05/12/2025
Making Christmas a Vocabulary Builder:
Simple Ways to Support Your Child’s Language This Festive Season
For many children with hearing loss, auditory processing challenges, or limited early language exposure, vocabulary doesn’t stick simply by hearing a word once or twice. Consistent, meaningful repetition is what helps new words settle into long-term memory.
Christmas is full of rich language opportunities—tree, decorations, Santa, lights—but the real power comes when we break big ideas into smaller, concrete categories.
Instead of just “Christmas decorations,” think:
Candy cane
Bauble
Tinsel
Wreath
Star / angel
Stocking
Gingerbread man
These specific, visual words give children clearer mental pictures to connect meaning with sound or sign.
The catch?
Christmas only happens once a year—so children with hearing loss don’t get the repetition they need to truly retain these words. But with some simple, playful routines, you can turn the season into a language-building boost that lasts well beyond December.
Practical Tips for Building Vocabulary During Christmas
1. Use Real Objects, Not Just Words
Children learn faster when they can touch, see, and explore.
Hold up the bauble while saying/signing bauble.
Let them feel the tinsel.
Match real objects to pictures or flashcards.
2. Repeat Words Naturally (Not as Drills)
Instead of formal practice, weave words into the activity:
“Let’s hang this wreath on the door.”
“Which bauble should go next?”
“Can you find the star for the top?”
Repetition through doing = retention.
3. Build Word Categories to Help Memory
Group words to create mental “folders”:
Food: candy cane, pudding, gingerbread
Decorations: bauble, tinsel, wreath, lights
Characters: Santa, elf, reindeer
Actions: wrap, decorate, hang, bake
This makes words easier to retrieve later—especially for children with auditory or language delays.
4. Keep Words Alive After Christmas
Because Christmas vocabulary only appears once a year, children often forget it. Keep the learning going by:
Using toy miniatures (tree, Santa, gifts) for pretend play
Reading Christmas stories in January/February
Saving a small tub of decorations for year-round play
Making simple drawings or photos into a “Christmas Vocab Book”
Small touchpoints across the year keep the vocabulary active.
5. Pair Words With Sign, Gesture, or Visuals
This supports children who rely on multimodal communication:
Auslan signs
Pointing
Photos
Line drawings
Labels on storage boxes (“lights”, “baubles”)
The more ways a child experiences the word, the stronger the learning.
6. Follow Your Child’s Interests
If your child loves:
lights → teach twinkle, flash, sparkle
baking → teach mix, roll, gingerbread, sprinkles
Santa → teach reindeer, sleigh, sack
Interest drives attention—and attention drives language.
A Final Message to Families
Christmas can be overwhelming, especially when supporting a child with hearing or communication needs. You don’t need to create perfect activities.
Just use the moments you already have.
Hanging a decoration, baking together, unwrapping gifts—each is a chance to connect language with meaning in a way your child can remember.
Tiny moments, repeated often, build strong vocabulary foundations.
