Vo-bac-ulary!

Learning vocabulary can be boring and monotonous. Some weeks, it's the lesson I avoid until the last minute. Well, in the spirit of entertaining myself the kids, because we all know that we remember and learn more from fun things, we played "vo-bac-ulary" today! If you're a fan of "The Office" you may know where this is heading.




Vo-bac-ulary is really easy! First, I teach the kiddos our words. In my curriculum, we have a short story that uses the words in context. I ask the kiddos "If that word went missing, what's another word that would fit well there?" Synonyms are a great way to make connections. Once they are familiar with the words, I demonstrate how to play the game.

1) Each kiddo gets a card taped to their back that has a vocabulary word on it.
2) Kids will find a partner who will give them a definition or example of the word on their backs. 
3) The student will try to guess what the word is.
4) If it's right, they help their partner guess theirs. If it's not right, they keep trying!
5) When both partners have guessed correctly, they come back to me to get a new word taped to their backs. Then they find a new partner.
6) Go until you're out of words or the controlled chaos become just chaos. :)
7) For a competitive edge, the kiddo with the most cards at the end wins!

To make the cards, just quickly type them up on a word document and make copies. A quick slice with the paper cutter and you're good to go! This only took me 5 minutes to make and prep for the lesson and the impact is huge!

Teaching Kati Lesson: Have the tape ready. Once they start getting the definitions down, the game goes fast! :) Also, make sure to post the word list up somewhere so they can reference it throughout the game.

~Kati