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You are welcome to print copies for non-commercial use, or a limited number for educational purposes, as long as credit is given to Reading Rockets and the author(s). For commercial use, please contact the author or publisher listed.

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Playing games is a great way to provide additional practice with early reading skills. Here are six games parents or tutors can use to help young readers practice word recognition, spelling patterns, and letter-sound knowledge.

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Games to Support Engaged Literacy Learning - World Literacy

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Games offer authentic and often invisible ways of assessing literacy learning. Providing a variety of culminated resources to support literacy learning, this article offers real-world opportunities to engage students. Literacy Learning:

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Three Classroom Games for Literacy Learning and Laughter – Choice Literacy

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I know that time is precious in classrooms, so any time we can find or invent games that reinforce instruction or skills, I try to pass them along. The following games are old family favorites that can be used in classrooms for a variety of lessons or when students and teachers need a break from normal routines.

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Wordplay Poems in Your Classroom • Laura Purdie Salas

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Last week, I taught all week at Success Beyond the Classroom’s Young Authors Conference in the Twin Cities in Minnesota. I love this event every year. It’s an opportunity for me to lead the same writing workshop 12 times in a row with 4th-8th graders, mostly kids who are strong, enthusiastic writers. This year, I […]

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Vocabulary word games to play with middle schoolers- Word Work, Vocabulary Diction. All of these terms make learning new words so borrring! That's why these 5 word games to play with middle schoolers will make your ELA class a lot more engaging.

Vocabulary study can get boring or overwhelming for students. So, allowing them to play with words, helps them to retain the words and have fun at the same time.

The Power of Words and Games

When I think about words, I think about their power. I think about how words help us to express ourselves. I think about the types of stories and poetry I can create using these words.

As a writer, I think about how I like to play with words. I think about how I like to put together words into different combinations like alliterations or metaphors or even oxymorons. So when, I think about teaching kids vocabulary, I really think about teaching them how to play with words. As a teacher, I feel that when we teach our kids the magic of word choice, students learn the power of clarity.

Kids love to play games. So when I teach vocabulary, I try to think of as many word games to play with middle schoolers as I can. Word study takes a lot of repetition just like any other type of learning. So, if we can make learning new words fun for our kids, they learn to love words as much as we do.

Word Game 1: Act out the words

One word game to play is to get students to pair up and act out the words. One partner acts out the word, and the other partner tries to guess what the word is. They record each word they guess correctly on a worksheet or in a form on Google drive. This makes students accountable while they play with words.

Once they have practiced with one partner, they can switch to a different partner, and do all the words again. (Usually, I have students work on 5-10 new words per week.)

By using more than one sense of seeing and saying the word or just reading the word, the students are activating their amygdala, which controls part of the pleasure center of the brain. Coming up with hand motions or actions is fun, awkward and will lead to a lot of noise, but students will be learning words faster and easier. Make sure students know what you want them to do, and you set a time limit. This will be a productive lesson, and it can also build a positive classroom community.

Word Game 2: Describe the word using the 5 senses

Another word game to play with middle schoolers is through description. Have students write their word, and try to describe it using the five senses. For example, for the word "occurrence," the student would think about an event that happened to them and use the five senses to describe this occurrence. They should use the word about three times at least in their description. This may be repetitious, but it helps them to think about ways to use the word "occurrence" in sentences.

A variation of this word game might be to have the students describe the word using the five senses without using the word in the paragraph. Then, a partner has to guess what the word is. Do a couple of words a day with this, not all of them.

Word Game 3: The Mirror Game

In this word game, you facilitate the learning of the new words. Introduce a new word and give it a hand signal or action. Then, have students mirror what you say and do. Get them to practice this word, its signal and definition over and over again for 30 seconds as they mirror you. Then, have them practice the same word with a partner, mirroring each other.

Once students have practiced this for 30 seconds, go onto a new word. I learned this technique from Chris Biffle and Whole Brain Teaching. Middle schoolers often feel silly doing this, so it's important that everyone is doing it and that you laugh along with them. Tell them that it is okay to laugh and that by participating they will all get 100s on their next vocabulary test. You could even give them a pretest first, so they can see the improvements they make after playing this game. I use this often, click on this blog post to see how I used it with Black Ships Before Troy.

Word Game 4: Quizzers and Quizzees

This word game for middle schoolers will have them lining up. I use either a double line up or inside-outside circle. One line of students (or the outer circle) will be what I call the "Quizzees." The other line of students or the inner circle will be the "Quizzers"." move when you yell, "Switch," which signals them to switch partners. The other line stays put. The line that does not move are called the "Quizzers." They give the word to the moving line, whom I call the "Quizzees." Quizzees tell what the word means and uses it in a sentence. Let students do this for four or five words before you yell "switch" and the moving line moves down one person. The Quizzers keep giving the words on the list. After the line of students has gotten back to their original partners, have the "Quizzees" become the "Quizzers."

Word Game 5: Alliteration Agility

Yes, I just made that Vocabulary word game to play with students - Word Work, Vocabulary Diction. All of these terms make learning new words so borrring! That's why these 5 word games to play with middle schoolers will make your ELA class a lot more engaging. up for this game, right now, as I am writing this. I used a word list of nouns that start with "a" to help me out. However, we can have students do the same thing with new words. What two words could be paired together with alliteration and still make sense? You have to be pretty agile to do that!

Put students in two teams, have them write as many alliterative pairs that make sense as they can on the board. You could even have them do a relay race, where students of each team have to pass on the marker to someone else on their team who is waiting in line. The other team mates could be looking up alliterative pairings. You could also do this same activity with rhyming words.

Click here to find out more about editable vocab activities and word games for middle schoolers.

For more word games to play with middle schoolers and EDITABLE vocabulary activities for interactive notebooks or learning centers, click here in my TPT store.

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Vocabulary Word Games to Play with Middle Schoolers - www.teach2write.com

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Vocabulary word games to play with middle schoolers- Word Work, Vocabulary Diction. All of these terms make learning new words so borrring! That's why these 5 word games to play with middle schoolers will make your ELA class a lot more engaging. When I think about words, I think about their power.

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If kids (and some adults) had it their way, they'd play games all day. Fortunately, fun word games - targeted toward growing literacy - can help a lot when it comes to developing kids' reading and writing skills.

As they play, kids can grow their vocabulary by pronouncing and learning to spell each new word. You'll notice their confidence increases and its positive effect on their schoolwork. What could be better?

To benefit from your child's love for play, make educational games a regular part of your family time. Older and younger kids benefit from these games, too. You'll be impressed by the number of new words they learn.

Throughout this post, we'll cover how word games help your kids, offer several games to choose from, and outline how Prodigy supports your child with game-based learning.

Ready to get started?

Below, we've outlined how word games offer great value to kids.

Key benefits of word games for kids

Educational games are a boon for parents and kids. Not only do these games occupy young minds, they support literacy in a fun way. Word games make learning nouns and other parts of speech enjoyable.

Let's explore how word games benefit your kids:

Boosts kids' ability to concentrate and focus on learning.

Cultivates problem-solving skills. Kids learn to approach problems logically and come up with solutions to help them win the game.

Increases vocabulary and memory. An improved memory enables kids to recall vocabulary and build upon what they've learned.

Improves spelling and reading skills. They can practice spelling and advance their reading comprehension through daily game-playing.

Playing games makes kids happy. It's the perfect time for them to socialize, especially if they're enjoying educational games with siblings or friends.

Word games can offer categories to expand vocabulary. Examples of categories include colors, shapes, sounds, drawings, animals, family, and friends.

Word games provide a great way for families to bond while relishing games that promote literacy.

Online word games

Online word games serve a greater purpose than most parents realize. Start using these games at an earlier age to:

Build reading skills. Word games can help lay the foundation to grow their comprehension skills further.

Help your child's developing brain process information faster. Games challenge your child to keep up with fast-paced apps.

Teach your child how to strategize and adapt to changes with complex games. These are transferable skills for problem-solving and future career opportunities.

Develop confidence and promote teamwork.

Learn compassion, empathy, and kindness. Well-being apps provide the perfect framework to enhance their emotional development.

Stay current in the digital world by playing new games. Learning how to use devices and computers at an early age prepares your child for school and their career.

Here's a list of several games geared toward different age groups. There's something here for everyone:

Best for: 1st to 5th grade

Prodigy Education's newest adventure invites children to build reading and language skills in a fun, adaptive environment. Every question kids answer gives them more energy for building objects, earning coins and creating a world of their very own!

As your child plays and learns, you can follow along with their progress in your free parent account.

Best for: Older kids, 6th grade and up

Wordsmith uses a tile board where 2 to 4 players come up with words within a time limit. You can get a score preview before you make a move. Whoever earns the most points, wins the game.

Use your Android or iPhone to play this game.

Best for: Ages 3 to 6

An adorable cartoon character, Princess Presto, demonstrates how to pronounce letters such as "z" and "oo" to spell the word "zoo". She offers basic instruction and delivers positive encouragement to children as they develop phonemic awareness.

Best for: 1st to 3rd grade

Word Ladder incorporates music to make this basic and entertaining game fun. It teaches kids how to write simple words based on an accompanying image. It's a terrific game to build your child's vocabulary skills.

Best for: Kindergarten to 8th grade

Vocabulary Spelling City created this amazing app to teach kids how to spell and boost their vocabulary. Students choose one letter at a time from a list to spell words. Fun!

Best for: Older kids, 6th grade and up

Word Scramble invites kids to take a selection of vowels and constants to spell a word. For example, rearrange the letters "BCRMALES" to spell "SCRAMBLE". This game is perfect for older kids who enjoy an amusing challenge.

Best for: 3rd grade and up

Challenge your kids' knowledge by playing this educational puzzle game. Choose puzzles from different categories, like television shows, animals, food & drink, and movies for children.

You can play this game on your computer, tablet, or phone. If you prefer to go offline, you can print the games to enjoy with your family.

Best for: Pre-K to 6th grade

ABCya Letter Blocks boasts fun spelling games for kids across a broad age range. You'll find a bunch of cool games like Alphabats and Koala Paddle Boards. Kids can make their own puzzles, too.

Best for: 1st to 6th grade

The British Council created this multi-purpose website to help kids grow their reading, vocabulary, spelling, and listening skills. Wordshake has a 16-letter grid where kids make up words in three minutes or less.

Best for: Children with substantial vocabulary, 6th grade and up

Parents and kids can have a lot of fun filling out crossword puzzles and quizzes. Energize family time with an entertaining yet competitive game to boost vocabulary.

Best for: Ages 3-5

Word World excels at preparing children for school. They learn how to recognize and use letters to create words, vocabulary development, and emotional wellbeing. All episodes focus on a fun journey interrupted by an issue that can be solved with one word.

Looking for more games? We've got you covered! These 20 online browser games will keep your child engaged and motivated to learn.

Traditional word games

Almost everyone has played a classic word game using a pen and paper. Some of the most beloved word games benefit kids' English fluency, deepen vocabulary and enhance writing skills. Best of all, these word games are portable!

Best for: Preschool to 3rd grade

The I Spy game encourages kids to learn how to take turns to speak without interruptions. It's a great social skill-builder for kids of all ages.

I Spy works perfectly as a multiplayer game. One person chooses an object and prompts the others to guess the correct answer. For example, they start with, "I spy with my little eye... something thin and yellow". When someone guesses the answer is a pencil, that person wins the game.

Best for: 1st to 6th grade

Crossword puzzles make learning new words more fun. They're a great way to build vocabulary and boost spelling skills. Printable crossword puzzles come in various themes, including antonyms, dental health, state capitals, chemistry, and other neat topics.

Best for: 1st to 6th grade

An alternative and less problematic alternative to Hangman, Spaceman follows the same rules and uses easy to draw shapes.

In this version of the pen-and-paper game, you try to find the missing letters that make up a word. When you have enough letters, guess the correct word before the spaceship is complete.

Best for: Preschool to 8th grade

Word searches help kids learn to spell, enhance productivity, develop social skills and build problem-solving abilities.

Click here to find word search puzzles based on your child's grade level. These printable worksheets will entertain your child while improving their concentration and spelling skills.

Best for: Ages 3-7

The Shopping List board game enables children to develop memory skills and promote observational or social abilities. Created for two or more players, kids shop against other players. Whoever grabs everything on their list first wins the game.

Best for: Ages 4 and up

Parents, get your kids interested in playing with fruit! This board encourages kids to find and put together two identical fruit halves. The first person to have the most whole fruits wins!

Tutti Frutti's strengths include focus, concentration and speed. Your child will love this lively game.

Best for: Grades 1 to 6

Letter Ladders need two players or more. If you don't have a whiteboard at home, a pen and paper work great.

Start by writing words like "hope" at the top. Ask your kids to change one letter at a time to add new words in a column. So, if you wrote "hope", the next word could be "rope". Begin shifting letters to come up with new words like "ripe" or "knife" to add to your list of words.

Letter ladders enhance focus, literacy, observation spelling and vocabulary skills.

Best for: 1st to 6th grade

Broken Telephone works best when you have three or more players. It's a fun game for the whole family that encourages kids to listen carefully, be patient and take turns.

Select one person to come up with a word or short phrase like "what's for dinner" or "silence is golden". Start by whispering the phrase in the next person's ear. If they misunderstood the phrase, it cannot be repeated to them. Keep whispering the same phrase until you arrive at the last person who repeats the phrase as they heard it.

Be prepared for a lot of laughs when words come out wrong!

9. Think Pink

Best for: Ages 4 and up

Show your kids how to come up with rhyming pairs like "blue dew" or "owl towel". The words don't need to have similar spelling. They just need to sound alike.

Rhyming promotes language development, listening, and writing skills. Oh, and it's a lot of fun!

10. Words in Words

Best for: 1st grade and up

Distribute a pencil and paper to each player. Select one person to come up with a word. Each player must write that word at the top of their paper. The object of the game focuses on taking letters from the keyword and coming up with new words. The person with the most words wins the game.

Vocabulary games

Vocabulary games make a world of difference in your child's life. Begin working with them at an early age to enhance their learning throughout their school years.

Here's a list of benefits associated with vocabulary games:

Increased memory

Improved problem-solving skills

A great confidence boost

Learn spelling rules, grammar, and, of course, vocabulary

It's fun and motivates kids want to continue learning

We've found ten vocabulary games you can enjoy at home.

1. Word association

Best for: Ages 6+

Basic word association games start with one word. Ask your child to come up with a word that comes to mind. If possible, it should connect to the keyword. You can find keywords from categories like food, hobbies, sports, colors, and countries.

There are many word association games to choose from:

Each of these games promotes literacy and an increased vocabulary.

2. Pyramid

Best for: 1st to 8th grade

Pyramid requires several players to make it a fun game for your family. It promotes team-building, cooperation and increases your child's vocabulary.

To play this game, divide the members of your household into teams. One person on each team draws a pyramid and adds six categories in three rows - one at the top, two in the middle and three on the bottom - to create a triangle shape.

Whoever holds the pyramid must give clues to their teammates so they can guess the correct category. You'll receive a point for each correct guess.

For example, if the category is things that fly, the clue giver could choose to give hints such as:

The goal is to have your team correctly guess as many categories in the pyramid as possible.

Remember to impose a time limit based on your child's age.

3. Synonym

Best for: 1st to 6th grade and ESL students

Synonyms help kids to achieve a greater understanding of words with similar meanings.

Use a paper and pen to write a short list of five to ten words. Instruct your child to write a word with a similar definition beside the keyword.

Best for: 1st to 4th grades, multiple players of 3 or more

Use a beach ball or a soft cube toy to tape words to the sides of the object. These words can be a synonym, adjective, or a noun. On one side of the cube or ball, paste "use this word in a sentence".

Toss the ball to your child and whichever side comes up, he/she should answer the question. If your child answers correctly, they can throw the ball or cube to someone else in the group. Should your child answer incorrectly, they're removed from the game and asked to observe. The last person standing wins!

Best for: 4th to 12th grade

You can use Scrabble to accompany this version of the game. Use letter tiles to come up with several words and write their scores on a score sheet. Make this a true vocabulary game by asking your child to use each word in a sentence.

Best for: 1st to 6th grade

This vocabulary-building exercise works well to help children understand words as they're used in sentences.

Before you read a book to your child, write three new words for them. Ask them to write down their interpretation of the word's meaning.

When you're done reading, ask your child if he/she has a better understanding of that word now that they've heard it used in a sentence.

My Word Meaning builds comprehension and makes vocabulary studies more clear.

Best for: 1st to 12th grade

Go Fish remains a popular card game played by generations. But there's a way to turn this game into one that challenges kids with new words.

Write five to 15 words that your child is not familiar with. Give each member of your family an even number of cards. As each person draws a card, one player asks a question such as "do you have a word that means "happy"? If not, they're told, "Go Fish".

The first person to come up with the most correct words wins.

Best for: 3rd to 12th grade

Picabulary offers an effective way to build vocabulary. Invite your kids and their friends to join the fun.

Divide your group into 2 or 3 small teams. Choose one person in each team to make drawings on a tablet, whiteboard, or a large piece of paper.

Start the game with one word. The artist attempts to draw the word without using letters or numbers. The first team to shout the correct word wins the game.

Best for: 1st to 12th grade

Everyone loves playing checkers! Incorporating vocabulary adds a creative spin to this classic game.

Print a checkerboard and use playing pieces such as coins, bingo tokens or small toy statues. Each person should fill out a vocabulary word on their checkerboards. If a member of your family doesn't use the word correctly in a sentence, they cannot make their move.

Best for: Kindergarten to 8th grade

Here's a rewarding game that connects meaning between words and pictures. Your kids can draw visual representations of a few new words using paper and colored pencils. When two or more kids partner together, they attempt to define those words and use them in a sentence.

Family word board games

Make family game night more exciting when you try a variety of educational board games. Your kids will be too busy having fun to notice they're getting a valuable vocabulary lesson.

Below, you'll find the top five picks for family word board games:

Best for: Ages 8 and up

Scrabble works best when you have two to four players. The game requires the use of letter tiles and a grid board comprising 15x15 squares. Each player uses tiles to create words. To win the game, someone must have all of their tiles on the board.

Best for: Ages 12 and up

Boggle has 16 lettered dice that you shake and allow to settle into each compartment. Using a three-minute timer, each player records the number of words they find on paper. The catch is they can't use the same cube twice.

Hasbro makes another version of this game for preschoolers called Boggle Junior. Kids develop spelling, sorting, and concentration skills.

Best for: Ages 8 and up

You don't need artistic abilities to enjoy this hilarious game. Select one person to make a drawing and everyone else has to figure out if the drawing is a person or a curious object.

Pictionary adds fun to developing drawing skills and vocabulary.

Best for: Ages 13 and up

Players must think fast as they work against a sand timer. Each person writes answers from various categories that begin with a specific letter determined by rolling the dice. Kids are great at coming up with hilarious answers. The more answers each player has, the more points they receive.

Best for: Ages 7 and up

This sweet little game comes with a banana-shaped pouch with letter tiles. Players work quickly to form many words to build a word grid. The first person who uses all of their tiles achieves "Top Banana" status.

You can find these board games at big box stores or smaller retailers that cater to children's books and toys.

Game-based learning for literacy and vocabulary

Kids love playing fun games. When you devote time to game-based learning or play-based learning, your child learns critical thinking skills, motivation and goal-setting. You'll notice their confidence increases as they gain a handle on vocabulary and literacy.
Want more ways to encourage your child to love learning? Try Prodigy English!
Kids can explore an open world as they create items, earn coins and meet new characters. Every time they correctly answer a reading or language question, they'll gain more energy to use as they create a world of their very own.

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36 Fun Word Games for Kids To Help with Vocabulary & Literacy

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If kids (and some adults) had it their way, they'd play games all day. Fortunately, fun word games - targeted toward growing literacy - can help a lot when it comes to developing kids' reading and writing skills. As they play, kids can grow their vocabulary by pronouncing and learning to spell each new word.

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15 No-Prep Time-Killer Games for Large Classes - Oscar Lessons

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All these fun time-killer games can be used for large classes of children, teens, or even fun-loving adults.

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Engaging games support student understanding of subject-specific vocabulary and help ensure retention of content knowledge.

Subject-specific vocabulary goes hand-in-hand with a deep and meaningful knowledge of content. It allows us to engage with that subject, unlocks understanding, and promotes clear and precise communication.

At the end of a topic or unit of work, I like to encourage my students to play with the words they've learned. I use five different word-association games that get students to recall, describe, explain, listen, and verbalize the subject-specific vocabulary from that topic or unit of work. In my experience, the lighthearted nature of these games provides students with a fun, safe, and low-stakes environment where they feel more confident to just have a go.

Although the examples I've given are specific to my subject (biology) and age group (high school), I hope these games are also applicable to other subjects and student ages and provide engaging ways to help students master vocabulary.

How it works: For this five-to-eight-minute game, students work in small groups (two to four) and have to write down a word related to a topic for every letter of the alphabet. For example, if the topic is cells, "A" might be "apoptosis," "B" might be "binary fission," "C" might be "cytoplasm," and so on. For many topics, students might struggle to find a word for every letter (and sometimes you will too). You can support them and/or allow them to get more abstract or silly.

This is great as a starter activity for a lesson that falls at the end of the topic. I like to keep it visible and accessible throughout the lesson for students to add to if inspiration strikes them later on.

2. Articulate

Based on the popular board game Articulate, this 10-to-20-minute game (depending on the size of your class) gets students to describe and define key terms.

How it works: Prepare a number of cards containing four words related to a topic or subject and one silly or unrelated word. Students will work in teams of three or four. When it's the first team's turn, one student from that team stands at the front. The teacher gives that student a card, and the student has to describe the word to their team without ever saying the word, or variations of the word. I usually allow each team one free pass per round. The number of points that the team gets is equal to the number of words that the team guesses in 30 seconds. Teams rotate and continue until every player has had a turn.

The aim of this 15-to-20-minute game is to get students to make connections between key vocabulary words.

I first played the Just One game with my family and then modified it by making cards specific to vocabulary in my subject so that I could use it in my classroom.

How it works: Prepare a number of cards with five words related to a unit, topic, or subject (sometimes I reuse the ones I use in Articulate). Three to seven students work in a group. One student chooses a number between one and five and turns around, facing away from their classmates.

The first card is shown to the other students in the group, and without conferring, they write down one word (on a mini whiteboard) that relates to the corresponding word on the card. For example, if the clue is "muscle," possible related words might be "movement," "skeletal," or "tissue." All of the students reveal their mini whiteboards to their group-all except the first student.

If two students have written the same word, both words get erased (this encourages students to think beyond the most obvious links). Finally, the first student turns around to view the remaining words and has one chance to guess what the original word on the card was. Repeat the process with a new student guessing and a new card until everyone has had at least one turn. You can appeal to students' competitive natures by giving them a score to aim for. So, for a group of five, everyone has two turns, and the aim is to achieve a total score of 7 or more out of 10.

4. Telephone Pictionary

For this 20-to-30-minute game, students use diagrams to explain key vocabulary.

How it works: Create groups of about six to eight students, ideally sitting in a circle. Each student is given a note card or piece of paper with a different phrase or term on it (examples I have used include "human evolution," "the kidneys" and "cell membrane").

The student has 30-45 seconds to sketch a picture to represent the phrase or term and then paperclips their sketch over the word so that it isn't visible to the next student. This picture gets passed on to the next student, who (on a new card or piece of paper) writes a phrase or term that they think was given to the student before them based on the picture drawn. Then they use their sketch to cover the previous one. This continues around the group, alternating between drawing and writing until it returns to the original student.

This is happening simultaneously for all students-so everyone is always doing something. Once the cycle returns to the original student, they lay out all the cards, reveal the original phrase or term, and choose a winning contributor for their round-usually either the most accurate or the funniest one.

This two-to-eight-minute game gets students verbalizing and making links between vocabulary words. It works well at the end of a lesson when you have a couple of spare minutes.

How it works: Students are put into pairs, and on the count of three, they say a word related to a given subject or unit. For example, in the topic "cells," one student might say "cellulose," and another student might say "eukaryotic." On the count of three, they then simultaneously say another word that they think matches the two words just said. Now, one might say "plant" and another might say "cell wall." This keeps going until both students say the same word at the same time. Words can't be repeated at any time.

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5 Vocabulary Games That Build Content Knowledge

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Engaging games support student understanding of subject-specific vocabulary and help ensure retention of content knowledge.

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9 Classroom Vocabulary Games to Use with Your Students

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Looking for some fun classroom vocabulary games to use with your students? Try these 9 quick and easy vocabulary review games.

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21 Effective Learning Games for ELA Classes

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Developing students’ language skills can be more engaging with games that address vocabulary, grammar, speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

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In order for middle school students to truly add new words to their personal vocabularies, they must work with the words multiple times over a length of time! While we could ask students to write sentences with the vocabulary words over and over again, that's not nearly as fun as utilizing vocabulary learning games!

In my vocabulary resources, while I have included a review worksheet activity for each weekly vocabulary quiz, I LOVE to play review games with my students! It is such a fun way to get students moving AND working with the week's vocabulary words at the same time!

Here are a few of my all-time favorite crowd-pleasing Vocabulary Review Games:

Garbage Can Basketball Vocabulary Game - Students are divided up into teams. Whem it is a team's turn, I ask a team member to spell a word or provide its definition. If they answer correctly, the team member gets a chance to shoot a mini basketball into the (clean) garbage can or a Little Tykes basketball hoop if you have one. Another point can be earned from stating the definition.

I usually have three masking tape lines on the floor to mark a 1-point shot, 2-point shot, and 3-point shot. The higher the risk, the higher the reward in this game!

Ground Rules: Before a team can take a turn, everyone must be quiet. Points may be taken away for excessive talking or excessive celebrations! (Just call me the NFL.)

You will have to use all your self-restraint to not unleash your inner Michael Jordan on your students!

Some groups of students may need a little incentive to keep them engaged while their classmates are taking their turns. In this case, I have each student write down each word and definition as we go. In order for their team to win, each team member has to have an accountability sheet!

"The Board Game" - This vocabulary game is SO fun, but can get a little rowdy. I suggest setting clear behavioral expectations and enforcing them. Students are divided up into teams. One team member from each team comes to the whiteboard and finds a marker. When the entire class is silent, the teacher reads a vocabulary word's definition. The students then race to write the word correctly on the board (in my class, they have to spell it correctly as well).

When they think they have it correct, they must squat down so the teacher can see their answer. [Their answer is not considered submitted until they crouch down!] First person to spell it correctly and crouch down wins a point. If it's close, I ask a student from a neutral team to help decide.

The Fly Swatter Vocabulary Game - For this game, you will need a projector and two fly swatters. Students are divided into two teams. The list of vocabulary words or definitions is projected on the board/screen. The teacher reads a word or definition and, using their fly swatter, students must point to the corresponding definition or word.

The first one to point to the correct word or definition with their fly swatter wins!

Similar to the other vocabulary games, students must be quiet before each turn and an accountability sheet is a great way to keep students engaged when they aren't the active player.

Partner Matching Game - Ask students to write each vocabulary word on a 3×5 card (or half a card) and each definition on a card. Students play memory/concentration in pairs

This is a great vocabulary activity when you want students to be active, but don't feel like leading a whole-class vocabulary activity.

Vocabulary Games are a great way to make learning new words fun for your middle school students!

Daily Vocabulary Activities

Each week, I use these games to reinforce our weekly vocabulary words!

Click to see my vocabulary lessons in action!

(Vocabulary Activities also come in 7th Grade editions & 8th Grade editions.)

Games are such a great way to have fun and build relationships with students which only increases student learning!

What games do you like to play? Let me know!

Until Next Time,

Brenna (Mrs. Nelson)

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Vocabulary Games for Middle School - Mrs. Nelson Teaches

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Are you searching for vocabulary games for your middle school students? Here is a shortlist of my favorite vocabulary activities!

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As a 7th grade teacher, I am always looking for ways to enhance my students' work with spelling and vocabulary. Whether you focus on a weekly spelling list or vocabulary word work, students get bored doing the same tasks each week. For Reading Street, students are expected to complete a word sort, words in a sentence exercise, and a word scramble. Beneficial, but uninspiring for middle school grade levels.

So I came up with some fun "Word Work" ideas that my students LOVE. You can use a special space in your classroom, "Word Work Station", or you can just allow students to work at their desk to complete these different activities. Take a peek at these fun ideas to make spelling words F-U-N!
Scrabble or Grid Spelling
Students use a special grid and their word list to spell words that are connected and build off of one another until all words are used or the grid is filled. You can get creative and have a word already on the grid, or let students start with their own word and add their word list words from it. Students can use scrabble letters, letter beads, or write the words in with a writing utensil.

Shape Spelling
This idea popped into my head after reading the novel Love That Dog by Sharon Creech. In the novel, there is a poem called The Apple by S.C. Rigg, (which is actually a concrete poem written under the pseudonym S.C. Rigg, who is Sharon Creech.) While students may not be able to use their words to describe a shape-like the poem, they can use a seasonal shape and write their words inside of the shape as many times as they will fit in order to practice their spelling. You can provide students with a shape organizer or have students draw and add words to their own design.

Stamp Challenge or Speed Spelling Challenge
My students love competition. The stamp challenge is a fun way to encourage students to correctly stamp out their list words while challenging a classmate. Have two stamps pads and two sets of letter stamps. Students will pull a word from the bucket and stamp it out as quickly as possible in an attempt to beat their opponent.

OR...don't even worry about the stamps. Good old paper and pencil will work perfectly to challenge competitive students. You can simply have students number their paper, say a word, have students write it as quickly as possible, and place pencils down as soon as they are finished writing. You will just need to share that their writing has to be legible. Bottom line-they get to compete AND they are practicing their words! WIN! WIN!

Words Three Ways
Each week, my students have to write their spelling words three times each. It may seem like a dated practice, but it is what it takes for my students to learn their weekly spelling words. I am not sure about your student population, but the majority of mine do not study at home. For that reason, I need to provide them with the necessary opportunities to learn and practice their words at school.

Because three times each is not the MOST fun, I let students jazz it up using three different types of writing utensils to complete the task...colored pencils, highlighters(I know...it hurts me, too), markers, crayons, colored pens, etc. They can use any reasonable classroom art supply to get the job done. And no, invisible ink is not an option...While some prefer to write in pencil and not glamorize this weekly assignment, the opportunity to have a choice is what my students appreciate.

I have students that LOVE to come in early, stay in from recess, or just spend time doing little jobs around the classroom. With minimal prep, you can enlist students to help you prep your weekly or daily word work if you decide to make it a station or center in your classroom. Whatever you do, don't make it hard on yourself-it is FUN! Your students will LOVE word work and be more engaged just by changing up the monotony and routine.

While lined paper and a pencil will work just fine for each of these spelling/vocab practice activities, I created some simple organizers to keep on hand. Grab these FREEBIE word work organizers here...

Happy spelling and word working!

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As a 7th grade teacher, I am always looking for ways to enhance my students' work with spelling and vocabulary. Whether you focus on a weekly spelling list or vocabulary word work, students get bored doing the same tasks each week.

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Vocabulary Improvement Games & Classroom Vocabulary Games - Flocabulary

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After all the day's planned lessons have been completed, it is not uncommon to have a few minutes to spare before the bell rings. Or, sometimes you need to divide up a long lesson with a quick, energetic break. Use these time slots to invigorate students and enhance their vocabulary comprehension with mini games!