Studying definitions for words represents one way of attempting to learn new vocabulary, but are there ways to help a child incorporate new words into speech, writing and comprehension?
If a child has a list of words to learn, one strategy is to group them by categories. Some words may relate to feelings, others to description or behavior. If words can be grouped, study one group at a time.
After having a child note the meaning of each word, it often helps to write a story using the new words, so that a student can visualize characters and a situation. For example: “The children were disheartened when they lost their first game and felt reluctant to try again. But their coach insisted, even though their next opponents seemed very intimidating. In fact, they defeated the other team and were ecstatic!
Writing the story out several times and having the child fill in the blanks is a useful tool. It also helps for the child to use alternative words—“hesitant” for “reluctant” and “overjoyed” for “ecstatic.”
Afterward, a child can take the story apart by listing the words and writing his/her own definition or synonym next to it. If a vocabulary test including a long list is approaching, working on one group of words a day and reviewing the next day is best–and helps a student remember the words after the memory of the test itself is long gone.