3 Approaches to Introduce New Navajo Vocabulary to Your Child
You just got some NEW Navajo flashcards and are excited to use them with your child.
That was me.
I held up each flashcard one at a time and said aloud its name.
I thought about how easy it was to introduce new Navajo vocabulary and how my children kept a keen interest.
It went great the first few times but soon enough they began losing interest quickly and easily during our flashcard time.
My kids were getting bored to the same routine of hearing the words and repeating it.
I knew I had to put my thinking cap on and get a little creative!
And that's how I discovered a few simple tactics working great for us.
So I know they will work for you too.
Discover the 3 tactics to keep your child interested in learning new Navajo words
Imitation
Imitation is the most fun way to get your child’s interest. I find that toddlers love imitation but elementary aged children find it amusing too.
Imitation is exactly how it sounds - imitate!
Once you hold up a flashcard or share a new word, you can imitate that object or thing, then have them imitate you.
Here are 3 approaches to imitation:
Sounds
Does the item on the card have sound? Learning animals names in Navajo makes for great sound imitations.
Example:
“Beegashii, mooooo!”
Gestures/Expressions
Make your own gestures for words. Use exaggerated expressions for kids.
Examples:
“Ajei” Use your hands to pat your chest area imitating a beating heart.
“Doo shił háts'íi da” Make a sad face.
Movement
This one is great for action words but even moving parts of your body to represent meanings of words fit under this category.
Example:
“Sédá” Show yourself sitting down.
Talk
Talking and having simple conversations is a great way to add more context and meaning to the words your child is learning.
Here’s several ways to “talk” about your new words:
Ask questions
It can be anything that relates to the word.
Examples:
“Ké. What color is your ké?”
“Dibé. What sound does dibé make?”
“Daané’é. What’s your favorite Daané’é?”
Make observations
Instead of asking questions about the word, make some observations.
Examples:
“Naaltsoos. Naaltsoos can be books, paper, and newspaper.”
“Mosi. We have one mosi in our family.”
“Bilasaana. We love bilasaana!”
Tell a story
Stories are great for learning new words. Sometimes questions and observations can lead to stories. Stories can be real, made up, or as simple as one phrase or sentence.
Examples:
“łééchąą'í, did you know I use to have a dog [łééchąą'í] named. ..”
“Shił hozho. Sara bił hozho today.”
“Azis. Linda biazis is very sparkly. She decorated at school today.”
Just having simple conversations and telling a story add so much interest and association to the words.
Look
This is as easy as it sounds. You can start by looking around your surroundings and pointing out objects. Do you see any of your new words around the area? Or you can gather books to look through and find any of the objects you're learning.
This can also extend to using sign language or making up your own signs.
Examples:
“Shash. I see a shash. Do you see it too?”
“Awee’, Awee’” Do the sign for baby.
“nizhe’e.” Point to dad.
L. I. T. (Look, Imitate, Talk)
You may find, by now, that most of the ways to add context and interest to new Navajo words is very easy and not complicated. And you may even find that you can combine any of these tactics at any time!
Have you used any of these tactics before? I’m sure you have without knowing, but it's good to have several ideas to fall back on if you’re having trouble making learning new Navajo words fun.
So in order to remember these tactics, just remember the acronym L.I.T. (Look, Imitate, Talk).
So the next time you’re showing your child new flashcards or teaching new Navajo vocabulary, you’ll be equipped to share new words with your family in fun and easy ways.
Also remember the examples I gave are just examples. It may sound weird saying some Navajo words mixed in with English but it's important to say them and for your child to hear.
