Four Activities for Teaching Vocabulary

One of the things I tell my students is that you can trick people into thinking your smart than you really are if you have a good vocabulary. While this is true, there are a lot of reasons why building a robust and diverse vocabulary is important for students.  Not only does it increase reading comprehension, but it allows students to be more precise and descriptive in their writing. 

For students to truly internalize and learn vocabulary, they must use it in ways that are meaningful for them.  Just giving students definitions to memorize or flashcards to practice with does not solidify learning. They need to use the words in context.  Here are four strategies for having students work with vocabulary:

1. Writing - The most basic of the activities is to have students use their vocabulary words in their writing.   A lot of teachers do this by having them create sentences for each vocabulary word. While you certainly can do this, I think it is better to give students a writing prompt and ask them to use a certain number of vocabulary words in the prompt.  It is even better if your writing prompt is reflective of something that is being taught in class such as a response to that day's reading or even better makes it a cross-curricular activity and have students write about a topic from another class.  
2. Vocabulary Cards - If you prefer to have students work on vocabulary as a homework grade this is a great activity.  This was something I use to do as a worksheet with students, but have since made it digital.  Students create their own study tools.  On each card, students include the definition (you can have them write it in their own words), an original sentence that uses the word, and a visual representation.  Many students are visual learns, and allowing them to link their words to pictures can help them solidify their learning. You can get an editable and reuseable Vocabulary Card template at this link here. (It is a free resource at time of publication.)
3. Pictionary - If you are looking for something fun to do, have your students play Pictionary with their vocabulary words.  Put each word on an index card that students can select and try to get their classmates to guess the word by drawing. You can just work on that week's words or mix in previous vocabulary words.  Not only will students have fun, but the visual cues should help students solidify meaning. This can be done as a whole group, in small groups, or as a station. 
4. Personal Dictionaries - As self-selected reading becomes more of a push in schools across the country, traditional vocabulary lists are going away. Students learn vocabulary best when it is in the context of their reading. Consider having students create their own personal dictionaries in their spirals or as a tab in a binder. Here, students can record new and interesting words they find.  They should include the date, definition, and the title of the book where they have found the word. The point of this is to train students to take notice of the words the authors use as well as unfamiliar words. For grading, you can require students to have so many words recorded for notebook checks.  You can also use the writing activity idea, but have students select their words from their personal dictionary. Have them highlight or underline the words so you can identify them. 

What are other ways you like to teach and practice vocabulary in your classroom? Leave your suggestion in the comments below. 

Need more ideas for vocabulary instruction.  Check out or TPT resources on Denotative & Connotative Meaning here.