Vocabulary Games

     Any teacher can place a crossword puzzle in front of a student or write the vocab words up on the front of the board.  But how much is the student actually getting from that.  Maybe they glance up at the board a few times during the lesson or maybe they will rush through the crossword only to get a grade.  The key to vocabulary instruction is making it meaningful, making the students actually care about the words you are teaching them.
     One thing I have learned both through experiences as a student and as a practicum teacher is that making things into a game, even a short one, can get students excited about the most mundane of lessons.  I was able to find a few good ones through some internet research:

     The SWAT Game:
Place all the vocab words up on the board.  Line the students up in two lines, giving the head of each line a fly swatter.  Read the definition of the word and the students must find the correct word and 'swat' it, then move to the back joining the opposite line.  This will practice students' recall of the vocabulary words.  The great thing about this activity is that it is very adaptable to whatever subject you are teaching.  Along with being able to teach vocabulary, it can be used for anything from teaching states and capitals, to parts of speech!  Some of the best activities are those that can be brought back over and over again but with new pieces added on.  And students love this one!
     The full lesson plan can be found at Hot Chalk and was created by Diane Prince who suggests this activity as a introduction, a reinforcement tool or review activity.


      Another option to keep in mind is that many reputable websites have good vocabulary practice games built in.  The only let down here is that you as the teacher are not in control of the words they are learning.  These are great websites to use and get your students familiarized with.  Free Rice is an amazing website that builds student vocabulary while doing good.  Other websites like Vocabulary.com are also good for teachers to be aware of.  There are literally tens of thousands of resources of there, it is up to the teacher to sift through them and if a gems among the large amount of sand.
     Other fun activities can include, have students re-write song lyrics making sure to include vocabulary words in them, play Scrabble or Banana-grams with the vocabulary words, or even having students make up actions or a short skit to go along with each word.  Whatever you choose to use in your classroom make sure that there is a rationale behind it.  None of these activites are suggested as fillers.  Each have a basis in students learning vocabulary that is a key part of the curriculum - whether it be English Language Arts, Social Students, Science, Math or even Art or Music.  Building vocabulary is incredibly important to increasing student fluency and will eventually improve those dreaded Standardized Test Scores.