WordGirl is not like most superheroes. Yes, she has a secret identity, a crime-fighting costume, and a loyal sidekick. But, WordGirl uses a tool other superheroes don’t: her colossal vocabulary & a dictionary!
WordGirl is an animated series, aimed at teaching children new vocabulary words through entertaining episodes. Hidden between the crime fighting and evil villains, WordGirl introduces new words in each episode and teaches their meaning through context clues.
WordGirl enriches young audiences’ vocabulary, instills a love of language, and fosters better reading comprehension. So, while children are drawn to the her superpowers, parents love that their children are expanding their vocabularies with each episode.
Teaching children new vocabulary words can be difficult. Memorizing a list of words is tedious work and your child always seems to forget these words by the time a new vocabulary list is sent home. Instead, help your child by incorporating new vocabulary words into their daily routines, which can help them learn words, rather than just memorizing their definitions !
To help you expand your child’s vocabulary, we’re introducing “WordGirl’s Word of the Week” along with engaging activities to help incorporate that word into your child’s daily life .. Teach your child the word and its definition, and encourage them to use the word as much as they can throughout the week. Then, try one or more of these activities to help make sure that word sticks!
Word of the Week: Admire
Definition: To appreciate and respect an object, quality, or person. (So, if you look at someone with a feeling that it's amazing, you're admiring them.)
Activity 1: Write about someone you admire. Ask your child to write a short paragraph about a person he/she admires. This can be a sibling, a grandparent, or any role model. Encourage your child to be descriptive, and include specific reasons why he/she admires this person.
Activity 2: Host a family art gallery. Have your child draw or paint pictures of things he/she admires. Include some of your own original work if you like, or bring out some family photos. Then have an art appreciation night and let your child admire everyone’s work.
Activity 3: Admire characters in a story. Find a good book with an inspirational character and read it together with your child. When you’re finished, talk with your child about the qualities you both admire in that character. If you need help finding an inspirational book, check out some of these titles.
Activity 4: Take a field trip. Go to a local park, zoo, or even a museum and let your child wander. When he stops to admire a particular exhibit or piece of artwork, ask him why he chose it. What about the animal interests him? Why did he choose to admire this painting?
Check back every Tuesday for the WordGirl Word of the Week and get instant access to more learning activities by visiting the Scholastic Parents Facebook page.
