Yoga for Vocabulary and Linguistic Concepts 95Yoga and vocabulary/linguistic concepts
Yoga classes for children provide an engaging source of input to
support the expansion of children’s vocabulary and conceptual
development (Goldberg 2013; Williams 2010). The particular
vocabulary words chosen by the adult who leads a class or session
will vary with the children’s chronological age and developmental
level. Children’s exposure to new words through yoga can increase
the breadth of their lexical knowledge. For example, children
could learn that the word “cobra,” the name of a yoga pose, refers
to a type of snake or that the terms “vertical” and “horizontal”
refer to positions in space. In addition, they could be exposed to
previously acquired, familiar words such as “chair” in new contexts
and have the opportunity to embody them through the poses and
breathing exercises, which increases the depth of their semantic
development. Tables 7.1 to 7.3 list vocabulary words and linguistic
concepts related to children’s yoga practice. Although this list is
not exhaustive, it provides the reader with an idea of the extent
of the richness of the vocabulary and linguistic concepts that are
available through children’s yoga.
During a yoga class, children hear the names of the poses and
the verbal directions needed to execute them, which can enhance
their receptive language development. Both the names of the
poses and the accompanying directions provide rich sources of
vocabulary input for familiar words in new contexts (new functions
for old forms) and exposure to new lexical items. The names of
the yoga poses are nouns from a variety of categories including
animals, elements of nature, types of furniture, transportation
items, and other objects. The directions for the poses include the
names of relevant body parts including hands, arms, legs, feet,
toes, shoulders, neck, head, and belly. Directions for some of the
breathing exercises described in Chapter 5 include the names of