One of the striking observations about young children is that, as soon as they begin to speak, their linguistic acquisitions accelerate. They continually surprise us with how their grammatical abilities to form sentences develop, and their constant attempts to improve their speech and use new words and structures. It is noticeable that their primitive sentences contain the names of people and things, such as Mama, Papa, Karah, and Bride...
Verbs start to enter into a child's speech at the age of two or a little before. We hear him say, for example: come, take, give me, wash, eat, drink. He also begins to use words like I love you, look... while resorting to pointing because he does not know the intended verb.
In recent studies, it has been shown that children who possess a rich vocabulary of verbs are more advanced in language and grammatical ability than their peers who possess fewer. The study showed that in just six months of training two-year-olds on the verb names they need, significant grammatical development was evident, as they were able to formulate complex sentences correctly and use verbs better. Other studies have also indicated that children's understanding of other people's speech also grows and develops as they learn more verbs. The studies also remind us that variety and understanding of the meaning of the verb are the foundation that makes all the difference in ability. What is most important is variety and understanding, not just quantity and mere memorization.
Children differ in the time and manner in which they learn verbs, as well as in how they use them in their conversations, and the number of verbs in their vocabulary. This is what researchers in child development indicate. They have noticed that pronouncing some verbs before two years is normal, and that a child’s vocabulary reaches more than (40) verbs once they reach the age of two or a little after. Researchers have also noticed that there are children who show low linguistic abilities, as the verbs used do not exceed 3-6 verbs. Many children who are late to speak face great difficulty in recognizing and using verbs, and this may not be attributed to weakness in the child’s abilities, but rather to neglecting to teach the child verbs. It is difficult for the child to pick up verbs directly on his own, and sometimes he needs help. Perhaps the difficulty lies in the fact that the names (people and things) the child sees, hears, and touches in a realistic and daily way. They are simply tangible while he learns words, while some verbs may be abstract and are not repeated in his environment on a permanent or daily basis. If the educator notices that his child’s dictionary lacks verbs, He should support the acquisition of more verbs, and quickly intervene to increase the child's vocabulary and strengthen his linguistic abilities to produce short sentences containing verbs.
Teaching children verb names is important and necessary for developing their language and enabling them to construct correct sentences and choose the specific verb they mean. Without them, the child will not be able to start speaking, as almost all sentences contain verbs. Before that, explain and clarify to the child the meaning of a verb, and use illustrative signs that represent the verb. Make teaching as practical as possible, as the child learns best when he does the work himself, not when he watches others do it. Therefore, encourage the child to work after watching and imitating what you do. For example: When you teach the verb “brush,” repeat it while you are brushing and say “I am brushing my teeth.” If you are combing your hair, say to him while you are doing the work: “I am combing my hair” or “I am combing it.” When you throw the ball in the basket, say to him “I am aiming at the basket.” This will help him remember the new word and know its meaning.
To help your child learn verbs, keep a list of verbs that he uses and understands and that are repeated regularly in his speech. Follow him, observe him, and make sure he pronounces them correctly and uses them correctly. Then, start introducing new verbs gradually. Think about the toys and foods that your child loves, and offer him verbs related to these beloved activities. For example: if he loves playing ball, you can repeat verbs such as throw, aim, shoot, catch, pick up, lift, kick, roll, run, etc., or if he loves helping you wash the dishes; Seize the opportunity and increase his vocabulary of verbs, and teach him to rinse, wash, clean, wipe, dry, arrange, pay attention, rub… The important thing is to make it seem natural and fun, and the secret to the success of the process here is repetition, as children need to hear the word more than once in different contexts. Provide many diverse examples of a certain verb, as this makes the child clearly understand the meaning of the real verb. Another idea for teaching verbs is: using a video and interacting with it, by working and imitating the verbs that the child saw in the video. You can also teach the child how and where to use the verb, for example: a verb such as: wipe, lock… wipe the glass, glasses, table, floor… and a verb such as: cut, we can cut paper, trees, or cloth…
In short, a child must learn all types of words, nouns, and verbs. Having a rich vocabulary of verbs enables a child to construct sentences and speak fluently. Verbs come second after nouns, and before pronouns and adverbs, because they are an important element among the structural components of language. They inform what we do, due to their importance in structuring speech and enhancing expressive abilities.
It's best to teach verbs by having your children watch you in action, and have your child imitate your actions as well! The best way to target verbs is through play, as well as exposure to real-life activities – here are some of my favorite activities for targeting verbs.