Transition words for children – what they are and how to use them

In this article

• What are transition words and how are they used?
• List of Commonly Used Transition Words
• What are the different types of transition words
• Exercise that will help your child practice transition words
• Activities to teach transition words to your child

Teaching words to children can be done through several methods. Reading to them regularly to expose them to new words and concepts is one way to do this. Encouraging them to ask questions and talk, playing word games and puzzles to make learning fun, and using flashcards and labels to teach vocabulary related to specific objects or actions are ways to keep them engaged. 

A powerful way to explain the meaning of new words to children is by relating them to everyday experiences. To do this, different materials such as books, pictures and objects around us can help them a lot.

In this article, we talk about English transition words for kids, how they are used, a list of commonly used words, and ways to help your child remember them.

What are transition words and how are they used?

Here's the formal definition of transition words or linking words: words that connect one type of idea to another in a sentence or paragraph. These words are used to show the relationship between these different ideas and to help the reader follow the flow of thought. 

Common examples of transition words for preschoolers include “however,” “therefore,” “furthermore,” “moreover,” and “nevertheless.” They can be used to signal a contrast, a similarity, an addition, a conclusion, or other relationship between ideas. They help make writing more cohesive and clarify connections between ideas.

List of Commonly Used Transition Words

In this section we will look at some examples of linking words or connecting words.

What are the different types of transition words

note: Cover points like H3 in numeric format

Transitional words and phrases are used to link ideas and phrases in a text and indicate the relationship between them. Some common types of linking words include:

1. Conjunctive Adverbs

This includes descriptive link words such as however, furthermore, and therefore.

2. Prepositional phrases

These are words that further describe the spatial or temporal relationship, such as beyond, as a result and on the other hand.

3. Conjunctions

Words that link two ideas or two parts of a sentence fall into this type, such as and, but, or.

4. Pronouns

Words that indicate a noun that has been described previously, such as this, that, these, those are in this category.

5. Time expressions

These are the words that talk about temporal description, such as first, next, finally, after)

6. Words that indicate similarity or contrast

These words are used whenever a comparison or analogy is made, such as similarly, in contrast, unlike.

Exercise that will help your child practice transition words

Let’s now look at some connecting word exercises below

Exercise 1

Fill in the blanks with the correct linking words from the following options:

Therefore, otherwise, finally, however, instead

1. My father is very busy during the week. ______, he always makes time to watch the football game.
2. We have been eagerly waiting. ____ our exam results will be out tomorrow. 
3. I must apply a band-aid to my wound. _____ will not heal well. 
4. The Italian restaurant will be packed tonight. _____, let's go to the South Indian restaurant.
5. She didn't prepare in time. _____ she was late for school.

Answers:

1. However
2. Finally
3. Otherwise
4. Instead of
5. That's why

Exercise 2

Identify the types of transition words in the sentence below

1. We found the dish very tasty. Furthermore , has several health benefits.
2. Exercise leads to better heart health. In fact , several studies have supported this hypothesis.
3. The test was very difficult. Therefore , only five students passed.
4. First, you have to answer the questions. Right away , you hand in your paper.
5. We had never met before. Even so , we enjoyed each other's company.

Answers:

1. Additive
2. Adversative
3. Causal
4. Temporal
5. Conjunctive adverb

Activities to teach transition words to your child

Learning through fun activities is a great way to teach children how to use good transition words in their vocabulary. Here are some interesting linking word activities you can try with your child:

1. Spin the bottle

Write some transition words on pieces of paper and tape them to the floor in a circular order. Now, in the center of the circle, rotate the bottle. Ask your child to form a sentence using the transition word the bottle indicates.

2. Word Prompts

Give your child two word prompts, such as Flight, Late. Now ask them to create a sentence with a transition word of their choice using these two words. “We hurried to our flight. However, it was already too late.”

3. Transition Train

Get a toy train for this game. Write some parts of sentences on pieces of paper and transition words on other pieces of paper. Now paste the first part of the sentence into the first bogey of the train and the last part of the sentence into the third bogey. Leave a bogey in the middle so your child can select the correct transition word to record there. This will give your child a visual idea of how these words connect sentences and ideas.

4. Hop Scotch!

This game can be played in a large open space or even in a clean space at home. You will need to wither a piece of chalk (if you are playing outdoors) or sheets of paper and markers. Write a sentence with a transition word on the floor, word for word. Now, ask your child to skip each word, but skip the transition word. You can make it a competitive game by awarding a point every time they jump correctly. They lose a point if they get it wrong. This will help them practice the concept of transition words as well as work on their alertness.

5. Write a story!

Let's learn an interesting storytelling technique. Think of a simple sentence that starts with a transition word. For example, “So we went out for ice cream!” Now, understanding that this sentence needs a predecessor to transition to, think of a situation that could come forward, leading to the end that is described in the initial statement. Craft the description of your situation and you'll have an anecdotal story there!

Engage your child in these transition word activities and introduce them to a list of these words to improve their language knowledge and vocabulary. With lots of reading and writing practice, your child will soon master this skill.