6 Fun Exercises to Boost Students' Vocabulary

6 Fun Exercises to Boost Students’ Vocabulary

Teaching vocabulary in a classroom may seem pretty straight-forward: choose a handful of new words and give the definition. Have students practice those definitions over and over until they have memorized them. Right? Wrong!

For students to master vocabulary and be able to use new words in written and verbal communication, vocabulary has to be more than just memorizing definitions. So how can we achieve this in the classroom?

We achieve this through targeted, intentional exercises that boost vocabulary and effectively teach students, not only definitions, but how to connect word meanings and understand the word within context.

The Importance of Vocabulary

A strong vocabulary benefits students in all aspects of life both in school and after. The ability to read, write, and communicate verbally in a clear and effective way opens more opportunities for students’ to succeed in future careers and also builds their confidence.

Reading Comprehension

The very first thing we think of when given the term “vocabulary” is the ability to understand the words you read on paper. Learning to read might seem like something only early educators need to worry about, but reading development continues throughout a student’s entire education.

As students progress through middle school, high school, and, should they choose, college, the level of texts and the vocabulary within those texts get harder and more complex. Students don’t stop “learning how to read” in elementary school. They must continuously build on their vocabulary to continue growing as readers and effective communicators.

Language Development and Expression of Thought

Not only is it important for students to be able to understand the words they read on paper (and screens), but they also must have the ability and confidence to use that vocabulary to express their thoughts and feelings.

Not having the words to correctly explain feelings and experiences is frustrating. The more students experience this the more their self-esteem is negatively impacting. This can ultimately decrease students’ desire to communicate with others. It can even lead to a general dislike for reading and writing.

✅ Successful Written Communication

Once students have a grasp on a word’s meaning, they have to practice using it in written communication. This isn’t just important for getting an A on school essays. Effective written communication is necessary for writing exceptional and compelling job applications, cover letters, emails, and even thoughtful messages in a birthday card.

✅ Successful Verbal Communication

Verbal communication is part of everyday life and being able to express yourself appropriately in everyday conversation can affect self-esteem and relationships with others. Not only do you need to be able to express yourself, but you also need to understand how others are expressing themselves to you.

✅ Successful Occupational Communication

The truth is, people are judged by the way they speak and how they express themselves. For example, people only have a short window of time to present themselves professionally in a job interview. In fact, research shows that you only have 7 seconds to make or break a first impression. Having a strong vocabulary can help you get recognized by professional companies and affect how they perceive you.

How Can Teachers Effectively Boost Vocabulary?

You do not have to change your entire curriculum to boost vocabulary for your students, but there may be a few interventions you’ll want to add to your daily lessons.

Audio, Visual, Movement

When learning a new word, students start with a definition. If you think about it, a definition is simply more words. To some students, understanding the meaning of a word just from a written definition can be extremely difficult. What if a student doesn’t understand the vocab within the definition? If that’s the case, they certainly aren’t going to understand the meaning of their new vocab word.

For students to successfully and confidently add new words to their vocabulary, lessons need to go beyond memorizing definitions. The first step is understanding how the word sounds: Break down the different parts of the word and say the word out loud. Have students repeat the word and fix any errors in pronunciation.

Next, add something visual. Attaching an image to the word can help students connect to its meaning. Talk with your class about what they see in the picture. Discuss how the picture describes the word.

Movement can also help with recall and memorization. If, for example, students are learning the word “extend”, add the gesture of pulling your hands apart to “extend” the space between them. Adding a hand gesture or body movement to the definition can help students easily remember definitions and connect to their meanings.

Real-World Application

Try connecting each word to something students have experienced in their own lives. Connections create stronger understandings. Students will have an easier time using these new terms if they understand how they connect to their own experiences.

Practice Makes Permanent

Vocabulary lessons don’t need to be hours long but vocab should be practiced every day. According to the Dominican University of California, students need to use a new word 10-16 times before the meaning sticks. They suggest short bursts of 15-minute lessons each day because with practice, you can achieve permanence.

Fun Exercises to Boost Vocabulary

The best way to get engagement and understanding in the classroom is to make learning fun. Students can easily lose focus during lecture-type lessons if the material appears irrelevant to them. Adding some fun activities for learning new concepts can increase student attention and participation.

Here are some great options for effectively boosting vocabulary in the classroom.

Word Association

For this activity, start by writing the vocabulary term on the board. Go around the class and have students share words they associate with the term on the board. Generate a list of like words, synonyms, antonyms, and examples to build a deeper meaning with the vocabulary definition.

This activity is effective at connecting a definition with students’ prior knowledge and background information. This helps students form a deeper connection to the word and builds a stronger understanding.

Label It

Have students label things around the room with vocabulary cards and provide an explanation of why they chose that item for the vocab term. This activity can be done at home or in the classroom.

For example, if one of their vocabulary words is “eagerly”, a student may label their lunch box with this term. They may choose this item because this is their last class before lunch and they are “eagerly” waiting for the bell to ring so they can eat.

This activity boosts creativity and allows students to use the vocabulary word in a real-life application.

Matching Games

Matching games are a great way to have fun while building a synonym or antonym list for a new word. Have a list of flashcards with vocabulary terms and synonyms and have them face down. Students choose two words at a time and collect any matching terms. The winner will have the most matching terms when the cards are gone. Then, switch it up with a list of terms and antonyms to further strengthen word meanings.

White Board Review

This is a timed activity to get students to quickly access their word knowledge and show understanding. Students each have a whiteboard and everyone participates. The teacher will give a vocabulary word and instruct students to either draw, define, or provide a synonym/antonym for the word given.

Send individual white boards home so this activity can be done remotely. Students can hold their whiteboards up to the camera when time is up. Or use a virtual whiteboard app like Zite Board.

This activity is a great way to check for understanding with the whole class and to get engagement and participation from all students.

Guessing the Word

For this activity, the teacher (or student) will try to get students to guess the vocabulary term by drawing, defining, or providing synonyms/antonyms on the board. Students then try to guess the word using this information. This can build a deeper understanding of a word and help students with their communication skills.

Story Time

This activity can be presented as a challenge at the end of a week of vocabulary review. Present the list of vocabulary terms learned that week and challenge students to write a story using all of their terms. The story has to make sense and cannot be a random list of sentences to fit each word.

This allows students to practice using the word in written communication, it boosts creativity, and builds understanding of word relationships within the English language.

The Time is Now

Vocabulary is essential to student learning, confidence, and career success. Finding ways to effectively teach vocabulary in the classroom needs to start now.

The Juice understands just how crucial it is to effectively teach vocabulary. We have worked hard to build a teaching resource that focuses on building deep connections with words and language through targeted exercises to boost vocabulary.

Join The Juice’s Early Access program to receive daily content that includes 10+ grade-appropriate, interactive tier -2 and-3 vocabulary words. With The Juice, students will learn new words within the context of today’s current events while also developing their critical thinking skills.

Boost your student’s vocabulary today!

Other Tools for Building Vocabulary

We know creating your own resources for vocabulary lessons can feel like another task on your already full to-do list. Luckily there are tons of vocabulary resources already out there for you to use. Here are some great examples to get you started.

Flocabulary

Flocabulary is an online resource that uses hip-hop music to engage students. They have tons of instructional activities to tie in literacy and creativity. The Flocabulary curriculum includes a hip-hop vocabulary video, vocab cards, games, read and respond activities, and a final quiz.

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