Vocabulary Activities, Graphic Organizers, and Review

• Use as a quick review of words that moves students from hesitation to rapid use.

• Teacher presents students with a list of words (board, overhead or word wall). 

• Teacher or student points to a word and asks: 

  • What part of speech is _______? 

  • What is the definition of _______? 

  • Give another form of _______. 

  • Spell (a derivative or inflected form of) _______. 

  • Use _______ in a sentence. 

  • Use _______ and _______ in a sentence. 

  • What do _______ and _______ have in common? 

  • Find two words that have to do with _______. 

  • Find a (the) root (or prefix, suffix) in _______. 

(Richek & McTague, 2008) 

• Put two lists of words on a blackboard or overhead projector. 

• Ask students to make connections between a word on the first list and a word on the second list. They must explain the reason for the connection that they made. 

(Richek & McTague, 2008) 

• Hand out pre printed Bingo grids. 

• Let students fill out the week’s vocabulary words in any pattern on their papers. 

• Instead of saying the word, pantomime, show, draw or give a verbal description (synonym).

• Winner must not just say the winning word, but use them all in a sentence! 

• Increase motivation and participation by using a team approach that invites the team to create the sentences. 

(Reiss, 2008) 

• Students receive six-square pattern on tagboard that can be folded up and taped into a three-dimensional cube, which will be 4” on each side. 

• Before folding, students write clearly in each square following directions below. 

• Each student is given one challenging vocabulary word from a recent reading and asked to: 

  • Write the assigned vocabulary word in one square. 

  • Write a synonym (word or phrase) in another square. 

  • Write an antonym (word or phrase) in another square. 

  • Write a category or categories it could belong to. 

  • Write the essential characteristics of the concept of this word. 

  • Give one example. 

• Cut, fold, and tape the cube. 

• Roll the cube and read what comes up on the “top”; the student must tell the relationship of that word or phrase to the original word. 

• After students know their own cube without any errors, they exchange with a peer. 

(Montgomery, 2008)