# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Examine Non-Examples of Vocabulary Words

Ask not just, "What does this word look or function like?" but also, "What does it not look or function like?" For instance, acute angle can look "sharp" but not "curvy" or "wavy" or "square."

Ask students to play games or have mock competitions to come up with the most creative non-examples, and have them explain their reasoning. For example, that same acute angle can look like a door that's partly shut, but not like a smile or a cloud.

For every word chosen, ask students to be specific about the difference between the non-example and the original word. This process of description will help build their vocabularies and strengthen their abilities to make connections between one topic and the next.

Use Online Vocabulary Tools

While we want to build vocabulary mostly through deep discussion and dialogue, there are tools that can promote an increased engagement and understanding of specific words. Using tools such as Visual Thesaurus, which lets students see the ways words interrelate, and Wordle, which lets them create word clouds, we can start to help students see related and unrelated words as chances to play.

This technique can also be very helpful for learners who think in more visual ways, allowing them to integrate the word meaning, or the semantic aspects, with a visual sense of how one word connects to the next.

These tools work in different ways and lend themselves to different activities. For example, the word clouds in Wordle can show a word as bigger or smaller depending on how frequently it appears in a text. This can be a great reading comprehension tool, as you can ask students to reflect on the words that appear most often as potential themes from a text, or to debate whether a theme is actually more important than its size in the cloud would indicate.

Visual Thesaurus shows the distance between more closely and less closely interrelated words, and can be a great way of deepening students' understanding of synonyms, antonyms, and words that are somewhere in between. Students can use this thesaurus to explain, for example, why irritated and forgetful aren't opposites, and why content and unhappy can be.

Draw Guessed Meanings of Unknown Words and Non-Words

When working on prefixes and suffixes, have students draw what they imagine for the words unplayed or redrink. Help students formulate why their drawings relate to the concept, and how the prefix or suffix changes the word.

This activity can be made more complex or simple for use with students in a range of grades. For example, younger students can work on drawing waks (the plural of wak, an unknown animal), when they are learning the use of the plural. Older students can focus on words that describe processes (think bed-ation or storm-ation) and describe why those words are silly.

Vote With Their Feet

We don't have to think of vocabulary learning and practice as physically static. For example, have students rate how high on an intensity scale they see a word when introducing synonyms, and move to one or the other corner of the room to vote on the intensity with their feet. Students might rate irritated as a 1 on a 1 to 5 intensity scale, and enraged as a 5. When their ratings differ, they can engage in discussion and debate about these ratings, and if they want, move again.

Developing students' vocabulary doesn't have to be a chore. Given a creative mindset and some openness to exploring, we can find opportunities to educate and stretch students' understanding with play. Far from being wasted time, these exchanges can help motivate students to realize that playing with language can be enjoyable. They may even start to see connections between their social play with language (for example, telling jokes at home) and their classroom activities.

How are you already helping students in the classroom play with language? Are there opportunities to deepen or expand this play, not only in English class but across academic subjects?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Building Vocabulary Through Fun and Games | Edutopia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ask not just, "What does this word look or function like?" but also, "What does it not look or function like?" For instance, acute angle can look "sharp" but not "curvy" or "wavy" or "square." Ask students to play games or have mock competitions to come up with the most creative non-examples, and have them explain their reasoning.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
These simple activities for high school English language learners can keep them engaged and having fun as they learn.

The other day, I brought a kickball-sized ball to class, and the students, grades nine through 12, were overjoyed and curious. The ball symbolizes play. And play is synonymous with fun. And fun, when appropriate, can be synonymous with learning.

As we get closer to the end of the school year, I find myself increasingly using game-based learning to maintain engagement with my English language learners (ELLs). Students need to prepare for upcoming state testing, so I think of ways to integrate that with skills they need. I also must face the reality that at times students just refuse to do anything, or it's hard for me to get them to work consistently for an entire class period. Unless, that is, we play a game.

Fun Games With Very Little Prep Time

20 Questions: This is my students' favorite game. A student thinks of something related to a theme-something as simple as a person, place, or object. Or it could be related to a historical era, for example, like the industrial revolution. As students are questioning, and considering what word might be in their peer's head, I write the words/questions that they generate on the board or on the computer and then project them on the board so that the students are continually seeing the language they're producing. I also have one student keep track of the number of questions asked (yes/no questions only). At the end, I have students copy down the sentences and translate them into their native language.

If students struggle with the English language, they may also use their phones to find images and show peers or translate text from their native language.

Endless Story: Students sit in a circle and take turns going around the circle telling a story. If it's a small class, I do this as a whole class. As they talk, I encourage them to use a translator if needed, and after they share their contribution to the story, I type their sentences on the computer and project them on the board so they can see their words in text format. I fix the grammar as I type and have students read their sentences to reinforce the corrected text. At the end, I have students write the entire story in English (projected on the board) on a piece of paper.

Here's a more advanced option: If it's a larger class, students can work in groups of five or six. Give them a list of literary elements like personification, foreshadowing, irony. They should include these elements in their story and identify where they used them.

Word on My Head: Choose vocabulary words or topics (for example World War I) related to themes that students have been studying in one of their classes (science, history, English language arts). Or have students create a list of words or topics and write them on paper for you to collect and draw ideas from (this saves your own prep time and provides an opportunity for students to reflect on what they've learned in previous classes).

Give a student a card with a word on it, but don't let them see the word. They can hold it over their head, or the word can be written on the board with the student sitting in a chair facing away from the board. Other class members should use English to describe the word that's hidden from their classmate. The student has to guess what it is. Or the student who is guessing the word can ask yes/no questions about the hidden word, and the classmates answer without details.

I encourage students to use as many words as possible, along with gestures if needed. After the student with the word has answered correctly, add the word to a list on the board.

Another alternative to this would be to put an image of something or someone on a student's head or behind the student, requiring the other classmates to use English, either by speaking or inputting the text into a translator, to describe the image. Because my classes are small, I do this with a whole group.

If your classes are larger, however, split the groups up and monitor and guide them to ensure that they're working on task. This game can also be timed or turned into a race to see which group can complete the most terms the fastest.

Themed Scavenger Hunt: Give students a hall pass, and have them find anything they see in the hallways or out the windows that is related to a theme. They should make a multilingual chart of the words in English and in their native languages. A group of three students, for example, may have English, Spanish, and Ukrainian.

If the students are newcomers, I have them make a list of words of what they find in the hallway-for example, student, window, door -within a particular time frame, using a translator, and then bring it back to me. I want them to discover the words that they feel are most useful and write them on their paper.

When students return, they can choose some of these newfound words and use them to create sentences, with my guidance or using their translators. The purpose is to frequently use language they come in contact with every day through speaking and writing.

Students love this because they're moving around, exploring the school and getting more comfortable with it, developing relationships with their teammates, and using language to express what they see and do in their environment. As a follow-up, depending on their language level, I might have students write a list of sentences or a paragraph to describe what they saw and did on their scavenger hunt.
Now it's your turn. What are your favorite games for English language learners? Please share in the comments.
An alternative to this activity is to have the class first create a list of common things they see around the hallways-for example, a water fountain, lockers, doors, students. Then they take that list, and within, say, 20 minutes they explore the school and see how many times they can find each of those objects and include where that object is-that may be a particular corridor if it has a name (the 100 wing, for example)-or describe what this object is near, such as the library or the cafeteria. This is a good activity for prepositions and direction words.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
These simple activities for high school English language learners can keep them engaged and having fun as they learn.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Games can be excellent tools to supplement and support vocabulary instruction. Using vocabulary games in your classroom allows students to practice vocabulary in fun but also impactful ways. Students love games because they are engaging and exciting, and teachers love games because they help students remember and use their words in new contexts.

Vocabulary games are social. Games engage students as they interact with each other and are challenged to use newly acquired vocabulary words. When you use vocabulary games in the classroom, students not only learn from and with one another, but also become more excited about and engaged in learning. Whether they are collaborating or competing, students must think creatively about vocabulary to play and win.

Using games to reinforce new vocabulary words and skills gives students the opportunity to practice these words in a variety of ways, which is super important to vocabulary! Familiar games can be varied and revisited for new sets of words, making games powerful practice tools in your classroom.

Roughly sixty studies done by Robert J. Marzano showed that, on average, the use of academic games in the classroom is associated with a 20 percentile point gain (Haystead & Marzano, 2009).

Games engage students at a high level and have a powerful effect on students' recall of meanings. Games not only add a bit of fun to the teaching and learning process, but also provide an opportunity to build word meaning in a nonthreatening way. After the class has played a vocabulary game, the teacher should invite students to identify difficult words and go over the different aspects of them such as word parts, roots, synonyms, and antonyms in a whole-class discussion.

According to researcher William Nagy, there are three things you need for great vocabulary instruction every day: integration of vocabulary into different aspects of the day, reiteration to make words understood through repetition, and relevance to help students understand the connections among and the importance of words. Check out why they are important.

The following academic vocabulary games will help you integrate, reiterate, and connect for powerful-and fun-vocabulary practice.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 Classroom Vocabulary Games For All Ages | Sadlier School

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Vocabulary games are social. Games engage students as they interact with each other and are challenged to use newly acquired vocabulary words. When you use vocabulary games in the classroom, students not only learn from and with one another but also become more excited about and engaged in learning.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Consider some excellent lesson models for teaching vocabulary, explaining idioms, fostering word consciousness, instruction for English Language Learners, and mnemonic strategies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Teaching these literacy strategies simultaneously can engage students in active processing, improving performance in both areas.

As a teacher and researcher, I know the importance of vocabulary instruction for improving reading comprehension. There is some evidence that a reciprocal relationship exists between the two and that improving one may improve the other. It is especially important to explicitly and directly teach these skills to our youngest students. Teachers can use evidence-based strategies for delivering vocabulary instruction to improve reading comprehension and vice versa by integrating literacy across content areas. These should engage students in active processing, which is essential to student learning and retention.

I'd like to share four active ways to teach vocabulary and reading comprehension that have worked well for me.

1. Read-Alouds

Teachers can incorporate vocabulary into a read-aloud, first by reading through the book and identifying vocabulary words to be targeted for instruction. Preteach the vocabulary words to the students, and during the read-aloud discuss their meaning by providing brief, student-friendly definitions (for example, if a character is described as anxious, the teacher could add, "That means worried or scared"). Next, review the context of the words within the story. Students should repeat the vocabulary words for correct pronunciation and then visualize the meaning of the word and connect it with a memory.

Using the example of "anxious," students would connect the word to a time they were feeling that way. Provide students with an example where vocabulary words are used differently from how they were used in the story. For example, if the story was about a child who was anxious about going to a new school, provide the students with a scenario like "I was anxious when I had to go to the doctor and get a shot."

Follow up the read-aloud with vocabulary activities and word play: For example, have students provide a sentence using the targeted vocabulary words. One activity could involve having the students act out the meaning of a word ("If you're feeling anxious, how would you look?"). Another possible activity is to display several pictures and have students identify the picture that goes with the given vocabulary word, or students provide the vocabulary word that matches a given picture. This activity targets students' receptive and expressive language skills.

Extend the lesson: This could be accomplished by incorporating questioning techniques. For example, ask the students how or when they might feel anxious, or what they could do when they feel that way. Another extension of the activity is to have students illustrate the vocabulary word or write a sentence that includes the word.

2. Graphic Organizers

Definition: Working together

Characteristics: Helping, sharing, taking turns

Examples: Building a Lego tower with a friend, helping each other clean up toys

Nonexamples: Fighting over a toy, leaving someone out of a game

One way to teach vocabulary is to use graphic organizers, which are useful for both fiction and nonfiction information and for teaching across content areas. Graphic organizers help students to organize their ideas when responding to texts or completing writing tasks. In addition, graphic organizers benefit students with recalling and transferring information. Deciding on which graphic organizer to use can be a personal preference or depend on the task. For example, a story map would be suitable for fictional text, but not necessarily useful with nonfictional text. With nonfiction text, use of a Frayer model or T-chart in optimizing vocabulary instruction makes the most sense.

T-chart: Teachers can use a T-chart for comparison of examples and nonexamples of the vocabulary word through words, pictures, or sentences.

Story map: A story map helps students to understand the elements of a story, such as characters, setting, problem, and solution, or sequential points of the story, such as beginning, middle, and end.

Frayer model: With a Frayer model, teachers help students learn vocabulary words by incorporating a student-friendly definition, characteristics, examples or synonyms, and nonexamples or antonyms. A Frayer model can be used before reading to activate background knowledge, during reading to teach new vocabulary, or after reading to assess understanding of vocabulary. For example, using the word cooperation, we can complete the Frayer model as follows:

3. Mental Imagery

Help students learn how to make a mental picture of text. First, choose text that is very descriptive. Next, read a few sentences, pause, and share your thinking by "drawing" a mental image of the sentences. Be sure to incorporate all the senses (I see..., I hear..., I smell..., etc.). Have the students share their imaginings and note their different mental images.

For more interactive practice, provide a student with an illustration that is rich in imagery and have them describe what is in the illustration, while the other students and teacher make a mental image. Then, have students share their "picture."

4. Questioning Techniques

Teach students how to predict, clarify, question, and summarize. Teacher modeling and student practice will be necessary. The use of rich language and discussion surrounding text and concepts improves children's vocabulary and comprehension.

Predict: Before reading, use the book cover or title to talk about what will happen. During reading, discuss what will happen on the next page or chapter. After reading, ask the students to say what they think will happen if the story continues. Or ask the students to rewrite their own ending.

Clarify: Clarify can be used to explain a decoding strategy or to clarify an idea or unknown meaning of a word. For example, the teacher can model this: "I know the sound of 'ch' and 'st' at the end makes it a closed syllable, so this word must be 'chest.'" An example of clarifying an idea can be modeled as such: "The main character was 'drowsy,' so he went to take a nap. 'Drowsy' must mean 'tired.'"

Question: Model for the students how to question by using the statement "I wonder ..." For example, "I wonder why the character did...," "I wonder why the author wrote this sentence...," or "I wonder why ____ happened."

Summarize: Have the students retell a story in their own words. Completing a graphic organizer, such as a story map, will help them to organize their thoughts and remember the story elements. They can refer to it when retelling the story.

All of these techniques can be modified for use with older students or emergent bilingual students. For example, older students will be able to provide elaborate written responses rather than just drawings. Older students can also be exposed to multiple meanings and tenses of vocabulary words. For emergent bilingual students, the use of gestures, real photos, objects, or drawings may help with understanding of vocabulary words. In addition, teachers can incorporate the vocabulary word in their native language to parallel the word in English.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
4 Ways to Teach Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Connecting vocabulary and reading comprehension simultaneously can engage students in active processing, improving performance in both areas.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teaching students new words can be a brief and agreeable part of the school day—providing valuable exposure to vocabulary they need to know.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
30 Meaningful Vocabulary Activities for Every Grade

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learning new words is like adding to your writing toolbox.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
But even when students are offered opportunities to speak in the classroom, a room full of tweens and teens who were chattering away in the halls moments before will often fall completely silent.

Games and playful activities are a great way to alleviate pressure, lower the stakes, and infuse joy and levity into what may be an anxiety-inducing process for some. Here is a list of 17 games to play with more advanced world language students (and, in some cases, even ELL students) that can help them use the new language they're studying.
© George Lucas Educational Foundation
Sketch and Guess: Educator Fatima Belouahi secretly assigns each of her ninth-grade students a vocabulary term. She likes to tailor her choices where possible toward terms that may spark some interest, like free speech. Students draw a representation of their term, then walk around the room challenging classmates to identify what they've drawn. It has all the fun of Pictionary but with added academic benefits backed by research: When students draw information they're learning, it can increase recall by nearly double.

Never Have I Ever: This classic game, often played at sleepovers, can take on a new life in the classroom. Kids start by holding five fingers in the air (use fewer if you're short on time). Going around the room, each student will share something they've never done. For example, "Never have I ever traveled to another country." All students who have traveled to another country put their finger down, then share a brief story related to that experience, writes Gantenhammer. Then the cycle restarts. Once a student has put down all of their fingers, they're out.

Affirmative/Negative: Write a series of questions on the board that you might normally answer with a simple yes or no, like "Do you know how to make pancakes?," "Can you ride a bike?," or "Will you be taking the bus home from school today?" Next, let the class know that they cannot respond with yes or no, and that shaking their head or nodding doesn't count either. Go around the room, asking each student to find a way to answer your question, and see what they come up with. (Sourced from Making English Fun.)

Who's Telling the Truth?: On their own piece of paper, each student will write down their name and three facts about themselves that none of their classmates know. Choose three students to come to the front of the room, and choose one of the student's facts to read aloud. Next, the investigation commences.

"All three claim that the fact is theirs, and the class then proceeds to question them in an attempt to determine who is telling the truth and who is lying," Gantenhammer writes. Each student can pose one question to only one of the three students, then the class has to collaborate to figure out who is telling the truth.

Draw It Back to Me: In pairs, while one student covers their eyes with their hands, the other will draw a picture on a piece of paper. Simple imagery is ideal, like a flower or some fruit. Next, the artist will try to describe what the other student must now draw an exact replica of, but without showing the original sketch.

A student might instruct their partner to draw a strawberry cut into three pieces or a flower with five petals and a stem, but will the petals be the right shape? Will the stem be the right length? Should the flower be small, medium, or large? At the end, the pair can compare and contrast, discussing what they might've intentionally said instead to produce identical images and practicing their ability to be descriptive in their target language in the process. (Sourced from Making English Fun.)

Pick-a-Trait: This game works best a ways into the year when students have gotten to know each other, writes educator Susan Verner for Busy Teacher.In a hat or small bag, collect a bunch of slips of paper each listing a character trait like happy, funny, brave, and loyal. Have each student pick a trait out of the bag, select a student they think possesses that trait, and give an example of why. Students not only get to practice speaking but also can build stronger relationships with each other.

Guess The Secret Word: Start by assigning random topics and unrelated secret words to each student. For example, the topic could be "My favorite hobby" and the secret word could be "Pineapple." The students' mission? To stealthily embed their random word within a speech they'll deliver to their peers without raising any suspicions as to what the word may be. The rest of the class become detectives, Gantenhammer writes, listening intently and then guessing the hidden piece of vocabulary.

The 5-Second Rule: This is a classic game of word association that will keep your class on their toes, writes Ewa Stoklosa, English language teaching content manager at ESL Brains. After receiving a category-like subjects in school or modes of transportation-a student has five seconds to brainstorm and shout out three related things that fall under that category. If they succeed, and the class decides their answers fit the category, they get a point. You can divide the class in half or into small groups, then see who gets the most points before a timer runs out.

Castaways: Each student starts by drawing an item-anything from an umbrella or a pizza to a bouquet of flowers. Encourage students to get creative, writes Gantenhammer. Collect the drawings, then pass them back out, ensuring that no student receives their own.

Next, tell the class that they are no longer students but castaways on a deserted island. On top of that, only half of them will be able to survive. All they have to their name is what is drawn on the piece of paper in front of them. Each student now has to justify their survival to their fellow islanders based on their item.

Can You Guess Who?: Compile the names of famous historical figures or celebrities in a hat. One student draws a name; then, with a partner, in small groups, or as a whole class, they'll answer yes or no questions that help their peers guess their identity.

A fun riff on this activity starts with students putting a Post-it note on their forehead with a vocabulary word or tidbit of information on it-like an animal or a profession. Ensure that students cannot see what is written on their Post-it. Students then walk around the room asking questions of their classmates to find out who or what they are. (Sourced from Making English Fun.)

True or False: Randomly assign students to share a true story, or a completely fabricated story, with their classmates. One by one, they'll take their place as storytellers, and afterward, classmates vote to determine their tale's legitimacy. Gantenhammer suggests letting students question the storyteller for clues to extend the activity.

A Shared Story: Collaborative storytelling is a great way to help students practice speaking, listening, and building off the contributions of others, according to educators from Grand Canyon University. You can start the story off with a single line, have a student start, or even employ ChatGPT for a little inspiration. For example: At the stroke of midnight, a talking cat appeared outside Tim's window, inviting him to a magical party that only animals knew about. From there, each student takes a turn adding another line to the story.

Coffeepot: This game is perfect for a class that needs a bit of extra practice with their grammar. Randomly select a student and assign them a verb, like dance. To guess the word, the class builds a body of clues based on questions they ask using the word coffeepot as a placeholder for the secret verb. For example, If it were raining outside, would you still coffeepot? Where are some places that are perfect locations to coffeepot? Are any celebrities good at coffeepotting?

"The verbs that work best in this game are those that refer to what people (or animals) do and that are intransitive (e.g., it is fairly easy to guess the verb swim but not necessarily the verb use)," writes Stoklosa.

Impromptu Improv: After brainstorming a bunch of different prompts for an interaction-like a host of a game show instructing a contestant or a detective interrogating a suspect-write them all down on slips of paper and put them into a hat. In pairs or small groups, have students pick out a scenario and play out the roles.

The activity could stop there, but in Belouahi's classroom, students coauthor a script for the role-play, use arts and craft materials to make props, and film their scenes on their cell phones. The final product is seen only by the students and Belouahi, which alleviates some pressure and empowers students to take more risks as they grapple with vocabulary in unexpected ways.

Four Corners: At the 2022 Elementary and Secondary Education Act Conference (ESEA), Title 1 Academic Language Coach Amy Gilliam and her colleagues shared a variety of oral language protocols and collaboration activities that can help increase engagement. Four Corners is one of them.

This activity works best in a classroom where there's room for students to freely walk back and forth. Designate each corner of the room with a letter: A, B, C, and D. Next, ask a multiple choice question, and have students walk to the corner of the room that reflects which answer they think is correct. With their fellow classmates who chose the same answer, the small groups will discuss why they think they're right. Offer a little help by way of sentence starters where needed. In a whole class discussion, students can chime in and defend their decision before you reveal the correct answer.
© George Lucas Educational Foundation
Fortune Teller: Paper fortune tellers might be a nostalgic throwback for some students, but in this game they're a quick way to spark deep and engaging conversations. The outermost flaps will be marked with colors, then numbers, while the innermost flaps conceal a question that students will discuss in the target language. During a lesson on social media and cancel culture, Belouahi's students answered questions like "What is cancel culture?" and "How can someone behave badly online?"

In pairs, one student operates the fortune teller while the other student chooses a color and spells it aloud ("Green, G-R-E-E-N"), then a number ("Four, F-O-U-R"). They choose one more number, which determines the flap to lift and reveals the question that the pair will discuss. For free customizable templates, search online with the keywords "editable fortune teller template."

First One, Then Many: Pass out index cards to each student in the class with an image, vocabulary word, or short phrase on them. Ask students to form small groups with peers who have a card connected to theirs. For example, a card with the word cow, another with a picture of a milk carton, and one with a picture of grass may form a group. The newly formed group should collaborate to come up with an explanation for why their cards are all linked and defend it to the teacher. (Sourced from Amy Gilliam, Angie Jones, Lara Randby, and Denise Zawada.)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
17 Fun Games to Get World Language Learners Talking

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When learning a new language, speaking in front of peers can be daunting. These games can help alleviate pressure and lower the stakes for students.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The wide scope of topics typically covered in intermediate to high-level world language classes requires students to master a lot of meaningful new terms. Given the time constraints students face and the virtually endless number of relevant lexical items, teachers often struggle to integrate vocabulary-developing activities into their daily practice. The problem becomes even more serious when we consider that for vocabulary instruction to be effective it needs to be not just explicit and engaging but frequent-which means running up against those time constraints repeatedly.

Developing a vocabulary deck can be a great way to keep a growing number of terms in learners' lexical repertoire. A deck is an easy-to-create resource that can be exploited in numerous ways with minimal preparation. The following activities allow teachers to promote students' vocabulary acquisition naturally by consistently drawing on different language skills-listening, speaking, reading, and writing-at the same time.

Building a Vocabulary Deck

In each print or audio text we cover in my classes, I select several keywords that are important for students to know. I add only five to eight terms at a time-early in a course there may be more new words than that in a single text, but emphasizing too many new terms at once may overwhelm most learners.

The items I select are often associated with formal contexts, and they may appear frequently in the authentic materials students deal with in class, regardless of the topic-terms such as to carry out, achievement, scarce, on average, and findings. Sometimes the terms are specific to a certain field; for these words, I try to involve students by asking them to imagine they are specialists in that field (biology, technology, art, etc.) about to travel to a country where the target language is spoken. They need to select and learn vocabulary that will be useful for them to do their work in the target culture.

I write each word on a four-by-six-inch index card in large enough letters to be read from all the way across the classroom. As the year goes on, the deck grows and is gradually purged of words that my students and I deem too easy. Still, it's valuable to keep a certain amount of unchallenging terms because they're reminders of what students know and they help keep all students engaged.

4 Vocabulary Deck Activities

1. Source retelling: I summarize out loud ideas from a source text we've covered in class, leaving out keywords that students, working in groups, need to guess. This is a more complex exercise than it may seem: Students need to use their background knowledge and their listening skills as they recall fairly complex content and mobilize their lexical knowledge, and they have to use the target language when conferring in their groups.

Once the correct answer is provided, I hold up the card for everyone to see. Since students work in groups and anyone in the class can call out an answer, the stakes are very low. As an alternative, you can designate an official speaker for each group. At the end of the class, as a review activity, I may ask one or two students to play the role of the teacher, which has the bonus of fostering a cohesive and inclusive learning community.

2. Quickfire rounds: Divided in teams of three or four members, students take turns trying to have their teammates guess as many words from the deck as possible in 30 to 60 seconds by writing a sentence with a blank space where the keyword would go. To ease anxiety, I sometimes let students skip one or two cards. Some groups may be more engaged if I keep score, but this is not always the case.

On occasion I may challenge students to make up original sentences (not definitions), and I push them to venture outside the original context and discover the potential semantic range of each term. For example, if they learn a Spanish word such as nivel (level) in a text that deals with waste management, I might require them to use the word in a sentence that deals with a different topic.

3. Whiteboard descriptions: In this activity, one or two students stand in front of the room while I display for the rest of the class a word from the deck. The group tries to lead the standing student or students to guess the word by writing definitions on their whiteboards.

This activity provides a valuable opportunity to informally assess written accuracy, especially if learners are directed to use only one specific structure or tense. With these constraints, both the student who needs to guess the word and the ones writing definitions receive repeated exposure to a certain language feature, which promotes grammatical awareness.

4. Vocabulary sweep-up: Students lay out all the cards on a table or other large surface and then take 30- to 45-second turns picking them up after using a card's word in a sentence that shows they understand the meaning of it. They use, or sweep up, as many words as they can during the allotted time. This activity can be done with groups each working on their own or as a competition between groups.

In order to get students to speak spontaneously in this activity, I may call on them randomly. If I do this, I work to reduce students' anxiety by making it clear that any inaccuracies carry little consequence as long as speakers manage to produce meaningful stretches of language.

Seeing which words are the last to be swept up shows me which vocabulary words may need to be reviewed. For students, it's often empowering to see how many words they're able to sweep up in just a few minutes.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
4 Activities to Boost Target Language Vocabulary Acquisition

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
To give his students repeated exposure to relevant vocabulary terms, the author relies on a tried-and-true tool: index cards.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
engaging and entertaining activities, games, and strategies to help your students master their vocab lists with ease. Learning is made fun with the right tools, tips, and tricks, like these listed below! Check out 17 activities, games, and strategies to teach vocabulary!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
17 Activities, Games, and Strategies to Teach Vocabulary

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
engaging and entertaining activities, games, and strategies to help your students master their vocab lists with ease. Learning is made fun with the right tools, tips, and tricks, like these listed below! Check out 17 activities, games, and strategies to teach vocabulary!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Teaching Strategies: 5 Ideas for Instructing Vocabulary - TeachHUB

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Mastering vocabulary is a goal for all elementary students, but how can a teacher help accomplish this? Try these 5 ideas for instructing vocabulary.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 Vocabulary Games to Play with ANY Vocabulary Word

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Explore 10 fun vocabulary games to make word learning engaging! Perfect for any vocabulary list. Start playing today!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Many scholars argue that we learn best when are given chances to be playful and creative with what we are learning. This article makes the case for word play and proposes variations of popular games to make word study fun, memorable, and engaging for students.

A Traditional Word Study Approach

I think we are all familiar with traditional approaches to word study-whether they are phonics, spelling, or vocabulary. In my own mind's eye, I see a list of words, usually between 10 to 20.

The task was for me and my classmates to learn the spelling and pronunciation of these words, or to look the words up in a dictionary, and write out and memorize the definitions for a test that occurred at the end of the week. This routine happened week in and week out over the course of my schooling.

I'm not sure what I learned from these exercises except that word study was a tedious, meaningless, and often boring task. Although I usually received a relatively high score on the tests, I don't have any memory of applying my work in any authentic task.

A Gaming Word Study Approach

What I do have fond memories of is getting together with family members over the holidays and getting out the old Scrabble game and spending hours upon hours playing and chatting with aunts and uncles and cousins over the Scrabble board.

In fact, my wife noticed a few years ago just how many games we play today with our family members that are word-related games-Scrabble, Boggle, Balderdash, Password, Code Word, Wheel of Fortune®, and many more.

Benefits of Word Games

If as adults we love these games that deal with words, why wouldn't students? My sense is that students would love to engage in playing with words, whether in their classrooms with their classmates and their teacher, or virtually with each other.

Additionally, you've probably noticed that if you play a game regularly over a period of time your performance usually gets better; if it's a game your score improves! Well, we have a special name for it when you get better at something over time. It's called learning! If you want students to learn words, then create opportunities for them to play with words.

Three Fun Activities for Word Play

There are ways that you can help your students play with words and, at the same time, increase their engagement with, understanding of, and appreciation for words. Here are three of my favorite activities that allow your students (and yourself) to be playful with words.

Wordo!

This vocabulary version of Bingo is a wonderful way for students to play with new words and experience the words through simultaneous use of oral and written language. Materials you will need include

a blank Wordo! card for each student

a set of 9 to 20 words (these may be words from a particular content area, words belonging to word root family, or simply words you want your students to learn)

counters or markers to mark spaces on the card

Write the words you have chosen on the board. Provide a Wordo! card for each student. Then have them choose words from the list on the board and write one word in each of the remaining boxes. Students choose whatever box they wish for each word.

The teacher or prompter states or reads a clue for each word. The clue can be a definition, a synonym, an antonym, or a sentence with the target word deleted. Students need to figure out the correct target word and mark its space. When a student has a full a row, column, diagonal, or four corners marked, he or she calls out, "Wordo!"

Check the student's words and declare that student the winner or continue game play. Once a winner is declared, have students clear their sheets and play another round. The winner of the first game can be the one to call out clues.

Word Ladders

A Word Ladder is an activity in which you lead students to writing a series of words. Each new word is based off an alteration of the previous word (add a letter, remove a letter, change a letter, reorder the letters, etc.). In my own version of Word Ladders, the first and last words are somehow related. As the teacher, you lead your students through the process of making the list of words, giving them meaning and word structure cues along the way.

Here's an example of a Word Ladder (ideal for November) that begins with the word thanks and ends with the word grateful.

Start with:

As a bonus, once you reach the final word grateful, you can tell your students that the word root grat/grac means thanks. Then challenge them to come up words, beside grateful, that contain this root and that refer to the concept of thanks

grace

gracious

gratuity

congratulate

gratuity

ingrate

gracias

It is truly not that difficult to make your own Word Ladders (nor is it a requirement that the first and last words connect in some way). Indeed, after completing Word Ladders for a while, your students themselves can be challenged to make their own. On my website, I have several Word Ladders that I have written and that go with different times during the school year.

Be the Bard

We all know that Shakespeare was a prolific writer of plays and poetry. What is less well known is that the Bard was an inventor of new words. In fact, approximately 10% of all the words Shakespeare ever used in his writing were words that he invented. Words such as premeditated, inaudible, skim milk, bedroom, lackluster, eyeball, and downstairs were all introduced into English by Shakespeare. If you look closely at these words, you'll notice that several of them are compound words. He took words or roots that already existed and combined them with one another to make new words and concepts. It seems to me that if you want to become proficient in English, Shakespeare is pretty good guy to study and emulate. If Shakespeare can invent words, why shouldn't our students? And they can!

I have found that if you use a roots approach to teaching words (teaching and learning words that are derived primarily from Greek and Latin roots) students can easily combine roots they have studied to make new words and concepts. Here are just few words, and their meanings, that students have invented.

benemater: bene = good; mater = mother A good mother

philaphone: phil= love; phon(e) = sound A love of sounds (music lover)

teleterra: tele: distant; terra = land A distant land

Be the Bard is a great way to encourage creativity and divergent thinking in students. Once students invent a word, you can have them challenge their classmates to come up with the meaning of the words. If classmates know their roots, they usually can determine the meaning of the new words. Having students create words can be challenging at first, but with practice it is amazing how good students can become at making up words. And, who knows? Perhaps, like Shakespeare, some of the words students invent may actually become part of the English language!

When our students are given chances to be playful and creative with what they are learning, whether it is science, baseball, or words, they are more likely to enjoy and retain that learning. Let's make word study joyful and engaging for all students with word play and word study games.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Playing with Words: Word Study Games to Engage Students

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Use these three engaging vocabulary games to invite students to play with words and have fun with word study.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Activity #1: Options:

Use the Lexicon Resource to select and complete a specific number of the 31 activities listed. Consider allowing learners to choose.

General Lexicon Elements - based on Marzano's Six Steps

Find your word and step it out.
Color code what it's all about.
Blend it, say it, make it complete
Repeat it together, don't skip a beat.
What's our word?
Say it again.
Now let's clap it.
Now let's stomp it.
Now let's whisper it.
Now let's spell it.

Pair learners up.

Learners clap hands together for consonants and lap clap for vowels.

Put hands in the air at the end as you say the word.
:

Create Word cards that may be cut in half. (See Template)Preprint or have learners write selected vocabulary on the cards. Precut or have learners cut. Collect and distribute randomly. Have learners find the other half of their word card. Have pairs line up and share their word with the group.

Spelling Karate

Using classroom vocabulary words learners will stand and extend arms upward for consonants and do leg lifts for vowels.
Move feet alternately back and forth in front.

Pretend a chalkboard is in front of you.

Write each letter on the chalkboard. Make the letters large.

When you are finished with each word you can pretend to erase it.

Hint: If teacher is leading from the front of the room he/she will have to form letters backwards.

Pretend to be lifting weights, one rep for each letter. You must strain to get each letter up.

Pretend to mount the barbell on the stand and sound exhausted as you say the word at the end.

Activity #10: Surfin' & Spellin'

Start out by getting on a surf board,

Sing:
Let's go spellin'
Everybody's learning now
Come and spell it with me!
Then while we're surfing we say the letters of the word!

Learners create an ongoing Word Wall with synonyms for overused words.
1. Brainstorm commonly overused words such as good, bad, said, happy,
pretty, saw, big, nice, little, etc.

2. Make a display with pockets for each word. Have learners find and write
synonyms on slips provided that may be put in the appropriate pocket.
This is ongoing and words may be added throughout the year.

3. Direct learners to use the Word Wall to find synonyms that fit into their
writing or speaking.

4. Option: Create Personal Pocket Thesaurus - learner creates an individual
thesaurus for these words. Click on link for printable documents. To see
example go to Elementary Word Wall Photo Gallery)
Example:
Activity #12:
Learners participate in creating a word wall by finding words, filling out a Learner Word Wall Form and adding it to the Word Wall. The words may be related to a specific book or content area.
Learner Word Wall Form- Click on link for printable document. If you are using the form on your SmartBoard or iPad, the dictionary links are active to access the online resources in English and foreign languages.
This may be used to create a vocabulary lexicon resource on iPads, Notebooks, etc.

Interactive Word Wall Activities:
Mystery Word
Teacher selects a word on the wall and gives five clues to that word.

For each mystery word have learners number their paper 1-5. Tell them that you are going to see who can read your mind and figure out which of the words is the mystery word. Tell them you will give them five clues. After each clue they are to write the word they think it is by that clue number. By the fifth clue, everyone should guess your word, but if they read your mind, they might get it before the fifth clue.

For your first clue, always give the same clue:
"It's one of the words on the word wall."

Learners should write the word they think it might be next to number one.

The second clue is:
It has# of letters.

Student writes word.

The third clue is:
It begins with a ____________. ( e.g. a digraph ph.)

Student writes word

The fourth clue is:
It has a ___________sound. ( e.g. short e vowel)

Student writes the word.

The fifth clue is:
It begins the sentence: (e.g. ________will lunch be ready?) Word: When

"I know you all have word next to number 5, what is it? But who has it next to number 4?, 3?, 2?, 1?" Some learners will have read your mind and be excited to have 'read your mind' so quickly.

After you do several words and learners get familiar with this activity, allow them to be the one giving the clues. Websites for Ideas:

Word Wall 101 2:39 min. Teacher demonstrates how to make a content word wall that displays and stores easily.

Word Wall Activities - Classroom activities plus suggestions for at home

http://www.vocabulary.co.il/ - 1000 Free online Vocabulary learning games - includes English language, foreign language, MS/HS Word Wall Activities and Resources Lessons: Activity #1: Activity #2: LEXICON: 4 Steps: (Leader may use one of the following methods:

1. Student leader finds the word in a dictionary.

2. Provide individual dictionaries.

3. Display dictionary page on interactive board.

4. Access on media device.

1. Write the word.

2. Define the word.

3. Find synonyms.

4. Find antonyms.

Activity #3:
"Vocab on the Move"

1. Make cards of vocabulary words.

2. Tape one to each student's back.

3. Directions: Walk around the room and ask your classmates.
What is a synonym for me?
What is an antonym for me?
Give me an example of me.
Give me an example of something I'm not. What is a definition of me.

4. Use your clues to figure out your vocabulary word.

Activity #4:
Brainstorm words/phrases that are synonymous or use the vocabulary word.

Activity #5:
Create a list of words associated with the vocabulary word.
For example:
Activity #6:
Complete at least three. Activity #7:"Words in Action"
synonyms
antonyms
descriptors
People/Organizations

Define the word.

What do you notice about the word.
a. # of letters
b. # of consonants, vowels

Create a math problem with the #'s.

Use the word in a meaningful sentence.

Write all parts of speech for the word.

Analyze for root word, prefixes, suffixes.

Brainstorm words that describe how ________looks, sounds, and/or feels. In pairs create a list of 10 words that describe the vocabulary word.
Join another pair, share lists, and add any new words. Join another group of 4 and repeat. The end result will be a list to be posted in the room for use and reflection.

Activity #8:
Create a crossword puzzle.
For making online: Criss Cross Puzzle Maker - once words and clues are entered a finished puzzle is created that may be printed or may be copied and pasted into another document.
To make other puzzle types online, go to Free Puzzlemaker by Discovery Education Select the type of puzzle and it will take you to instruction for creating it online.

Activity #9:
Learners participate in creating a word wall finding words and filling out a Learner Word Wall Form adding it to the Word Wall. The words may be related to a specific book or content area.
Website Resources: http://www.vocabulary.co.il/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9eDgcMZdf4 3:43 min. Literacy in Physical Education: Word Wall - middle school ESL vocabulary, and literature games. Choose from myriad of word games - play on iPad, notebook, computer The Marinette Middle School Physical Education teachers begin their classes by dovetailing Fitness and Spelling. Students run and touch letters of the alphabet (painted on the gymnasium walls) to spell a sport-specific word relevant to the Unit being taught. 1000 Free Vocabulary learning games - includes English language, foreign language, ESL vocabulary, and literature games. Choose from myriad of word games - play on iPad, notebook, computer
Learner Word Wall Form- Click on link for printable document. If you are using the form on your SmartBoard or iPad, the dictionary links are active to access the online resources in English and foreign languages.
This may be used to create an ongoing vocabulary lexicon resource on iPads, Notebooks, etc.

Literature:
Top 10 Books Kids are Reading" vocabulary - Some books are clearly favorites for students and teachers alike, showing up in classrooms around the country. We've identified the Top 10 books that educators are assigning, with links to carefully curated vocabulary lists that will help guide students through these literary delights.

Word Wall: Secondary Edition video - 2:22 min. This lessoncast shows how to integrate word walls as an interactive visual resource to build conceptual understanding and reinforce vocabulary at the secondary level. Contains visual ideas.

Teacher net Word Strategies - Word Wall Activities

Education World: Word Wall Activities Build Skills

Five Word Wall Activities to help reinforce vocabulary

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
MS/HS Word Wall Activities And Resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Activity #1: Options: Use the Lexicon Resource to select and complete a specific number of the 31 activities listed. Consider allowing learners to choose. General Lexicon Elements - based on Marzano's Six Steps Find your word and step it out. Color code what it's all about.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
21 Effective Learning Games for ELA Classes

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Developing students’ language skills can be more engaging with games that address vocabulary, grammar, speaking, listening, reading, and writing.