Are You a Logophile?

From the desk of Leigh Ann . . .

I am a logophile – a lover of words. I marvel at those who possess the quick verbal gifts of wit and wisdom. Alas, as much as I love words, I am not one with that lyrical gift. That’s why I love to soak in the literary language of a wonderfully written tale. The power of perfectly chosen words can spark the visual images that bring a text to life. 

My growing emergent readers are working to expand their vocabulary. We have been searching daily for literary language – the kind that paints a picture in the reader’s mind. I want my kindergartners to find, know, and use interesting words when they speak, write, and read. We are on the hunt daily for words to add to our collection and have started following this resource.

Merriam-Webster’s Word Central is filled with word treasures that will aid our up-and-coming logophiles in their pursuit for the perfect word. It offers a dictionary, thesaurus, rhyming help, games, and a daily “buzzword.” Each morning, we take a minute to highlight the interesting word of the day. We discuss its meaning and usage. We are adding it to our collection of Interesting Words to expand our vocabulary and to reference when we are writing.

The word whittle inspired this kindergarten writer.  (Notice the wood shavings dropping to the ground.)

Here’s a template that might be of interest: Word of the Day

Most educators are logophiles. We want to share our love for language with the ones we teach and inspire them to read, write, and speak in creative wonderful ways. Building vocabulary is a powerful way to enhance one’s ability to communicate.  Just think, if you learned 3 new words a day you would have gained over 1,000 new words in a year. Read and search for interesting words and then make them your own. Words are powerful tools!

“Words can inspire and words can destroy. Choose yours wisely.”  – Robin Sharma