Words, Words, Words!

     ​What is in a word? A word as a unit of language is rather innocuous. It can be magical, powerful and can express emotion. It’s the words that are chosen to convey a message, however, that makes all the difference in how the message is received, and also what it says about the speaker. Do you have enough choices at your fingertips? Do you use enough of a variety to assist in your child’s vocabulary growth? 

“I know nothing in the world that has as much power as a word. 
Sometimes I write one, and I look at it until it begins to shine.”
​-Emily Dickinson- 

     ​Studies have shown that young children who are read to and spoken with will have a larger vocabulary, and having a larger vocabulary allows a child to more easily recognize and process a greater amount of information. In order for a child’s vocabulary to grow, they need to continually acquire new words. The best way to help children expand their vocabulary is through read alouds with vocabulary rich books and playing with words through various songs and games. For example: play a word rhyming game with your little one in which you recite groupings of three words, with the last word not rhyming (“duck…duck…goose!”). Either your little one will notice that the final word does not rhyme or you may stop and say something like, “Wait, does goose rhyme with duck? No, it doesn’t.” Then ask for or offer additional examples that do rhyme and continue the game with a new set of words. This type of activity works well when in the car or waiting in line at the store.

    ​Recently we have noticed that words have garnered increased attention in public schools with the January release of Peter H. Reynolds’s book The Word Collector. In Reynolds’s book, Jerome discovers the magic of words and after reading the story, we could see so many creative ways in which the storybook could be used to encourage children to collect their own words for further vocabulary growth. One activity that jumped immediately to mind was creating poetry stacks, similar to what Jerome does in the book. (Check out this article from The Classroom Bookshelf for a whole list of activity ideas). Jerome's story also made us think of all the other picture books that have been published that celebrate words and encourage the reader to find new words to add to their lexicon. These types of books make fun reads as well as bring awareness to words and how important and powerful they can be. Search through the list we have provided below and look for additional titles on your own. Then search for other stories that have rich vocabulary such as The Absolutely Awful Alphabet by Mordicai Gerstein. Check out author and publisher websites and even Pinterest for extended activities or be creative and come up with your own. Who knows, your child might just be a budding logophile, a lover of words!  

Picture Books Celebrating Words & Word Play

*Note: all images of the books are linked to Amazon. Any purchases made via the links provided go to support our literacy efforts.

     The characters in these titles are absolute logophiles and, like Jerome of Reynolds's The Word Collector, they are avid word collectors. If you are looking for books that highlight the wonder to be found in the words that we encounter every day and also encourage readers to appreciate the importance and power of words, these are the stories you've been looking for. Perhaps, after hearing these stories, your child will be inspired to start their own word collection!

     Hijinks and shenanigans abound in these titles as letters go missing or get rearranged creating whole new words! These books show children that just one letter has the potential to completely change a word and thus alter meaning.

     These books are a hodgepodge of fun, laugh-out-loud adventures with words. Each book features different grammatical and literary devices, such as a puns in 7 Ate 9: The Untold Story and alliteration in ​Betty's Burgled Bakery. When introducing children to the complexities and absurdities of the English language, these books are a definite must read!

     Learn about Noah Webster, the lexicographer, with these books. Webster was a true logophile who spent his life collecting and organizing the words of American English into one, comprehensive volume: the American Dictionary of the English Language.

     Webster was not the only logophile who changed the way we use and think of words. Before him there was William Shakespeare, the British poet and playwright whose wording and phrases became every day facets of the English language, many of which are still used to this day. There was another lexicographer, Peter Mark Roget, who made his mark on the English language, much like Webster. Roget is famous for compiling the first book of synonyms: the Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases (also known as Roget's Thesaurus). 

​And, finally, to end our list of books about words and word play we have a book that celebrates the beauty of the many untranslatable words from around the world. Sometimes there are no words that can fully grasp the meaning of a word.

     Do you have a favorite book about words or word play that isn't listed here? Share it with us in the comments!

Happy reading!