Any mom of a child I work with doesn’t need to read this, because they already know all of this information I am going to spew onto the internet.  Today we are going to talk about power words.  No, not “hot button words,” power words.  There is a big difference.

Power words are my favorite.  Power words is a term I made up.  But it makes sense, so I am running with it.  What are power words?  I am getting to that.  Hold on for a minute and let me ramble, it has been a long week and I am quite sure you are the first group of people who have listened to me, much less anticipated what I am about to say.

Okay, I will get to my point now.  Power words are a set of vocabulary words that give a child power.  Yes, every word gives a child power, but these give them super powers.  Often when we think of vocabulary words, we think of “ball,” “bird,” and “cup.”  And don’t get me wrong, those words are great.  Any word is great.  But those words get your child one thing…a ball, a bird, or a cup.  That is the only thing they are good for.

When I start working with a little one, I choose words like “up,” “down,” “go,” “open.”  When your child learns the word “cup,” he can use it to ask for a cup.  When your child learns “up” he can use it to tell you he wants up, his cup is up too high, he wants a book from the top shelf, he wants to see out the window…I don’t need to go on.

All times Gus used the word “out.”

As we build our children’s vocabulary, think about what gives them power.  Gus is really into “out.”  He uses it to tell me he thinks Hank should be released from the chamber we call time out.  He uses it at 2 am to communicate that he no longer feels the need to be asleep before he throws his body over the rails of his crib and runs madly down the hallway.  He uses it to inform us that he will need the animal crackers opened, so he can feast on this insides of the container.  The word “out” grants him all of these things.  Power word.

Think your kiddo would benefit from working on power words, but not sure you have the mad skills needed to get your kiddos using these words?  Get a Bloom Box.  They are overflowing with power words.  Use the code BLOOMING at checkout to get a $50 rental for $35 through the month of February at bloomandlearn.com.