Learning vocabulary is an important part of any childs education but is just as important for adults as it is for children. Learning a few simple strategies for incorporating vocabulary into educational routines can improve reading and writing skills, along with assisting test taking abilities. Vocabulary strategies even help those trying to learn foreign languages. One of the best ways to learn
. vocabulary is by using mnemonic devices. These help people learn vocabulary by visualizing the words in a creative context. For example, if a reader is trying to memorize the word red in German, they look up the word and find out it is rot (pronounced road). A person trying to think of a way to remember that might picture a road, then maybe a deer getting hit. Suddenly, the road is now red. The ROT is now RED. That can be done with almost any word, although learners will have to be very creative to come up with hundreds of mnemonics. Several web sites have already listed mnemonic devices, ready to use. Flashcards are an oldie but a goodie. They cost only a few dollars for index cards and a marker, but still remain one of the best ways to learn vocabulary. Learners need only to put the word on one side and the definition on the back. The trick with index cards is that learners need to use them on a daily basis and consistently. If a word in incorporated into the memory but is unused for a period of time, then it will be forgotten (one of the reason why summer vacation is damaging to American education). Set aside ten or fifteen minutes every day to run through vocabulary. The best way to learn vocabulary is also the easiest: reading. Learning words in context, when meaning and definition can be ascribed to them unconsciously, helps the mind incorporate them without effort. http://people.bu.edu/jpettigr/Artilces_and_Presentations/Vocabulary.htm or http://edition.tefl.net/ideas/younglearners/fun-vocabulary/
