How To Teach Homophone Words To Children: Definition, Exercises And Examples
Homophone words can be a problem for children, since they are words that are pronounced the same. However, they do not mean the same thing or are written in the same way.
In this article we are going to present some of those words and their meanings, as well as games for the little ones to discover these types of homophone words.
Definition of homophone words
Homophone words are those that, although pronounced the same, are spelled differently and have different meanings.
Examples of homophone words
Certain letters sound the same as others, causing some words that are spelled differently to sound the same.
One example is the homophones agito and ajito. They sound the same but are written differently and have very different meanings: agito belongs to the verb agitar , that is, moving an object quickly. Ajito, meanwhile, refers to a small garlic.
The same happens with some words with b and v , for example, in crockery and crockery . The first case is the diminutive of low ; the second case is the set of plates, cups and glasses that are at home.
Another example is beautiful and hairy . With b , it can be used as a compliment to say that something is pretty and beautiful. With v , on the other hand, it is the short hair that grows in some parts of the body.
In the group of consonants with the same sound we also find the homophones with ll and y. Fence is a fence that is put around a field to delimit it. On the contrary, v aya is a form of the verb to go.
The fact that the letter h is silent can also cause this phenomenon. An example of homophones of this class is hello and wave . When it is written with the letter h , it is a greeting, but without the letter h , they are the waves that are seen in the sea and that make a white foam that reaches the coast.
Homophone word games
Tongue twister
A good way to make children aware of the existence of these words and their uses is through tongue twisters or rhymes that incorporate these types of words.
To the little ones we can teach these phrases as if they were songs and, when they are older, we can see the written part with them.
Here’s an example of a tongue twister with some of the homophone words we’ve seen before:
This example is useful for the difference of ll and y:
And for the use of b and v we can use the following:
Game of chips
For children who already know how to write, we can propose a game related to writing these types of words. When we have already seen with them the meanings and the different ways of writing these homophone words, we can create cards with sentences that they have to complete.
If we write the answer on the back, the children will also be able to play autonomously. And, if there are several children in the family, we can organize a small contest.
Hangman game
The hangman game is very flexible and allows us to adapt it to any age. We will let each member of the family have their turn. Parents can use theirs to help children discover homophones.
Conclution
Grammar sometimes has certain aspects that can be difficult for children to understand. In any case, it must be borne in mind that each child is unique and has a different development.
Therefore, it is important that we create a relaxed environment in which the child can make mistakes and discover on their own, without pressure and with a lot of love and patience from the parents.
