Instructional strategies for words learning: the case of preschool children

Effective word-learning strategies are essential for the development of language skills, cognitive processes, and learning success in young children. This paper describes a study conducted to compare the effectiveness of three different methods of teaching words at preschool age. The study used the C-LWAT (Complex Test for Word Acquisition in Preschool Children) methodology. Three hundred children aged 4 to 6 years from preschool institutions in China took part in the study. The authors of the study randomly divided the children into three groups: a contextual learning group, a game approach group, and a multimedia approach group. Each group underwent the appropriate training methodology for 8 weeks. The results of the study strongly suggested that all three learning strategies contributed to improving vocabulary and speaking skills in children. The pre-test initial scores were comparable in all three groups. However, all groups progressed after the intermediate and final tests. Although the multimedia approach group and the game approach group achieved the highest scores, demonstrating a significant improvement compared to the contextual learning group. These results confirm the effectiveness of using multimedia materials and game approaches in an educational context for the development of vocabulary and speaking skills in children. The obtained results offer new ideas and contexts for the development of word-learning programs in preschool institutions. They are important for educational practices in China and can be used to improve the quality of education and develop speech skills in pre-schoolers from different countries.