The Loss of Vocabulary

John Holt, who was an educator and prominent voice in the criticisms of modern education, pointed out that a first-grader's reading book in the 20th century contained 75% less vocabulary than a first-grade reader's book did in the 19th century.

Naturally, we wonder why this is so. But we also have to ask ourselves, "What  effect does a reduced vocabulary have on our minds and the quality of our lives?"

Does it even matter?

You bet it does!

Language Development

Language skills include building a large vocabulary. If you've ever lived in a foreign country and needed to speak a second language, you know how much easier it is to communicate with each new word you learn. 

The sooner children begin to develop their vocabularies, the better positioned they will be to do well academically as well as enjoying the fruits of reading good literature as well as strengthening their minds, which, in turn,  contributes to increasing their intelligence.

Literature

Many people cannot read difficult literature because they don't have the vocabulary that's required to comprehend what is being read.

If they can't comprehend what is being read, then they need to rely on third-hand parties to tell them what opinions and beliefs to hold. Without this skill, they will not be able to think independently. 

As far as school is concerned, children without good vocabularies will be challenged by school assignments that require competent reading skills.

They will also find it difficult to score high on college entrance exams, preventing them from entry into an upper-tiered college which equates with less promising  job opportunities and lower wages. 

Communication

A problem we face today is the inability for people to express themselves clearly and effectively because their language skills are so poor.

While poor language skills are a direct effect of a sub-standard educational system and dumbed-down environments, children need parents who can supplement their learning at home, so they do develop the necessary skills to communicate effectively.

Poor communication skills lead to all sorts of problems in relationships whether they be with parents, siblings, spouses, friends, employers, or employees.

Problems arise from misunderstandings that can lead to disastrous results including divorce, poor job performance, difficult family relationships, etc. 

The more effective communication skills your child can develop, the more successful his interpersonal relationships will be. 

Thinking

Words are the means by which we think. The larger our vocabulary, the deeper our ability to think.

People who have larger vocabularies will read more, and they will think at deeper levels. By thinking at deeper levels, I mean that they will be able to enter into the world of ideas, of original thought, of understanding human nature and the world we live in. 

Warning: Vocabulary workbooks are boring and not the way we help our children build strong vocabularies!

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Elizabeth Y. Hanson is a homeschooling thought-leader and the founder of Smart Homeschooler.

As an Educator, Homeschool Emerita, Writer, and Love and Leadership Certified Parenting Coach, she has 21+ years of experience working in education.

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"I know Elizabeth Y. Hanson as a remarkably intelligent, highly sensitive woman with a moral nature and deep insight into differences between schooling and education. Elizabeth's mastery of current educational difficulties is a testimony to her comprehensive understanding of the competing worlds of schooling and education. She has a good heart and a good head. What more can I say?”

—John Taylor Gatto Distinguished educator, public speaker, and best-selling author of Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling