Vocabulary skills are essential to building a student’s confidence and ability in reading and writing. Engaging activities can help get students excited about language learning. Check out these Vocabulary A-Z resources and other activity ideas for fun additions to your language arts classroom. Download a free sample lesson to include in your classroom!
What Are Some Fun Ways to Teach Vocabulary?
1. Vocabulary A-Z Lesson Plans
With Vocabulary A-Z, you can create your own vocabulary lists based on topic, content, or part of speech, and generate lesson activities based on your selections. No matter what kind of vocabulary list you choose, your list generates a 5-day lesson plan with activities that encourage students to:
- Draw pictures
- Create picture dictionaries
- Write sentences
- Match words
- Mime concepts
- Choose synonyms or antonyms
2. CLOZE Activities
A CLOZE activity consists of a passage with some words removed from the sentences. By coming up with words to fill in the blanks, students practice analyzing words in context and experimenting with appropriate synonyms.
3. Mad Libs
When students are experimenting with parts of speech, Mad Libs can challenge them to play with language in fun ways to discover which words sound correct or incorrect, depending on context.
In a Mad Libs activity, one student asks another for a part of speech to fill in the blanks in a story. The student giving the part of speech has no context for the words they’re giving, so the nonsensical sentences that result are a great way for students to understand how parts of speech work.
4. Storytelling
After you’ve created a vocabulary word list and reviewed definitions with your students, ask them to write a short story that correctly uses each word in context and definition. Students can illustrate their stories and share them with the class while explaining how the words work in their stories.
5. Vocabulary Playlist
Let students connect with their inner rock stars by encouraging them to create playlists for their vocabulary words. Playlists can be mnemonic devices to help students connect the message or title of a song to a vocabulary word and its definition. The word doesn’t necessarily have to be used in the song, but the song should help the student remember the word’s meaning.
Want to try Vocabulary A-Z in your classroom? Sign up for a free 2-week trial today!
Get inspired with a free 5-day lesson plan to see what Vocabulary A-Z can do for you.
