Its time for literacy workstation rotations and you are giving students instructions on the stations they will be completing for the day as well as your expectations. You really didn't plan on having students work on vocabulary that particular day... but then all of a sudden from one of your most reluctant learners you hear the words "What, No Vocabulary Station!!!!"
As a teacher which of the following do you do:
A. Do a Cartwheel with excitement
B. Faint from the shock
C. Send them all to the nurse because they must be sick
Well me... I think all of the above...
But this actually happened in my classroom... I introduced the three activities below and now they are begging me to do vocabulary!
Activity 1: Pick Up Sticks
Very similar to the game we played as kids, students pick up a group of sticks and drop them in a pile in the middle of the group. Students then take turns picking up a stick and then complete the task on the stick. The sticks say:
- Use the word ___________________ in a sentence.
- What is the meaning of the word ______________?
- Which word means _____________?
If they complete the task correctly students get to keep the stick. To win the game the students must have the most Popsicle Sticks at the end of the game.
To create this game I simply made strips with the sentences on them on the computer, I then laminated them and then used a hot glue gun to attach the strips to a Jumbo Popsicle stick.
I love this game, because students get practice using the words in context and they also have to know the meaning of the words.
Activity 2: Four In A Row
This game is my vocabulary version of connect four. Students are given a stack of cards with the vocabulary words written on them. Students take turns picking up cards. With the card they have, students must complete one of three tasks. The tasks include:
- Use the word in a sentence
- Say the meaning of the word
- Give a synonym or an antonym/ example or non-example
If they use the word correctly, they get to put a red or yellow Connect 4 piece on the board. The first person to get four in a row is the winner.
I purchased the mini connect 4 set at Five Below.
I love this game, because students are truly engaged but again they have the opportunity to practice their vocabulary,
Activity 3: Invisible Ink Sentences
This activity is very simple, students simply have to fill in the sentences with their vocabulary words. Using the Invisible Ink Light to check their answers is the best part for students which keeps them engaged!
I love this activity, because students can practice their vocabulary and I don't even have to check it! They can check themselves!
It is so important for students to get practice with their vocabulary because it helps with their comprehension!!!
You can click on each image below to pick up a free editable version of each of these activities. All you have to do is type in the vocabulary words you are using and set up the activities!
What vocabulary games do you play in the classroom?
What vocabulary games do you play in the classroom?
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