Word Choice!

Help students expand their vocabulary and make their writing more descriptive by switching up their words! 

Introduction video: WORD CHOICE!

Next, pull out 2 identical postcards (pictured above). Read and project them onto the white board. Students compare and contrast the letters. Call students up to circle the words that are similar with different shades of meaning (synonyms). Ask students which letter was more successful, why? 

Then, play a whole group game: Hello My Name Is. Give each student a name tag with a word on it. They must go around the room and identify their match: a synonym for their word. Afterwards, have the students try to find an antonym for their word. 

Project: Younger students can create a Synonym City to display in the classroom! Click here for details. Older students can rewrite a song independently or in a group. Check out this activity here!

Learning with Sticky Notes and Yarn

This hands-on review idea comes from Hands On as We Grow! (They did sight words). You can use it to assess students on any topic: operations and algebraic thinking, synonyms and antonyms or food chains (just to name a few). The food chain activity doesn't even need sticky notes (just print out images). The possibilities are endless with yarn and tape!

HOT WAD

Practice vocabulary with a twist on hot potato! On scraps of paper write down different objectives for kids to conquer! Then, wad up the scraps to make a ball. Have kids sit in a circle and turn some music on. Kids pass the ball clockwise until the music stops. The one holding the ball has to unwrap a piece of the scrap paper from the ball. The teacher gives the child a word and the player answers. For example, what part of speech is it?! If the player answers correctly he stays in the game.

For younger kids, you can write their sight words on the scrap paper. Kids have to say the word they unwrap!

For more vocab. fun, check out word wheel and roll and...

Note: This game could also be used to practice simple multiplication facts. Write down equations on scrap paper. Kids figure out the product to stay in the game!

Hello my name is...

This activity was inspired by Mrs. Bremer's Kindergarten's Hello My Name is: letter / number / sight word recognition.

Kids go around the room, figuring out the standard form of each of their peers' numbers. They record their answers on paper next to their classmates' names. Once all numbers are figured out, have kids find the largest and smallest number. Can they identify which ones are even or odd?

You can practice any concept on a name tag: addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division. Have kids write a number sentence on their name tag. Then, they go around the room and solve each equation using a list of their classmates' names. 

Kids can also work on parts of speech. Each kid has a word on their name tag. Kids have to organize themselves in the correct group. Do they have a noun, verb, or adjective?

Synonyms / antonyms, compound words, or homophones: Have kids find their match!

Forget X's and O's

Replace X's and O's with synonyms and antonyms in the classic game TIC TAC TOE. One player thinks up synonyms for the given word. Player two has to come up with antonyms. Great way to expand kids' vocabulary!

Name Synonyms

photo via anna langova: public domain

What does your name mean? Can you find synonyms for your name's meaning?

REWRITE!

Practice using a thesaurus by rewriting a simple song or poem. Check out Oh' Boy 4th Grade and Brannack's Bobcats take on The Itsy Bitsy Spider. Brannack's Bobcats demonstrate how to use VoiceThread in an elementary classroom (click slideshow link)! Students broadcasted their version, so parents could view all the kids' work and hear their voice. Voice Thread is a fantastic, free tool because parents are able leave a comment on students' work (text, video, or audio commentary).

Vocabulary - roll and...

I was inspired by Bainbridge's Vocabulary rock 'n roll, so I made my own. Toss your vocab. words in a paper lunch bag. Have kids roll a die, pull out a word, and either act, draw, define, rhyme, or give a synonym or antonym. It all depends on what they roll! Also, check out Word Wheel!

Balloon Tennis

Balloon Tennis - Glue paper plates on popsicle sticks for a racquet. Kids hit balloons and play tennis!

Synonyms - Two player game - Kids are given a word. They hit the balloon back and forth. Before they hit the balloon they have to call out a synonym for the word. If they can't, their opponent gets a point. 

Sight Words - Write sight words on balloons. Kids whack the balloon and say the sight word. If they have the correct answer, they get a point!

Spelling - Spell out a word and hit the balloon for each letter. Kids can do this solo, with a buddy, or in a group. 

Fractions - Three player game - 2 people hit the balloon and one person keeps track of the score. Kids choose how many chances they get to hit the balloon. Limit kids to a certain number. Otherwise, they'll go on all day, and everyone needs a chance to play! If they miss, they get to continue, but they have to start off from where they stopped.  For example, if they plan to hit the balloon 20 times and they stopped at 6, they start counting at 7. The kid keeping track of the score tallies each time they hit the balloon. As soon as they reach the maximum number they stop (which is hard I know!). As a group, they figure out the fraction. For example, the balloon was kept in play (or smacked) 18/20 times.

Basic Addition - Two Players - Have kids count up their points!

Word Wheel

Get kids interacting and improving their language skills with this fun game! For the activity, I tossed vocabulary words in a lunch bag. Kids flicked the game spinner, then pulled out a word. Once they had their word, the fun began! 

Students act, draw, rhyme, or define their word. They might also have to put it in a sentence, name what part of speech it is, or give a synonym or antonym for it. It's a game of chance! Below is a tally sheet I made for kids to keep score.

To make a spinner, you simply print design on card stock and laminate. Then, you add a paper clip, click here to find out how to insert it in your spinner.

On the Move: Vocabulary

Mrs. Lewis' Learning Library has an awesome vocab. game that gets kids out of their seats, similar to the game HEDBANZ. Students interact asking each other questions about their word: synonyms and antonyms for it, the definition of it, etc. Why don't the kids know what their word is? It's pinned to their forehead of course! Surf over to the Learning Library for a fun freebie! Want a simpler version that just works with sight words for kindergarten, visit Hooray for FDK! Also Mrs. T's First Grade Class put a new twist on the game by using numerals to figure out math equations: a missing addend!

DJ Spin-off: Vocab.

Once kids fully understand the difference between synonyms and antonyms, have a vocab. spin-off. Kids transform into DJ's quick mixin' synonym and antonym tracks! First, they write their antonyms in the box. Then, they write synonyms for their opposing words around each record. Click here for a free printable!

Synonym City

Create a city of synonyms! Pass out paint chips (or use paper) and have each child in charge of a word. There challenge is to construct a skyscraper of synonyms! When everyone is finished, build a city. Make a street, add cars, signage, whatever you'd like! You can keep Synonym City hanging on a wall in your classroom to help kids spice up their writing. When kids are feeling uninspired, they can drive to the city and shop for words!

Word Up!

Encourage kids to increase their vocabulary with Word Up! Have kids pull a word out of a bag. Then, have them write a word report! Have students draw a picture to represent their word. Research their word and write the definition. Then, find synonyms and antonyms of their word. Define what part of speech their word is. Finally, count the consonants and vowels in their word. Then, they write a fraction for the consonants and vowels. For example: Ecstatic - 5 consonants in an 8 letter word. The consonant fraction would be 5/8. 

Using their word report, they write a sentence on a separate sheet of paper, incorporating their word. After they've completed Word Up, have students teach their word to the rest of the class. This activity will get kids to use different words in their writing. Plus, kids love playing the role of the teacher!