of vocabulary work is included in sections devoted to different types of activities (work, play, activities, everyday activities).
2. A connection is provided between vocabulary work and the child’s gradually developing abilities to understand the world around him. The complexity of the content of vocabulary work can be traced from one age group to another.

The complication of the content of the vocabulary work program takes place in three directions:

a) The expansion of the child’s vocabulary is based on familiarization with a gradually increasing range of objects and phenomena;

b) The introduction of words denoting qualities, properties, relationships is carried out on the basis of deepening knowledge about objects and phenomena of the surrounding world;

c) Words are introduced that denote elementary concepts based on the distinction and generalization of objects according to essential characteristics.

All these areas of vocabulary work are used in all age groups and can be traced in different contents: when familiarizing themselves with objects and natural phenomena, objects of material culture, and phenomena of social life.

Familiarization with objects of the surrounding world in different age groups has its own specifics.

In the second and third years of life, the child masters the names of those objects that he often sees and in which he shows interest, with which he acts in kindergarten and at home. He also masters the names of actions with these objects.

At this stage, children learn to distinguish and name parts of objects, contrasting sizes

objects, some colors, shapes, some tastes, some physical qualities and properties. At this age, children can use one word to denote a group of the same objects, regardless of their size, color and other qualities, and also distinguish one group of objects from similar other objects. At this stage, children very often make mistakes in word usage, but it is still possible to achieve an accurate choice of words in relation to objects in the immediate environment.

In the fourth year of life, a preschooler’s vocabulary continues to be replenished with the names of objects that children most often encounter and act in everyday life. Children find it difficult or make mistakes when naming many household items, vehicles, etc. These errors are caused by inaccurate perceptions and ideas of the child. Therefore, at this age stage, it is important to familiarize children with the features of objects and vocabulary work in the process of deepening knowledge about objects. Children are introduced to the names of objects, their purpose, structural features: they are taught to distinguish between materials (clay, paper, fabric, etc.); highlight their qualities and properties (soft, hard, etc.); determine the suitability of the material from which an object is made for its purpose. The role of the teacher is to help children determine and name the size of an object, its color, properties; in developing the ability to navigate in time and space, to use the appropriate vocabulary. The tasks of vocabulary work also include teaching children the ability to distinguish similar objects based on significant differences and accurately label them with words.

In the fifth year of life, it is planned to introduce into the child’s active dictionary the names of all objects included in the groups: vegetables, fruits, food, all household items, materials: fabric, paper, wood, glass, as well as words denoting the features of objects and materials familiar children from personal experience, and methods of sensory examination.

Under the guidance of the teacher, children learn to group objects according to one essential characteristic - by purpose. By the end of the year, they can master basic concepts and words that generalize them: toys, food, clothing. Grouping objects according to several essential characteristics is not yet available to them.

In older preschool age, the main attention is paid to introducing words into the active vocabulary that denote qualities and properties differentiated by degree of expression (light red, sour, other, heavier, etc.).

Words denoting materials are introduced into the children's dictionary: metal, plastic, glass. Work continues to introduce basic concepts: tools, utensils, vegetables, transport, wild and domestic animals, wintering and migratory birds.

Older preschoolers are taught to identify subgroups from the composition of concepts according to certain characteristics: woolen and silk fabrics; transport water, land, air or freight and passenger, etc.

The content of vocabulary work is still based on the gradual expansion, deepening and generalization of children’s knowledge about the objective world.

As a result, children accumulate a significant amount of knowledge and corresponding vocabulary. This knowledge ensures free communication with adults and children, understanding of literary works and television programs. At the end of preschool childhood, this dictionary allows you to make the child’s speech meaningful, quite accurate and expressive.

A system of classes for developing children's vocabulary.

The training system consists of three types:

The first type of classes in which vocabulary work is carried out in the process of familiarization with an ever-expanding range of objects and phenomena of the surrounding reality. these are excursions, demonstrations of objects, etc.

The second type of classes in which vocabulary work is used to deepen children’s knowledge about surrounding objects and phenomena. This is an introduction to the qualities, properties, and characteristics of objects.

The third type of classes solves the problems of vocabulary work in the process of generalization and concept formation.

In all these types of activities, the development of vocabulary is carried out in close connection with the development of cognitive activity. Therefore, there are general requirements for the organization and methodology of conducting classes:

1. The development of vocabulary is inextricably linked with the development of cognitive processes (perception, representation, thinking).
2. During classes there should be a purposeful organization of children's speech and cognitive activity.
3. The organization of children’s speech and cognitive activity should be based on clarity.
4. Unity in completing all tasks of vocabulary work in each lesson.

Activities devoted to familiarization with the objective world play a major role in expanding the vocabulary. These classes use all three types of classes.

It is better to start working on the formation of a dictionary with classes on initial familiarization with the subjects. These are classes demonstrating objects and their images, actions with them, as well as games-activities such as “Dress the doll for a walk”, “Give Masha some tea”, etc. The main goal of these classes is to introduce the names of objects and some actions with them. Such a problem can only be solved by correctly organizing perception. You can use techniques that attract the child’s attention to an object or action. This includes the unexpected appearance or disappearance of an object, the movement of an object, or actions with it. The name of an object or action is given when the child’s attention is focused on it. The name is repeated many times. In the next segment of the lesson, the word should be used as a signal or sign from a given object. To do this, a search situation is usually created: where is the object? When the child actively searches for the missing object, the teacher shows it again. In this way, the word is associated with the object itself, its image becomes “familiar”. Then the teacher encourages the child to actively imitate and repeat the word when an object appears or disappears.

Consolidation of the word is carried out in classes with objects. In such classes, children, at the direction of the teacher, select some objects from others, bring them or show them familiar objects, and perform various actions with them. The teacher, drawing the child’s attention to actions with objects, gets them to name them, offers to answer questions, repeat words, encourages and encourages children to speak together and one at a time.

In such classes, play techniques are widely used: the appearance of objects, play actions with them, as well as play accessories: a magic house where toys live, a “wonderful bag”, receiving a package, a TV set in which the action takes place.

The content of vocabulary work in these classes should be closely related to the development of children's vocabulary in everyday life. The words that children learned in class are reinforced and activated during play, everyday activities, and communication with adults. The words that children learned in everyday life are clarified and reinforced in classes.

Children of middle and senior preschool age easily learn the names of new objects in the process of activities where they encounter these objects. Further development of the dictionary occurs as the child’s knowledge of objects deepens and he becomes familiar with their qualities and properties. In such classes, the task of forming a holistic, complete understanding of the object is solved, which reflects the connection between the purpose of the object and its structure and the material from which it is made. Under such conditions, the child realizes the meaning of the parts that make up the object, their relationship, acquires knowledge about this or that material and its properties, about the characteristics of the object.

Another type of lesson in which children’s vocabulary develops is a lesson to familiarize themselves with the qualities and properties of objects. The qualities of objects are those features of the object that are perceived by the senses without violating the integrity of the object (soft, smooth, cold, etc.).

Properties are those features of an object that are highlighted by violating the integrity of the object (tears, breaks, crumbles...).

When conducting such classes, several conditions are taken into account.

1. The teacher must be able to organize a sensory examination of an object to highlight its qualities and properties. In these same classes, examination methods are also developed. Vocabulary work is based precisely on identifying the properties and qualities of an object.
2. In order to formulate examination methods, the teacher must give precise instructions for the use of an examination action corresponding to the distinguished quality of the object (pat - highlighting smoothness, doubt - highlighting softness, etc.).
3. Material for active research activities is provided to each child to ensure the development of words that denote the qualities and properties of objects, based on their identification and perception.
4. To highlight each quality and property of an object, to separate it from related ones, a comparison with its opposite is used. (Hardness is compared with softness, heavy with light, transparent with opaque, etc.)
5. To make it easier for children to understand and master the qualities and properties of objects, it is necessary to make them meaningful. It is necessary to include them in effective, meaningful activities, the outcome of which depends on taking into account this quality. This will require the child to identify the required quality or property and take it into account to achieve results.
6. In order to successfully solve vocabulary problems in such classes, it is necessary to choose the right visual material. It is important to choose objects for the lesson in which the highlighted qualities would be bright, and the distracting qualities (bright colors, the presence of moving parts, etc.) would be less noticeable.

Such activities have a certain structure, which is dictated by the logic of cognition of a preschool child.

In the first part of such a lesson, a situation is created of one or another activity necessary to highlight the quality of the subject. In the second part, children are taught survey actions and the use of the required quality by each child. Based on this, a new word is introduced to denote this quality. The third part of the lesson uses children's exercises in identifying quality in a variety of subjects and in using new words.

Knowledge and skills are consolidated in subsequent classes and in everyday life.

These activities become more complex due to an increase in the set of distinguished qualities and properties. The most diverse set occurs when children are introduced to various materials. The requirements for such activities remain the same, but their complexity lies in the fact that qualities are considered as signs of certain properties.

Knowledge of comparing objects is the final part of the system of classes devoted to the formation of children's vocabulary based on deepening knowledge about objects, their qualities and properties.

These classes are conducted mainly in senior and preparatory groups, as they are based on the developed skills of seeing parts, details, identifying the qualities and properties of objects,

The purpose of such classes is to develop the ability to most accurately select words to characterize the highlighted features of objects. The success of such activities depends on a number of conditions:

1. Selection of items for comparison. Items must have a sufficient number of comparable characteristics. These are both signs of difference and signs of commonality (color, shape, size, parts, details, purpose, materials).
2. Planned comparison. The teacher guides and consistently leads children from comparing objects as a whole (by purpose, color, shape, size) to identifying and comparing parts and details. First we look for differences and then for similarities. At the end of the comparison there is a generalization, where the distinctive features of each item are highlighted.
3. Selection of teaching methods. The teacher must select questions and instructions that help children consistently make comparisons, see those features that the children themselves do not notice and most accurately formulate the answer and choose the right word.
4. It is necessary to build a correlation between the speech activity of the teacher and children. Children should be as active as possible here. The teacher’s task is to guide their mental and speech activity with precise questions and instructions.

Classes to familiarize yourself with the parts, properties and qualities of objects and materials allow you to introduce into children’s speech a fairly large and varied vocabulary, including various parts of speech: nouns (names of objects, their parts); verbs (names of actions with objects); adjectives (names of qualities).

There is a third group of activities. In these classes, vocabulary work tasks are solved in the process of generalizations and concept formation.

Due to the peculiarities of cognitive activity, preschool children master only those concepts whose essential features are quite clearly expressed and accessible to visually effective and visually imaginative thinking.

In kindergarten, specific and generic generalizations—elementary, everyday concepts—are formed. Essential features for specific generalizations can often be the external features of objects: parts, shape, size.

For generic concepts, more hidden signs or groups of them, both external and internal, may be essential.

To form specific and generic concepts, words are introduced that accurately designate types and groups of objects. This ensures accurate word usage and the exact naming of objects. This ensures brevity and mutual understanding in verbal communication.

Classes in which knowledge about objects was deepened give children the ability to see the features of objects: parts, shape, size, purpose. Such activities develop concepts and corresponding vocabulary. Thus, these classes are included in the general system of work on vocabulary development.

In the process of special classes, didactic games and everyday communication, the vocabulary is consolidated and activated. Special work on consolidating vocabulary is carried out in classes on describing objects and learning to guess and make riddles.

Classes on describing objects are often conducted in a playful way. They are often carried out in the form of the game “Wonderful Bag”. In the game “Who will see and name more”, children’s attention is directed to identifying a larger number of features.

Classes on learning to guess riddles occupy a special place in solving vocabulary work problems. In such classes, knowledge about the characteristics of objects and the corresponding vocabulary is consolidated; they help the child penetrate into the figurative structure of Russian speech.

It is important that riddles are made about familiar objects, the characteristics of which are well known. The most accessible forms for children are riddles of two types. These are riddles constructed as a direct description of the characteristic features of an object without its name (“In winter and summer in the same color”). The second type is metaphorical riddles, when a description of the characteristic features of one object is given through another object (“Under the pines, under the fir trees lies a bag of needles”).

Classes on learning to solve riddles consist of two parts. In the first part, an examination of objects is organized, highlighting only those features that are described in the riddle. To do this, riddle elements are used to describe the characteristic features of the object. In the second part of the lesson, a riddle is solved. After guessing, it is important for the teacher to clarify how the child guessed. Gradually the content of the classes becomes more complex. The next step is for the children to come up with riddles. These classes are closely related to classes on describing objects.

During these activities, children's vocabulary is significantly expanded and activated. Children learn to describe an object, highlight its characteristic properties and qualities, and determine its species and genus. All this leads to the development of coherent speech in children.

In the development of children's speech, the leading role belongs to adults: educators, parents and loved ones. The success of a preschooler in mastering the language depends on the culture of speech of adults, on how they speak to a child. It is necessary that the teacher’s speech corresponds to the norms of literary language and literary colloquial speech. Only by observing all these conditions can we achieve good results in the development of coherent speech in children.

Literature:

1. Ushakova O. S. Speech development of preschool children. - M., 2001
2. Tikheyeva I. V. “Development of children’s speech”
3. Borodich A. M. “Methods for developing children’s speech.”
4. Artyomova L. V. “Theatrical games for preschoolers.”
5. Ivanenko A.P. “Vocabulary work in kindergarten.”-Zaporozhye, 1975
6. Ivanova N. P. “Vexical exercises in kindergarten.” // mental education of preschool children. - M., 1980
7. Features of vocabulary formation in children of senior preschool age with level 3 ODD in speech therapy classes. // School speech therapist - 2006.-No. 4 - from 17–30
8. Pravdina O.V. Speech therapy. 2nd edition, additional and revised. M., Education, 1973
9. Volosets T.V. Overcoming the general underdevelopment of speech of preschoolers - Institute of General Humanitarian Research V. Sekachev - M. 2002
10. Alekseeva M. M., Yashina B. I. Methods of speech development and teaching the native language to preschoolers. Textbook for students of higher and secondary pedagogical educational institutions.
11. Fomicheva M.F. Education of children with correct pronunciation. Edition 2nd.P.-M1971
12. Loginova V.I. Maksakov A.I. Popova M.I. et al. Development of speech in preschool children. 1984

Basic terms
(automatically generated)
: vocabulary work, subject, activity, child, quality, property, word, vocabulary development, type of activity, kindergarten.