Vocabulary Activities can grab the attention of your most reluctant learners. For this reason, you may be interested in providing your students with more opportunities to use new vocabulary? I have a solid routine for vocabulary instruction if you’re anything like me, but I want my students to use the new language differently.
So let me show you a set of vocabulary activities that will provide your students with vocabulary practice in your elementary classroom.
Every solid vocabulary lesson should include a graphic organizer. Today’s your lucky day because you may click here for a FREE copy!
The graphic organizer featured above consists of the following key elements:
The resource featured above is a simple one-page product printed front to back. The classroom teacher fills out a vocabulary form each week with the new terms to teach.
The week’s vocabulary words will auto-fill into the printable. The best part is that you no longer have to wait for students to do all the copying. The terms are auto-filled for you!
Now that you have the solid vocabulary instruction completed, your students will need to practice and apply!
Therefore, I have created a series of vocabulary activities for your students. Watch out. They will be begging you to play games!
A vocabulary game played much like the fashionable game Headbands.
Students draw a card from the center and quickly place the vocabulary word on their forehead. The students will then ask yes or no questions until they can guess the vocabulary word.
A vocabulary game that never ends. I genuinely mean it.
Students sit in a circle drawing a card from the center. If the student receives a vocabulary word, the student either tells a definition, uses the story in a sentence, or gives a synonym for the vocabulary term. Play continues around the circle, with students collecting vocabulary cards. If students draw a “BOOM!” card, they return all cards collected! Play continues until time is determined since the deck has plenty of “BOOM!” cards. Play continues until time is determined. This game has an abundance of vocabulary practice!
The 3, 2, 1 Vo-cab-go!
Each student has one worksheet with four vocabulary terms. A timer is set for one minute while each player completes three activities for a vocabulary word.
They are asked to find three synonyms and two antonyms and draw one sketch of the given vocabulary term. Students gain points accordingly and are highly competitive activities! So watch out!
The Vocabulary Related Words activity allows students to use the base word of a vocabulary term in various forms.
The example given is the base word friend.
The student would respond with the words write, friends, friendship, friendly. A perfect activity to expand students’ vocabulary!
Money in the Bank Vocabulary Activity provides the student with the opportunity to use their vocabulary in sentences.
Students “earn” one dollar for each word used in the sentences. The player with the most money wins!
As a side note, all of the elementary vocabulary activities discussed are EDITABLE! That means you will be able to use your vocabulary words or terms from your curriculum.
Each week, month, or unit, you will be able to change the vocabulary. Also, you may use language from any subject area.
The word bank shown below demonstrates how easy it is to type new vocabulary words or terms each week.
Once the word bank is complete, the words will auto-fill into each activity. A teacher-friendly and straightforward resource!
Are you interested in purchasing the Vocabulary Activities for Elementary Students resource? If so, click here!
You may also want to check out my Third Grade Vocabulary Task Cards!
Happy Teaching!
Melissa
