Vocabulary Activities Year 2

[Chris]

Learningnew words is like adding to your writing toolbox. The more tools available, the more interesting and engaging your writing becomes. Check out these fun and engaging vocabulary activities for kids in grades K-12, and supply your students with the tools they need to build their wordsmith skills.

Using vocabulary words in writing shows mastery. Challenge your students to use all of their vocabulary words in an original short story. Allow students to pair up and share their stories with a partner.

Creating word maps from vocabulary words encourages students to find the relationships between the vocabulary word and other words. Have them include words, pictures, examples, real-world connections, definitions, descriptive words, etc.

Hang six to eight large sheets of chart paper in various places around the room. On each sheet, write one vocabulary word. Have students work in small groups, rotating between stations. At each station, ask students to come up with a different, original way to use each word. Continue the activity until all students have visited every station.

This fun activity requires students to draw a picture for each word to create their own visual dictionary. When students create their own visual representations, they develop an association with the word that they will be able to tap into when needed.

Think of a vocabulary graffiti wall like a collaborative word wall. In the classroom, post the words on the wall and have kids add sticky notes to illustrate the term (they can use words or pictures). Online, try a tool like Padlet or Google Slides.

This vocabulary game is fun and challenging, and it can be played by kids of any age. Choose a word, then challenge kids to come up with related words for as many letters as possible. These could be synonyms, antonyms, examples, and more. Trickier letters are worth more points!

Vocabulary words take on greater meaning when students incorporate them into their daily lives. Challenge kids to use their vocab words in conversation and writing outside the language arts classroom. Use the free printable worksheet here to help them keep track of how often they use them.

Colorful organizers like these are terrific vocabulary activities. Want to go digital? Have kids make a slideshow, one slide per word. They can include the same information, but instead of drawing a picture, have them find one online that illustrates the concept.

Post a list of target vocab words. If a student uses one of the words in class (outside of vocabulary activities), they become a member of the Million Dollar Word Club! You can have them sign their name on a wall in the classroom or award a badge online. You could even develop this into a reward system for homework passes or extra credit.

This is one of those vocabulary activities kids will want to do over and over again! Assign each student a word and have them create a faux Facebook, Instagram, or other social media page for it. They can draw them freehand or complete a template like these from Teachers Pay Teachers. Post the images to a shared Google slideshow so other students can use them for review.

Have students draw a diagonal line across an index card. On the top half, have them write the vocabulary word and definition. On the bottom half, have them draw a picture of the word and use it in a sentence. Cards can be joined together in a strip for easy review.

Use plastic letters, magnet letters, or letter blocks to make words. Play it mentally with older kids, or with paper and pencil. Simply give your children some letters and challenge them to make words from those letters.

The School Year of Core Words series was conceptualized and created by AAC SLP Michaela Sullivan, and two pre-professional SLP students, Beth Lytle and Alisa Lego. The series has two levels of monthly vocabulary words along with ideas, resources, and materials that will be posted here.

There are two separate word lists for the School Year of Core Word series. Levels 1 and 2 contain distinctly different sets of words. Level 1 is a foundational compilation of 158 words and Level 2 contains 161 words that build upon and beyond the foundation. The monthly word lists were selected to follow not only the school calendar, but also support the needs of students, expanding communication functions in natural and more structured activities and settings (daily routines) as well as themes/holidays. Brown's 14 Morphemes and the previous Year of Core Words postings from PrAACtically Speaking published in 2013 and 2014 were referenced to create each collection.

As the school year comes to a close, I find myself on the struggle bus right alongside my students. While they are anxious for summer, I am anxious to keep them learning. In this article, I'm sharing 10 vocabulary activities that will engage students in word learning until the final school bell rings.

The easiest way to use the activities and games is simply as whole class instruction, and to perhaps pick one or two to complete a day. Alternatively, teachers can set up different activities and games at several different stations and keep students rotating to make time fly and word learning fast and effective! Regardless of which way works best, try to limit each activity to 15-20 minutes at the most in order to keep students engaged and working.

The easiest way to use the activities and games is simply as whole-class instruction, and to perhaps pick one or two to complete a day. Alternatively, teachers can set up different activities and games at several different stations and keep students rotating to make time fly and word learning fast and effective! Regardless of which way works best, try to limit each activity to 15-20 minutes at the most in order to keep students engaged and working.

With the Many Faces of Vocabulary Activity, students will piece together fun and interesting faces and then describe each feature using vocabulary words. This is especially fun at the end of the year when students are feeling a bit zany anyway to create motley faces for their amusement as well as their learning.

When temperatures start getting hotter outside, this activity will cool everyone down. With this delicious vocabulary activity, students will concoct and assemble delectable ice cream sundaes based on vocabulary words!

When you can ask your students to do nothing but bring in a coloring book, they will have no excuse not to complete the task. With such fun new coloring book designs, students can really get creative in terms of how they can label their coloring pages with vocabulary, as well as sneak in other concepts from the year. If having students bring in coloring pages is too much work, download the Color Your Vocabulary Activity!

A fun way to tell stories and use vocabulary words, Row Races can be used as a full class game or also station work. Row Races is a game that encourages students to use their vocabulary and creative writing skills.

I have had one student who just could not seem to retain the meaning of vocabulary words, no matter how hard we tried to create mnemonic devices or connect to their interests. She mentioned the Vocabulary Playlist assignment where I had students link each word to a specific song. She said that she really liked that activity and learned her words well that way.

For longtime blog readers, this game is the one that I cite most often, because it tends to be both my favorite and a favorite among students. What could be better than discussing with which item a vocabulary word matches best? There are several variations of this game, and each can be played in turn to keep reinforcing word learning.

One of my most recent favorites, telling students they are going to create a video game in class will get even the most effete students to raise an eyebrow. Lead with the bold graphics and fun design, and forget to remind them of how much they are learning while they complete the tasks.

Though we are wrapping up the month of September, the core words selected for this month are high-frequency words that will live on throughout the year. Our new Year of Core Words School Edition is in development and the team is working hard to get these helpful posts to you prior to the start of each month so that you can plan and prepare your lessons and materials. Please bear with us for the first few posts as we get up to speed.

Taking data to measure performance and keeping track of our own modeling behavior are two things we can do to strengthen our AAC teaching. Here are some forms that you can use to support those efforts.

We want to welcome them and thank them for their dedication to sharing with others. You will find great variety in style and many additional resources from free printables, to Boom Cards and ideas on implementing the use of core vocabulary by using a variety of apps and websites.

Michaela Sullivan is an SLP who specializes in the fields of AAC and AT. She currently works within the San Francisco Unified School District on the AAC Support Team where she supervises graduate students, works in a transition program and on special projects. Ms. Sullivan is also an AAC and AT Team member within the San Mateo Unified School District where she developed an AAC Mentorship program. Ms. Sullivan also has a private practice. She has been a presenter in the field of SLP and AAC at state and national conventions. She serves as a board member and volunteer for the Nika Project, providing services, supports, resources, training, and repurposed equipment for individuals with complex communication needs both locally and internationally.

PrAACtical AAC supports a community of professionals and families who are determined to improve the communication and literacy abilities of people with significant communication difficulties. It was founded in 2011 by two SLP professors, Carole Zangari and the late Robin Parker, around a shared passion for AAC.

PrAACtical AAC's Mission: To improve the level of AAC services available to individuals with significant communication challenges by supporting speech-language pathologists and other interested stakeholders

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