Designing Your Home for Linguistic Intelligence (Word-Smart)

5 Signs Your Child Might Be Linguistic (Word-Smart)

• 1. They talk—a lot! Even to themselves, to toys, or while doing other tasks.
• 2. They love picking up new words from different languages—often repeating them playfully or laughing— sampangappana maga sampangappana.
• 3. They enjoy books, stories, rhymes, or making up their own songs and poems.
• 4. They have a big vocabulary and love using new or unusual words.
• 5. They enjoy language games like riddles, jokes, or storytelling.

5 Things You Can Keep at Home to Encourage It

• 1. Books at different reading levels and in different languages (storybooks, comics, fact books, etc.)
• 2. Whiteboard or sticky notes for writing thoughts, reminders, or word-of-the-day.
• 3. Give them tongue twisters— you also try Vachanas, dhohes, thirukural, and poems from your mother tongue.
• 3. Give them tongue twisters— on a tray or fridge.
• 5. A “message box” or mailbox where family members leave fun notes.

Here are 10 things you can try bringing into your child’s world.

Apps:

• 1. Word of Wonders— an app that helps to build the English language.
• 2. Duolingo— you can introduce your child to many languages through this app. While exposing your child to multiple languages is beneficial, prioritize teaching them their mother tongue first. Neglecting their native language makes learning other languages less meaningful.

Videos:

• 1. Infobells— Great for multilingual content and introducing children to regional language rhymes and more.
• 2. Cartoons like WordGirl and Dexter will also help children pick languages.

People they can follow:

• 1. Ruskin Bond— author of beautiful children’s books and stories.
• 2. Sudha Murthy— A celebrated figure known for her expressive speech and strong communication, often inspiring through her storytelling and insightful perspectives.

Games they can play:

• 1. 20 Questions— One player thinks of a word, and others ask yes/no questions.
• 2. Word Chain— Each player says a word that begins with the last letter of the previous one.

Other things they can try:

• 1. Puppet shows—enhance a child’s linguistic creativity through script writing, character creation, and varied vocalizations, fostering storytelling, vocabulary, and imagination in a fun way.
• 2. Talking Mirror— Ask your child to give a news report or speech while looking in the mirror (great for expression and fun!).

A Gentle Reminder: Don’ts for Word-Smart Kids

• 1. ❌Don’t force reading big books too early. Let curiosity, not pressure, lead.
• 2. ❌Don’t interrupt them mid-story. Even if it’s a long one—they’re building flow!
• 3. ❌Don’t compare their language skills to siblings or peers. Each child finds their voice differently.
• 4. ❌Don’t mock their made-up words or mispronunciations. Celebrate the creativity first, correct gently later.
• 5. ❌Don’t make language only about marks. Vocabulary tests are useful, but joy comes from using language to connect, express, and explore.

Conclusion

Being word-smart is about more than reading and writing. It’s about loving language— playing with it, stretching it, and using it to connect. Your home doesn’t need to be a library. Just fill it with stories, conversation, and curiosity, and your child’s linguistic intelligence will naturally bloom.