vocab assignment ideas high school

6 Creative vocabulary activities for high school

• May 23, 2024

Darri Stephens

• Education Tips & Tricks , Implementation , Lessons and Ideas

Vocabulary acquisition has always been a crucial indicator for school achievement, specifically in younger grade levels, but it’s also just as important in high school. Vocabulary is one of the ten components of literacy according to the Science of Reading (SOR) . SOR underscores that reading comprehension is a product of decoding and language comprehension: RC = D x LC (Gough and Tunmer 1986). And vocabulary learning continues far beyond the emergent reader years. Continued vocabulary development, whether through listening, speaking, reading, or writing, supports reading comprehension and increases achievement throughout the grades. So how could and should secondary teachers focus on vocabulary for their high schoolers?

Why is it important to reinforce vocabulary instruction for high school students?

Without vocabulary learning across key content areas, students are at risk of entering college and the workforce ill-prepared. When it comes to vocabulary activities for high schoolers, students need multiple instances of practice to hear, speak, read, and write words in a variety of contexts in order to expand their breadth and depth of understanding. As standards become more robust and classes become more rigorous, one’s vocabulary is often the lynchpin to having meaningful discourse, which helps to illustrate how well content has been processed and understood. Both reading-to-learn and writing-to-learn are ways to help students make or construct meaning long into their high school years.

“There’s a strong, statistical link between a person’s vocabulary knowledge and students’ comprehension ability; and there’s a very strong link between these two and academic success.” Nancy Padak, Kent State University professor emeritus

Flocabulary for high school vocabulary instruction

Flocabulary is rooted in comprehension and vocabulary. Flocabulary’s hip-hop videos present a high volume of words through rhyme, making them a perfect format to teach academic vocabulary . Hip-hop has a more extensive vocabulary and more unique words than any other genre and the rhythm and rhyme make those words memorable and “sticky.” Students are exposed to vocabulary terms multiple times in context within a genre that promotes recall. Plus, there’s more than just a video; each lesson offers extended practice through the corresponding activities. These rigorous and intentional learning experiences are designed to engage students through quality music and rich visuals, creating an emotional connection—and this approach is an ideal way to foster an optimal learning environment for high school vocabulary activities.

New to Flocabulary? Teachers can sign up for a trial to access our lesson videos and assessment activities. Administrators can get in touch with us to learn more about unlocking the full power of Flocabulary through Flocabulary Plus.

1. Introduce and reinforce new vocabulary

Some educators believe that pre-teaching or previewing vocabulary before reading provides the “velcro” or stickiness for students to better build meaning by activating prior knowledge and scaffolding concepts. Although previewing allows for repetition, others argue that such vocabulary strategies for high school students are too isolating—they believe that vocab words are best discussed after reading, when students have had the opportunity to make inferences and analyze words within context.

One strategy to help cement new high school vocabulary before and after reading involves using the Frayer Model , also referred to as the Four-Square Strategy. This graphic organizer method provides multiple ways to analyze and concept-map a new word. Students write the vocab term in the center circle, and then they add a basic definition, key characteristics, examples, and non-examples.

Flocabulary’s Vocab Cards are modeled off the Frayer model for effective vocabulary instruction . Therefore, students can use this activity to make connections to their prior knowledge, dissect new learnings into digestible chunks, and think critically about the application of this vocabulary word. Multiple instances of exposure is key!

Using a vocabulary-rich video like Flocabulary’s Shakespeare Is Hip-Hop , for example, you can challenge students to examine the accompanying lyrics and identify which words they are likely to encounter on the SATs or ACTs—words such as forage , goad , gregarious , hiatus , incessant , ingenious , pervasive , profuse , and more! Assign students Flocabulary’s Vocab Cards—which are modeled on the Frayer Model. They can read the definition and part of speech and then practice writing and drawing the word on their own.   Then, turn to the grades 9-12 SAT Word Up collection , containing 12 video lessons, for more vocabulary test prep.

 2. Test prep!

One of the more challenging parts of ELA testing for students is the vocabulary section. Vocabulary tests can be taxing due to the way questions are asked and responses are presented—often in isolation and without the contextual cues that help us when we encounter new words. High school students commonly refer to such difficult or foreign words as “SAT words.” (In recent years, the SAT stopped testing vocabulary via analogies and sentence completions). There are many strategies and high school vocabulary activities to help support your students during standardized test-taking periods.

In Flocabulary’s Test-Taking Strategies lesson , students learn how to implement their own test-taking strategies for success. This lesson is perfect to use during test prep season.

Flocabulary even has video lessons to review Tier 2 words which are used generally in academic settings across all subject areas. They are critical for students to master. Instead of leaning on stacks of flashcards, consider ways that these vocabulary words can be presented and shared through media-rich methods. Both native English speakers and second-language learners can benefit from methodologies that appeal to various learning styles: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. Flocabulary harnesses the sounds, rhythms, melodies, and tones of rap songs along with the visual art, storytelling, humor, drama, and poetry of the videos to create emotional connections. The high-quality videos authentically engage and captivate students by making the learning experiences memorable and interesting.

3. Tie to academic domains

Often, high school curricula are laden with specific academic vocabulary that may not be used commonly in social settings or across subject areas. These subject-specific words are called Tier 3 words. Within subject-specific areas, consider how you can reinforce such key vocabulary for high school students by using core concepts or strategies. For instance, in math, how can you encourage students to weave in math vocabulary in an authentic manner? Repetition of use is important, so try to use math talk. Empower your students to “speak math” and become more familiar with using technical language. Learning such academic vocabulary will help to level the playing field, challenge higher-thinking skills , and push students to think outside of the box.

When it comes to subject-specific concepts, immerse students in high school vocabulary words. For instance, in math, consider those keywords that will be used repeatedly in directions or in the problems themselves with the video Math Terms . Then level up by sharing videos like Congruence & Similarity , which is rich in concepts such as translation, rotation, and reflection on a coordinate plane. Don’t forget that with any and every Flocabulary video, you can emphasize vocabulary with the visually rich Vocab Cards and by building the beat with the accompanying Vocab Game.

4. Go back to your roots

When exploring vocabulary activities for high school, challenge students to take their decoding skills to the next level by using their critical thinking skills to deconstruct words into Greek and Latin roots. These common roots provide clues to the meaning of many abstract vocabulary words. Morphology speaks to the study of the forms of words, and a morpheme is the smallest meaningful part of the word, usually a base word or root. Encourage your high school students to dissect and analyze by adopting the mantra, “New, new, review!” to introduce and review roots in a three-week cycle .

“More than 60 percent of academic words have word parts  (also called morphemes or roots) that always carry the same meaning. Knowing that words can be broken down into meaning units is a powerful strategy for vocabulary development.” Authors Padak, Rasinki, Newton, and Bromley

5. Encourage career readiness

High school is a crucial time to expose and introduce your students to a variety of careers so they can begin to think of their next step. Many careers have their own vernacular (hello, education with our acronyms!) and field-specific speak. As students begin to consider college majors and career pursuits, showcase the different opportunities that are in reach. Help prepare them for job exploration and interviews by introducing them to language that is socially expected within the professional world as well as that which is core to a future industry.

Flocabulary offers Life Skills videos , including a collection on Financial Literacy . The video lesson Banking familiarizes high schoolers with key terms like rate, balance, and principal, while illustrating the fundamentals of how banks function and are insured. Furthermore, teachers can use Flocab’s career lessons about Dietitian and Architect career paths.

6. Make learning fun!

James Paul Gee outlines 16 principles for Good Video Games and Good Learning . As the godfather of game-based learning (GBL), Gee emphasizes the importance of agency, challenge, and performance in learning. There are many such active learning strategies to make vocabulary learning more participatory and more engaging. Remember, repeated exposure is critical, so giving students the opportunity to play with words learned is key.

Flocabulary has several instances of word play in the form of high school vocabulary activities: 

• In the Lyrics Lab , students create and weave vocabulary words into original songs. They can turn to the word bank or rhyming dictionary for support. The Lyrics Lab promotes student voice.
• Each February, in honor of Black History Month, Flocabulary holds a national contest encouraging students to be researchers, lyricists, and rappers. In September, students can also enter the Hispanic Heritage Month Rap Contest.

Start using Flocabulary for high school instruction

While the rapid development of vocabulary can be exciting, vocabulary learning is truly a lifelong pursuit. Many learning activities can be reinforced across the high school curriculum so that students are constantly stretching their vocabulary prowess. Work collaboratively with colleagues in a cross-curricular manner to strategize about how best to teach vocabulary in high school. Engaging high school students in vocabulary learning activities will prepare them personally and professionally for life beyond their diplomas.

Darri Stephens is a dedicated LX (learning experience) designer, passionate about creating quality content and programs for kids, families, and educators. With MAs in Education from both Harvard and Stanford, and work experience at best-in-class ed tech organizations including Wonder Workshop, Nickelodeon, and Common Sense Education, she is steeped in the design thinking process and committed to agile and iterative project management, which has resulted in multi-award-winning programs and products.

• Bloom’s Taxonomy explained with examples for educators
• A guide to Flocabulary’s lesson sequence

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Teachers face a variety of challenges on a day-to-day basis, but perhaps their biggest challenge is helping students become successful. A struggling student or struggling group of students is often blamed on the instructor or the instructor’s teaching. One way to ensure that all students experience the same levels of success is finding more innovative, engaging ways to teach in order to facilitate student participation in topics that might not be the most fun to learn. For instance, while high school vocabulary might not seem like the most interesting subject for students, learning new words and their meanings is essential to any student’s education.

But how does a teacher go about engaging students in learning high school vocabulary – a subject that students may not be the most passionate about? There are a variety of different methods teachers can deploy aside from the textbook and test method. Here’s a look at five high school vocabulary teaching methods that are fun, interesting and sure to engage students.

Vocabulary Bingo

After teachers put students through the typical curriculum (i.e., learn the word and what it means), it’s time to engage students in fun, lighthearted activities that will help them retain the information. One such activity is vocabulary bingo. Have the students make bingo cards, placing words they just learned in the various places on the card. Then, read the definitions of the word. If the students have that word, they’ll color in the box on their cards where it exists. This helps students put the definition with the word itself. Teachers can also reward students who complete bingo with prizes or extra credit points.

Word charting

The goal of teaching vocabulary is to expand a student’s word knowledge. One way to do this is by encouraging students to use vocabulary words in their lives. This is where word charting comes in. Teachers can encourage students to do this outside of the classroom while they’re at home. For instance, if students have just been taught the word “cacophony,” which means discordant sounds, encourage them to look for real-life scenarios to use it. Have students chart when they used it to describe something in their lives. For instance, a student may drop a dish on top of another dish in the sink and use “cacophony” to describe the sound it made. Give extra credit or prizes to the students that chart the most vocabulary words over a certain time in their proper contexts.

Short stories

Another way to make teaching vocabulary more fun is to have students create a short story or screenplay using the words they’ve just learned. Teachers can also make this a final project or midterm project. Typically, this will go over much better than a final exam, and students will be more willing to engage and get creative with such a task, especially if a large portion of their grade depends on it.

Write songs

To piggyback off the previous point, another way for students to better retain words is to have them write songs using them. This is also a project that will get the creative juices flowing with students. Break them up into groups and have them write lyrics with their new words in context of their definitions. Be sure to also offer extra credit for students who go above and beyond just writing lyrics, such as for groups that actually put music with their songs or record them to play them back to the rest of the class. Writing poetry with newly learned words is another option that could fall within this category.

Games have proved to be a better way to engage students and help them retain information in the classroom. And one game that could apply to new vocabulary words is Pictionary. Have students divide into groups and then diagram word definitions as best as they can, as their peers attempt to guess them. Another game might consist of students acting out words in short skits for classmates to guess. Such games are fun and are sure to produce a lot of laughs as students learn new words.

You may also like to read

• 5 Ways to Improve Teaching High School Grammar
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• Online Resources for High School Calculus
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• 4 Downloadable High School Geometry Practice Worksheets

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11 vocabulary homework ideas and how to motivate students to do it, by: vocab gal.

Homework is such a valuable formative assessment for both teachers and students, and yet students are motivated* by many different factors when it comes to their desire to actually complete the work. In this article, I'm sharing how to motivate students to do their homework and 11 vocabulary homework ideas and worksheets that work in grades 1–12. Plus, preview and grab my 7 Options for Vocabulary Homework Kit .

Keep scrolling to find vocabulary homework ideas! 

How to motivate students to do their homework.

As a teacher, I try to concentrate students’ learning on activities done in class, because asking some students to complete work at home can be daunting. Many times in my career I have been discouraged when more than half the class does not return to class with their homework assignment complete.

Yet we only have so many minutes with our students, and we need them to practice the concepts and skills they are learning until the knowledge becomes ingrained. Most students have a homeroom, study hall, or other downtime during the day in which they could complete activities, they just have to be motivated to do it.

Many studies cite “student choice” as one of the most important factors in inspiring students to learn. When students have the opportunity to select what questions to answer, what activity to complete or what role to play, they tend to feel more comfortable and confident about performing.

Additionally, research shows that when students are dedicated to a task important to them, like improving their video game scores, or optimizing their success on a playing field, they will go to great lengths to improve. While probably not as meaningful as their video game level, students will be more excited to answer questions about themselves than a generic worksheet.

By providing students with both choice and a topic that is personally meaningful, homework can be a great learning exercise as well as an important formative assessment.

Steps to Ensure Students Complete Homework

There are a few other motivating factors that can help establish homework as a meaningful part of a student’s educational experience. Here are suggested steps a school, parish, department, or teacher might take to ensure successful homework completion.

Step One First, confirm that students have a strong rapport with their teacher(s). While it is difficult to cultivate a deep relationship with each student, teachers should strive to show students that they value their students and are committed to helping them learn and grow to their fullest potential. I would encourage teachers not to assign homework for the first few weeks of school until they develop a classroom community of respect and appreciation for learning.

Step Two Second, once the classroom community has been established, teachers should specifically explain the importance of homework as a way of deeply ingraining knowledge. Teachers should also make it clear that homework is a meaningful formative assessment where both they and their students can understand what students know and where there are knowledge gaps.

Step Three Third, some students may be quite unhappy when being mandated to do specific work. Therefore, teachers should stress the choices a student gets when completing their homework and that students get to complete the work that best reflects their own sense of self.

Step Four Finally, the teacher should praise students individually, as well as praise the class when homework is turned in on time. Many students thrive on positive reinforcement and also many may feel guilt if they let their classmates or teacher down. Additionally, as many teachers know, a word of encouragement or a small sticker can make the difference to many.

How to Respond When Homework is Not Completed

When at last it comes time for homework collection, there will be students who did not complete the assignment, no matter how well it was set up. Teachers can again encourage students who did not complete the homework in time to think about what may motivate them to complete it. If a student seems to dislike direct mandates, providing support such as, “I know that you value your learning and will find a way to demonstrate your abilities,” might be more effective than, “Turn in your paper by Thursday or it’s a zero!”

For others who seem driven by the need to please or help others, teachers might encourage students by stating, “I’m disappointed that you weren’t able to complete your work on time, and I know you will submit your work in order to show us both what you know and understand,” might work better than, “Don’t you want the credit for this assignment?”

Vocabulary Homework Ideas for Students

For this post, I have a few homework assignments that model these ideas. Both in my new It's All About Me vocabulary practice page, and my tried-and true,  7 Options for Vocabulary Homework bundle, students are motivated to continue their learning because they have both choice and a focus on themselves, a topic in which they are already invested.

My new It's All About Me Vocabulary Activity tasks students with answering a series of questions about themselves using vocabulary words in context. On the first page of this download students will list their vocabulary words and write their own brief definitions. On the second page student will answer eight prompts. Each response should include at least one of the vocabulary words from their list in context . In each of their answers students must underline the context clues that would help someone unfamiliar with the word understand what it means.

With the 7 Options for Vocabulary Homework bundle, students can choose from a variety of fun and engaging activities for learning or reviewing vocabulary words. In addition to the homework selection sheet, the bundle includes worksheets for vocabulary homework ideas number five and six. The other vocabulary homework options can be completed on a plain piece of paper or in student workbooks.

Here are the vocabulary activities listed on the 7 Options for Vocabulary Homework handout:

#1 Say Your Words

Do you love the sound of your own voice? Do you tend to learn information by teaching others? Then try saying each of the vocabulary words, out loud and in context, to friends, family, strangers, etc. Use either your flashcards or your list of words, and make sure to get initials from someone who heard you say your vocabulary sentence. If you can’t get a signature, just explain when and how you said the sentences and we will invoke the HONOR SYSTEM! Create two sentences per word.

Do you love to write? Do you copy your notes to help you remember information? Then try writing two sentences for each vocabulary word. These can either be two individual sentences for each word or you can put all of your words together in a story. (If you write a story, you only have to use each word once). Have fun and get creative – amuse me and impress me, but make sure you use your vocabulary words in context!

#3 Write Your Words in Other Classes

As an alternative to the above “Write your Words,” use your vocabulary in your assignments for other classes – social studies essays, science notes, art descriptions, etc. Write down the vocabulary you used for this assignment (For example: On my science test I said “Newton was meritorious,” etc.). You can abbreviate your explanations slightly, as long as I understand you know the word’s meaning; remember to use each word twice.

#4 Become Your Words

Do you gesture when you talk? Is it hard for you to sit still? Then consider creating motions to go along with your words. Cry for lament , raise your arms in praise for approbation , etc. See me during class to “perform” your motions, or write them down, making sure that the connection between word, meaning, and gesture makes sense.

#5 Draw Your Words

Are you an artist? Do you constantly doodle? Then create cartoons or drawings that illustrate each word’s meaning. Create one drawing or cartoon per word and make them neat, using clean white paper (consider using recycled paper that has printing on the other side). Paperclip all your drawings together for the end of the week.

#6 Sing Your Words

Do you love to sing? Are you constantly creating your own raps? Try rewriting the lyrics to a song to incorporate each of your vocabulary words or write your own song, rap, etc. You can also write poetry; regardless of the form you choose, the words should be used in the correct context.

#7 Test Your Words

Do you want to play teacher and write the test as well as take it? Now you can! Create a vocabulary test using all the words in a variety of different types of questions. Make sure to create the answer key to the test as well.

Download the 7 Options for Vocabulary Homework bundle and have students keep the selection sheet in their binders. Now they have seven weeks of vocabulary homework assignments!

Additional Vocabulary Homework Ideas

Ultimately, establishing a culture of community and trust in the classroom, explaining the reasoning behind and the benefits of homework, and providing choice and meaningful topics can make a significant difference in completion rates. Even if homework is not completed on time, teachers can still work to connect with each student to provide motivation to complete the assignments.

As educators, we all strive to make learning exciting and applicable to our students. By setting up clear expectations and providing interesting options, we can make any homework, including vocabulary homework, meaningful and valuable to students.

 *I have recently completed Gretchen Rubin’s audiobook The Four Tendencies about what motivates different groups of people. Many of the ideas about motivating students come loosely from her book as well as my own observations. I highly recommend the book to anyone wanting to learn how to better motivate themselves and others.

Vocabulary for High School Students

Creating meaningful vocabulary for high school students. Hmmmm—and teaching vocabulary, in engaging ways?? Tall orders. 

Word walls, mentor sentences , and repetition: It’s tough, and I believe it’s because older learners are jaded against such lessons. I don’t have all of the answers, but I can be honest about methods I’ve found meaningful. While researching this post, I discovered other methods worth examining. I’ll include links to those ideas later. Hopefully this post serves as a resource as you examine and implement vocabulary methods, discovering the most effective for your classes.

Overall, my best approach to meet advanced language standards (vocabulary for high school students is included in those standards!) is to provide everyone with choice about their tools. When I teach vocabulary , I provide bookmarks for choosing words and graphic organizers for analyzing the words.

However, before we dive into the various ways of approaching these lessons, let’s cover meaningful parts of covering vocabulary.

English Dictionaries for Modern Learners

So, we should acknowledge this: our classes have dictionaries on every device. With technology being such a prominent part of their lives, having dictionaries readily available on their devices ensures easy access to definitions, examples, and pronunciation of words. As teachers, we probably need to model using the dictionary.

These digital dictionaries offer more than just definitions; they provide context and usage examples to help classes understand how words are used in real-life situations. Additionally, many of these dictionaries have features like word games and quizzes, making the learning process interactive and engaging.

By incorporating these modern English dictionaries into our classes, we empower our everyone to take ownership of learning new terms.

What about Flashcards and Worksheets for Vocab Practice?

As a seasoned English teacher, I do not discard flashcards and worksheets to practice new terms. However, other tools exist in addition . One alternative method worth examining is the use of online flashcard platforms. These platforms allow learners to create and study virtual flashcards, making vocabulary practice more interactive and convenient. Additionally, many of these platforms offer features like audio pronunciation, a benefit for multiple grade levels.

Another tool that can be effective for vocabulary practice is the use of word association games and analogies. These games provide a fun and engaging way for students to expand their vocabulary by connecting words with related concepts or images. Vocabulary for high school students with images is not too babyish. This method not only helps improve their memory retention but also encourages creative thinking and deeper understanding of word meanings, prefixes, suffixes, and on.

1. Learner directed: Ask students to choose their words.

With this approach of acquiring words, students will choose terms to study from a reading assignment, most often a novel.

This method takes extra work because you won’t have a master for grading. I’ve also found that it’s labor intensive. Guiding students and encouraging them to uncover difficult words requires circling amongst everyone. Grading can be a completion check or quick overview of words. Another option is to compile the class’ commonly listed words and study those. This approach means that the work won’t be done ahead of time, which creates extra prep work for you.

Still, this is the vocabulary instruction I commonly use with my vocabulary for high school students. It gives them ownership, and I sense less grumbling from classes. At times, I provide structure and require certain words be included. They overall choose the words, and I merely serve as their assistant in learning.

When classes choose their vocabulary words, this can flow into writing assignments. For instance, you can have them write a sentence using a vocabulary word. Another option is to find a theme among the words and have them write a story based on the words’ message: gloom, excitement, destruction, promise.

2. Pre-made lists: Choose the words and have students attempt the definition from a text.

When reading fiction or nonfiction, choose vocabulary words ahead of time. Give readers the list and as they read, ask them to derive the meaning from the context. After finishing, everyone can correct their words with each other, a dictionary, or as a class.

First, students will practice using context clues. Furthermore as you review, you can explain the parts of speech, showing how grammar is part of what they read. To take it a step more, examine why the author used specific language. For instance in The Great Gatsby , we analyze Fitzgerald’s writing style through a linguistic lens.

Finally, do not feel bad about assigning specific words. Vocabulary learning takes time, and young readers might not be savvy enough for word consciousness.

3. Easy vocabulary for the high school student: Teach a word of the day.

Floating around Pinterest are dozens of “words every high school graduate should know” and “ACT prep” or “SAT” lists. Grab a list of unknown words, modify it if necessary, and add definitions. Teach one concept per day. This method can be in a no-stress way, by simply posting the word and reading it to start class. Students will remember those words, especially if you use them throughout the year in your lessons.

Many schools are creating robust vocabulary lists for the entire school to focus on. Your school may soon have such a list, and all teachers will incorporate that list in some manner. Another option is to borrow a list from a neighboring school.

To review, grab sticky notes and ask students to create a picture, sentence, or note that helps them remember the word and its definition. (Start with basic words if necessary.) Combine the sticky notes and complete a gallery walk with your class.

4. Vocabulary for high school students: Teach from a series.

Teaching vocabulary from a series is a bit like #3, but with more pre-made activities. If you are new to teaching vocabulary or need quick instruction, the web is full series with accompanying activities. Experiment with what your students enjoy and with what helps them learn the best. Create your own activities to supplement, or branch out with the above ideas.

Teaching from a series shouldn’t be the end-all, but can be a starting point. I use mentor sentences from a variety of books so that I can connect vocabulary to literature smoothly.

5. Fun and visual reminders: Word walls.

Yes, secondary students enjoy word walls. Ask students to assemble adverbs and adjectives from their vocabulary lists. Hang the words and discuss their meanings. As students created this visual, they will interact with it, especially if it becomes part of a bulletin board.

The goal is for students to review their vocabulary in multiple ways, study it multiple times, and to take ownership of the words. Vocabulary activities high school needn’t always be formal; a quick review with the word wall created by students will reinforce vocabulary lessons.

Like I previously mentioned, when I began writing this blog post, I researched best practices for vocabulary instruction. During my teaching training, I was taught that students needed to identify words for the instruction to be meaningful. I see validity with that point and most often use some variation of that when teaching high school students vocabulary. However, I have experienced students avoiding terms that intimidate them. The words that could create growth? Students ignore them.

One could argue that classes are still studying, but are they truly expanding their vocabularies? Teacher involvement is a requirement – involvement that uses the vocabulary orally and in writing. In “Research-based Practices in Vocabulary Instruction,” the authors say this:

Research recommends that students learn fewer words but that they know how words and the English language work so that they can infer the meanings of new words. Effective vocabulary instruction is characterized by deliberate selection of words to be taught and frequent opportunities for students to interact with the words in meaningful contexts. Interacting with words in multiple ways and in varied contexts results in durable word learning.

From reading “know how words and the English language work,” I take that to mean conventions, grammar, studying language. I’ve written about teaching grammar alongside vocabulary , and how students benefit from learning words associated with an English class, just as students use algebraic terms in an algebra class.

The study quoted above is not long, and contains links to other resources. If you teach with ‘tiered’ words, Edutopia has tips for that vocabulary instruction.

Teaching Vocabulary, Overall.

Teaching vocabulary for high school students is a must, and the variations will depend upon your classes’ needs and your experience. When I reflect upon my first years teaching, my vocabulary instruction was weak. Over time, I learned new methods and grew in my confidence in allowing everyone to participate more. Passive learning of new terms will not grow students’ vocabularies. Research different approaches, and experiment.

Collaborate with other teachers and learn vocabulary alongside your students. Finally, be open to various approaches when teaching vocabulary to high school students.

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vocabulary vocabulary activities

6 Engaging Vocabulary Activities to Try in 2020

Since vocabulary is something English teachers are constantly teaching, it can be easy to get stuck in a routine. I’ll confess that I’ve been guilty of falling into the vocabulary slideshow + guided notes trap. While it’s not an ineffective lesson, it does get boring after a while. I keep the trusty guided notes sheet in my back pocket for those days when an easy, structured “notes” lesson is necessary, but I also work hard to mix up my vocabulary lessons with engaging activities.

If you’re hoping to do the same with your vocabulary instruction in 2020, then here are 6 of my favorite student-centered, engaging vocabulary activities. 🙂 Happy teaching!

1. VOCABULARY QUESTION TRAIL

A question trail is my go-to strategy for making vocabulary instruction more engaging. If you’ve never heard of it, it’s a kinesthetic activity that gets students up and moving around the room on a “trail” of multiple-choice questions. At each station on the trail, students answer a multiple-choice question that sends them to the next question “on the trail.” If students answer each question correctly, they will travel to all questions and successfully complete the trail in the correct order. If students answer a question incorrectly, they will eventually end up at a station they’ve already completed, which means they need to backtrack and problem-solve. This also means students AND teachers can get helpful, immediate feedback.

I like to use question trails as a student-centered, interactive alternative to introducing vocabulary words with a slideshow and notes. To do this, I write multiple-choice questions that ask students to use context clues to discern the definition of a vocabulary word in a sentence. A question trail would also work for vocabulary review before an assessment.

For more information on how to create your own question trail, check out this helpful blog post or this editable template. If you don’t have time to create your own question trail, you can check out my print-ready vocabulary in context question trails. You can find one that’s suitable for 7-9th graders here, and a test-prep one that will challenge 10-12th graders here.

2. VOCABULARY TRADING CARDS

I created “vocabulary trading cards” when I got stuck in a vocab rut and was searching for a way to mix up my vocabulary instruction! Vocabulary trading cards ask students to visually represent the word on the front and then record its “stats” on the back: definition, synonyms, antonyms, and connotation. They have to plot the word’s connotation on a negative-positive spectrum, so it’s a great way to practice connotation! As a fun bonus, students even get to “rate” the word out of 5 stars. (This gives them a nice outlet to “complain” about certain words…ha!)

When I do this, each student gets their own vocabulary word (depending on the number of words). After the kids create their trading cards, they have to “duel” other students and decide which word is “better” by discussing the word’s stats and usage. You can make different standards for what “wins,” or just let them argue it out, which is what I do. Sometimes, students conclude that the positive words are stronger, or vice versa. I’ll even hear the kids converse about which words are more versatile, or they’ll make cross-curricular connections.

The “dueling,” challenging, playing, debating, or whatever you want to call it is the most fun part of this (and the part that cements the words into students’ memory). My students seriously act like kids playing Pokemon in the early 2000s (and they’re in high school). It’s hysterical and effective!

You can check out my ready-to-print vocabulary trading card template here or look into ReadWriteThink’s online trading card generator here. Their template is not designed for vocabulary, but I think it could work!

3. VOCABULARY SCAVENGER HUNT OR GALLERY WALK

This idea is so simple but incredibly effective! I created this when I had a vocabulary slideshow ready to present, but I decided I didn’t want to talk at my students for the entire day. Literally all I did was print out the slides from my presentation and tape them up around my room. Each slide had a vocabulary word, its definition, and a picture.

Here’s how it works: Students travel around the room to “find” all of the vocabulary words, jot down their definitions, and draw a picture/write a sentence/come up with some fun way to remember the word. (A simple graphic organizer works well for these “notes.”) When students think of a good example of the word, they can write it on a sticky note and post it by the paper that’s hanging up. Throughout the day, the collection of sticky notes will grow, giving students multiple examples and clever ways to remember each word. The sticky notes will give your students more connections than you could give them in a teacher-led lesson.

When you think about it, it’s not really a “scavenger hunt,” or even a real gallery walk; it’s students taking notes while walking around. But don’t call it that. Trick your kids into a little bit of kinesthetic and student-centered learning! Trust me…it works!

4. “HEADS UP” GAME

If you want a low-prep but high-impact activity, try this fun spinoff of Ellen DeGeneres’ popular “Heads Up” game. All you need is a set of cards with your vocabulary words (one per card), but the cards don’t have to be fancy. Just create a table on a doc, type one word per card, print, and cut! I recommend using a rubber band, paperclip, or plastic bag to keep each set together. Students will be grouped in partners, so you’ll need one set of cards for each set of partners.

Once in partners, students will pick one person to go first. This person will pick up a vocabulary card (without looking at it) and place it on their forehead. Then, the partner will give clues about the word, and the first person will have to guess the word. It’s that simple!

I usually have students play 2-3 “rounds” of the game to give them lots of practice. Here’s how I structure it:

• Round 1: Students can use definitions as clues.
• Round 2: Students can use only synonyms or antonyms as clues.
• Round 3: Students can use only examples/sentences as clues.

If your students love playing this game for vocabulary, you can try it with figurative language, literary devices, characters, and more. It’s always a hit in my classroom!

5. QUIZLET/QUIZLET LIVE

I can’t write a blog post on vocabulary without mentioning my all-time favorite tech tool, Quizlet Live. For those days when you have no time or energy to prep, Quizlet Live has your back. I have been known to strategically plan Quizlet Live for the first day after a break, so if you’re looking for something to do when you go back to school in January, this is it.

Quizlet Live is an engaging, collaborative game that helps students review vocabulary words. It is as simple as one click if you already have a deck of virtual flashcards set up. If you don’t have flashcards set up, it takes less than 5 minutes to make a set of 10-15. When you have a set of flashcards, click on “Live” (under “Play”) and follow the instructions to begin. Students will join with a code, and then Quizlet Live will automatically organize them into groups.

If your students are tired of Quizlet, some fun alternatives include Kahoot , Quizizz, and Gimkit. These are live learning games that are similar to Quizlet Live but just different enough to mix things up.

6. VOCABULARY LEARNING STATIONS

Last but certainly not least is one of my favorites: learning stations! Vocabulary stations are essentially a mash-up of the above activities (or any other activities you want to substitute). 

Here’s my go-to set-up for vocabulary stations. You can easily add or substitute your own activities to mix things up:

• Station 1: Vocabulary Charades
• Station 2: Vocabulary Trading Cards
• Station 3: Vocabulary Pictionary
• Station 4: Writing Task
• Station 5: Quizlet/Your Choice

If you’re looking for an editable, print-ready set of vocabulary learning stations, you can check out mine here. These including the trading card template I mentioned above. 🙂 For more information on how to create your own learning stations, check out this blog post.

I hope this list helped you brainstorm some vocabulary ideas for 2020. While you’re here, let me know your favorite vocabulary activity in the comments so I can add to my collection of strategies. 🙂

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All of these vocab ideas are BRILLIANT!! I have been wanting to try something new, and I think my kids would love all of these! Thank you for sharing – I can’t wait to try each one!

Hi Abby!!! Is it posible to turn these lovely activities into digital ones? I mean, as we’re working virtually I’d like to teach vocab with another tool different from Quizizz or Quizlet. Thank you so much!!! Your posts on Google Classroom aré extremely useful!!! Love, Cin

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21 Ideas for Teaching Vocabulary

I’m sharing 21 ideas for teaching vocabulary. You may not be able to use all of them, but I hope you can find some ideas that will work well for you!

I’ve shared books about vocabulary instruction , as well as the theory and techniques . This post is a lot more practical. We’re all about ideas today!

I’m sharing the bare bones of the ideas here.

I’m adding lengthier explanations for some of them with more tips and fleshed-out instructions on my website devoted just to vocabulary instruction, VocabularyLuau .

You’ll see that option at the end of the idea if it’s available. 

IDEA #1: Semantic Maps

In this activity, the teacher chooses a word and displays it for the class on a whiteboard, etc.

Students read the word and then think of words that come to mind when they see that word (this is awesome because it activates prior learning).

A list is created of all of the words that come to mind, and then those words are categorized.

This can be done as a whole class or in small groups.

Students then create a “map” using a graphic organizer and discuss it. Additional or substitute categories can be suggested.

As students read through the text, they can add related words to the map.

Want more details on this strategy? Get the step-by-step on VocabularyLuau .

IDEA #2: Eye Spy

Give students a list of words to search for in a text or have them find unfamiliar words.

You can award points to the words based on different criteria (longest new word, word with most consonants, etc.).

Invest in a set of inexpensive dollar store magnifying glasses to make this more game-like.

This is a great pre-reading activity.

Want more details on this strategy? Get the step-by-step on  VocabularyLuau.

IDEA #3: Making Choices

Students show their understanding of vocabulary by saying the word when it applies, or remaining silent when it doesn’t.

For example: “Say radiant if any of these things would make someone look radiant.” -Winning a million dollars. -Earning a gold medal. -Walking to the post office. -Cleaning your room. -Having a picture you painted hung in the school library. 

(This idea is from the book Bringing Words to Life , recommended in the books section.)

This is one of the key strategies teachers need in introducing new vocabulary. Because of that, I’ve written extensively and given a dozen examples from different texts for Kinder through 12th grade on VocabularyLuau .

IDEA #4: Sorting Hat

Use a Harry Potter theme to have students sort words into categories. They can pull them out of a hat.

If you give them the categories, it’s called a “closed sort.” If they come up with their own categories, it’s called “open sort.”

This one is so, so fun. I explain lots more about how to do it on VocabularyLuau .

IDEA #5: Word Pairs

Give students words in pairs and have them evaluate if the words are the same, opposite, go together, or are unrelated.

This strategy is terrific for building critical thinking skills along with the vocabulary.

Get even more details and variations at VocabularyLuau .

(adapted from Word Power: What Every Educator Needs to Know about Teaching Vocabulary )

IDEA #6: Linear Array

In this strategy, students use a graphic organizer that is a rectangle, three ovals, and then another rectangle, all in a line.

The word in question goes in the rectangle on the far left.

The rectangle on the far right is filled in with a word that is the opposite.

The center three ovals are filled in with words that go from the far left to the far right, gradually become less similar until they reach the opposite.

For example, microscopic, tiny, small, bigger, large.

You can see examples of the graphic organizer, more details, and lots of variations on VocabularyLuau .

(adapted from Words, Words, Words: Teaching Vocabulary in Grades 4 – 12 )

IDEA #7: Games

Many “real” games work well for vocab play and practice. Games such as Balderdash , Taboo , Scrabble , Blurt , Bananagrams ,  word bingo, and others are fun.

There are online games as well, such as Scholastic’s Synonym Toast .

[Note: I am a notoriously horrible Scrabble player, and every time I play I think, “English teachers should be better at this.” It’s not my favorite.]

IDEA #8: Scavenger Hunt

Have a word scavenger hunt in books, magazines, articles on the net, or in the school or home.

Don’t just go for numbers; go for unusual words, academic vocabulary, weird spellings, homophones, etc.

IDEA #9: Word Wheel

Copy and paste this image onto a sheet of cardstock and make a vocab spinner game. EisforExplore shares the whole idea here.

IDEA #10: Vocabulary Photo Album

Using a simple, inexpensive photo album, students create a visual glossary of key words.

I’ve got pictures of examples, details, and more ideas at VocabularyLuau , if you’d like to read more.

IDEA #11: Tally

Use tally marks to track words you’re trying to practice.

Mark whenever the teacher says the word in context, and mark twice when a student does.

Alternatively, you can have the tally marks be even, but play the teacher versus the class.

There’s so much more to this strategy. Learn more about how tally marks can help you teach vocabulary at VocabularyLuau .

IDEA #12: Vocabulary Relay

Print out words on one set of cards (copy this set a few times) and definitions, context, or sentences in which they could be used (fill-in-the-blank) on another set (just one set).

Jumble up the words in a pile in the middle of the floor, and jumble up the definitions, context, and sentences to keep with you. Break students into teams of five-ish.

Call out the definition/context/sentence and give students some think time (8 – 10 seconds) to talk about what word it might be.

After the discussion time, call out “Word!” One member from each team runs to the center and tries to find the word in the pile.

I like having multiple sets of the words so more than one team can get it.

Check to make sure they’re correct, and then discuss it briefly before the next round.

Note: I got this idea from another teacher’s site, but I cannot for the life of me remember where. I have searched Google for it, and can’t find it. A small prize to the person who can figure out the originator of the idea!

I’ve written quite a bit about it here, but I’ve written more (and have lots of pictures of it in play) at VocabularyLuau .

IDEA #13: Vocabulary Category Relay 

This is a different relay activity than the one above, even though the names are so similar.

In this version, teams of students race to fill in words responsive to a category that start with the letters of the alphabet in order.

This can be done individually, in groups, or even as a whole class. It’s also a good one for both digital and in-person instruction.

When I wrote about it on VocabularyLuau , I shared these score sheets for digital use, as well as printable versions.

IDEA #13: Comic Strip Word Activity 

I got the idea for using comic strips from This Reading Mama .

In some ways, it’s really a modified Frayer model. 

I loved it so much that I started making them like crazy. It turns out that they let me get a clear glimpse into how well the students had mastered the word. 

I have an entire article about this, filled with loads of ideas and resources at VocabularyLuau .

You can check out that article here (or click the image below).

IDEA #14: Paper Plate Vocab

I love this inexpensive matching game  from Finding Joy in Fifth Grade , and I think students could create it themselves.

IDEA #15: Heads Up Vocabulary Game

Students hold a word on a card in front of their foreheads. The students don’t know what words they have.

Students ask each other a series of questions to determine the meaning of their word. Or, students can give students clues to the person with the word to help that person guess the word.

This is a review activity, and it’s not for initial instruction.

It’s such a favorite that I wrote a very comprehensive article about it on VocabularyLuau . There’s even a hack for printing on Post-it notes!

IDEA #16: Word Sneak

Word Sneak is a game invented by Jimmy Fallon that he plays with guests on the Tonight Show.

In the game, Jimmy and the guest each get a stack of cards with words on them that they have to work into the conversation naturally (without sounding forced or stilted).

It’s hysterical to watch and fun to play.

It’s also a great way to learn different ways to approach a word.

It’s so much fun that when I wrote the article about in on VocabularyLuau , I also included a Tonight Show backdrop you can use in class to give it an even more “real” feel.

IDEA #17: Frayer Model

The Frayer Model is an oldie-but-goodie vocab activity model in which student work in multiple ways in a specifically laid out graphic organizer to engage with words.

This is such a must-know that I wrote a (very lengthy and detailed) plan for how to use it at VocabularyLuau .

It includes downloads and printables and digital versions, as well as exactly how (and why) to use this strategy.

If you are not familiar with it, please do yourself a solid and read more .

IDEA #18: Tweet

Have students create a “tweet” that a word would send out or with the word in the tweet in context.

You can use a tool like PrankmeNot or Siminator  to make it look real.

This strategy is so fun and so useful!

I’ve written about five different ways to do this (with examples) on VocabularyLuau , and I even have this free template for you there:

IDEA #19: Brain Power Words

This is a strong academic vocabulary activity that takes a little bit of time, but would really help get the words past the superficial level of understanding.

• Ask small groups of students to preview sections of a text and identify difficult words.
• For long chapters, assign different sections to different groups.
• Students place a Post-it next to the words in the text they identify as potentially difficult.
• Clues of substitution: A known word would make sense in the context and is probably a good definition.
• Clues of definition: The word is defined in the text (many textbooks do this).
• Clues of opposition: Words “not, unlike” etc. are excellent clues to what a word is not and thus help define the words.
• After the Brain Power Words list is identified and definitions sought, the students check their work with the teacher.

This strategy is from Becky McTague and Margaret Richek (it’s in the book Reading Success for Struggling Adolescent Learners  by Susan Lenski and Jill Lewis).

IDEA #20: The Concept Cube

A concept cube is a  pattern that is printed on paper or cardstock, cut out, folded, and taped into a three-dimensional cube.

Students write, type, or draw on the pattern prior to assembling the cube, and then  they “play” with the cube to explore concepts.

Depending upon the way you choose to use it, they can be similar to a three-dimensional  Frayer model .

You can print out a blank cube and have students print the responses below, or complete it online and then print it out.

Before folding, students write clearly in each square following the 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.

You can get more ideas and details, as well as a free printable, at VocabularyLuau .

IDEA #21: Phone a Friend

Search TeacherspayTeachers or Teachers Notebook for vocabulary activities you can use or adapt.

The beauty of this is that you can search by grade level and subject, so you can focus on what you’re studying.

A caveat to this is that if you create something grade level or content specific, you can share it with other teachers, too.

The Importance of a Variety of Activities

You want to have a variety of activities so that vocabulary instruction doesn’t become routine or boring.

Keeping it fresh with lots of different ways of learning will help students (and the teacher) avoid getting burned out or tired of working with vocabulary.

There’s been so much interest in this that I created an entire website just for vocab ideas called VocabularyLuau .

These 21 activities for teaching vocabulary are just a start. I’d love to know your ideas!

The Vocabulary Series

This post is Part 3 of a four-part series on teaching vocabulary. If you would like to check out the rest of the series, visit the posts below

• Teaching Vocabulary: The books
• Theories & Techniques that work (and don’t)
• 21 Activities for Teaching Vocabulary (this one)
• Ideas for English Language Learners

There’s even a great book for teaching vocabulary!

These ideas work for all vocabulary words.

If your students need to learn vocabulary words and terms that are specific to your content (words like acute angle or latitude or simile or biome ), have I got a book for you!

You know how I know it’s great? I wrote it! I wrote it for teachers just like you from the method I created in my own class with my own students and tested over and over.

You can learn more about it by clicking on the picture of it, or you can read more and see loads of examples here .

If you already know you want it, you can grab a paperback version on Amazon .

Or, if you want a digital copy, you can use the coupon code GIFTEDGURU for 20% off you can…

Do You Like Great Ideas?

If so, I share them in my email o’ goodness that goes out about once a month to thousands of people just like you.

You can sign up here (it’s free).

Note: This content uses referral links. Read my disclosure policy (it’s fascinating) for more info.

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Vocabulary activities high school

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5 Vocabulary Games That Build Content Knowledge

Engaging games support student understanding of subject-specific vocabulary and  help  ensure retention of content knowledge.

Subject-specific vocabulary goes hand-in-hand with a deep and meaningful knowledge of content. It allows us to engage with that subject, unlocks understanding, and promotes clear and precise communication. 

At the end of a topic or unit of work, I like to encourage my students to play with the words they’ve learned. I use five different word-association games that get students to recall, describe, explain, listen, and verbalize the subject-specific vocabulary from that topic or unit of work. In my experience, the lighthearted nature of these games provides students with a fun, safe, and low-stakes environment where they feel more confident to just have a go.

Although the examples I’ve given are specific to my subject (biology) and age group (high school), I hope these games are also applicable to other subjects and student ages and provide engaging ways to help students master vocabulary. 

1. From A to Z 

How it works: For this five-to-eight-minute game, students work in small groups (two to four) and have to write down a word related to a topic for every letter of the alphabet. For example, if the topic is cells, “A” might be “apoptosis,” “B” might be “binary fission,” “C” might be “cytoplasm,” and so on. For many topics, students might struggle to find a word for every letter (and sometimes you will too). You can support them and/or allow them to get more abstract or silly. 

This is great as a starter activity for a lesson that falls at the end of the topic. I like to keep it visible and accessible throughout the lesson for students to add to if inspiration strikes them later on. 

2. Articulate 

Based on the popular board game Articulate, this 10-to-20-minute game (depending on the size of your class) gets students to describe and define key terms.

How it works: Prepare a number of cards containing four words related to a topic or subject and one silly or unrelated word. Students will work in teams of three or four. When it’s the first team’s turn, one student from that team stands at the front. The teacher gives that student a card, and the student has to describe the word to their team without ever saying the word, or variations of the word. I usually allow each team one free pass per round. The number of points that the team gets is equal to the number of words that the team guesses in 30 seconds. Teams rotate and continue until every player has had a turn. 

3. Just One 

The aim of this 15-to-20-minute game is to get students to make connections between key vocabulary words. 

I first played the Just One game with my family and then modified it by making cards specific to vocabulary in my subject so that I could use it in my classroom. 

How it works: Prepare a number of cards with five words related to a unit, topic, or subject (sometimes I reuse the ones I use in Articulate). Three to seven students work in a group. One student chooses a number between one and five and turns around, facing away from their classmates. 

The first card is shown to the other students in the group, and without conferring, they write down one word (on a mini whiteboard) that relates to the corresponding word on the card. For example, if the clue is “muscle,” possible related words might be “movement,” “skeletal,” or “tissue.” All of the students reveal their mini whiteboards to their group—all except the first student. 

If two students have written the same word, both words get erased (this encourages students to think beyond the most obvious links). Finally, the first student turns around to view the remaining words and has one chance to guess what the original word on the card was. Repeat the process with a new student guessing and a new card until everyone has had at least one turn. You can appeal to students’ competitive natures by giving them a score to aim for. So, for a group of five, everyone has two turns, and the aim is to achieve a total score of 7 or more out of 10.

4. Telephone Pictionary

For this 20-to-30-minute game, students use diagrams to explain key vocabulary.

How it works: Create groups of about six to eight students, ideally sitting in a circle. Each student is given a note card or piece of paper with a different phrase or term on it (examples I have used include “human evolution,” “the kidneys” and “cell membrane”). 

The student has 30–45 seconds to sketch a picture to represent the phrase or term and then paperclips their sketch over the word so that it isn’t visible to the next student. This picture gets passed on to the next student, who (on a new card or piece of paper) writes a phrase or term that they think was given to the student before them based on the picture drawn. Then they use their sketch to cover the previous one. This continues around the group, alternating between drawing and writing until it returns to the original student. 

This is happening simultaneously for all students—so everyone is always doing something. Once the cycle returns to the original student, they lay out all the cards, reveal the original phrase or term, and choose a winning contributor for their round—usually either the most accurate or the funniest one. 

5. Mind Meld 

This two-to-eight-minute game gets students verbalizing and making links between vocabulary words. It works well at the end of a lesson when you have a couple of spare minutes.

How it works: Students are put into pairs, and on the count of three, they say a word related to a given subject or unit. For example, in the topic “cells,” one student might say “cellulose,” and another student might say “eukaryotic.” On the count of three, they then simultaneously say another word that they think matches the two words just said. Now, one might say “plant” and another might say “cell wall.” This keeps going until both students say the same word at the same time. Words can’t be repeated at any time.

High School Vocabulary: Word Lists For Grades 9-12

• Ninth Grade
• Tenth Grade
• Eleventh Grade
• Twelfth Grade

By Ashley Austrew

Whether you’re a teacher, a parent, or a high school student yourself, you’re probably aware that having a strong vocabulary is important for reading, writing, and speaking. In ninth through twelfth grades, students are not only tackling high-level coursework, but also preparing for their adult lives beyond school. The words they learn now will carry through into their later educational and career endeavors, and that makes it especially important to put in the effort to grow their vocabulary, literacy, and spelling skills.

To help get high schoolers back in the swing of things, we’ve put together 12 word lists with hundreds of essential vocabulary words for every stage of high school, along with flash cards, quizzes, and more. These words will not only help students in English class or while taking the SAT. They’ll also help students studying advanced science, history, art, political science, and more. Keep scrolling to learn them all!

When you’re preparing for the big tests in your life, turn to these word lists and quizzes build right for the SAT, ACT, and more.

Ninth-grade vocabulary words and tips

In ninth grade, students are making the transition into advanced learning that will prepare them for college, careers, and beyond. These students are exploring history, science, writing, and literature, and being able to spell and comprehend a great many multisyllabic words with multiple meanings is an important skill.

Ninth graders aren’t only studying words for their spelling or meaning, though. Rather, they’re studying vocabulary to gain a deeper understanding of language and the ability to analyze the impact of words in context. This is a requirement for much of the higher level learning and analysis done by students in high school. Reading remains important at this stage, as does studying new words to learn and use throughout their school work. Here are 75 vocabulary words ninth graders need to know.

• characteristic
• accomodation
• satisfactory
• civilization … full list
• remembrance
• interpretation
• accompaniment
• administration
• monotony … full list
• indispensable
• commissioner
• hindrance … full list

Now take those ninth grade skills up a notch with this quiz!

Tenth-grade vocabulary words and tips

Students in tenth grade are building on many of the literacy skills they acquired in ninth grade. They’re able to not only decode complex words, but also to understand the figurative , connotative , and technical meanings within a text, analyze word choice, and determine the best words to use to convey their ideas.

Students at this stage are likely also preparing to take practice SAT and ACT tests within the coming year or so, making it all the more important for them to have a rich and robust vocabulary. Reviewing these word lists, practicing with flash cards, and taking advantage of our spelling and definition quizzes will help kids slowly and steadily make progress on this goal. Here are three word lists to help tenth graders feel ahead of the curve.

• belligerent
• connotation … full list
• perfunctory
• disseminate … full list
• subordinate
• jurisdiction
• precipitate
• alternative
• bureaucratic
• validate … full list  

Once you’ve reviewed these words, consider testing your expertise of tenth grade vocabulary with a quiz.

Eleventh-grade vocabulary words and tips

By eleventh grade, much of the focus for students is on college and career readiness. By the end of their eleventh-grade year, many students will have taken their ACT or SAT. They’re likely also looking at colleges they’d like to apply to during their senior year, and probably practicing those admissions essays as well. All of this makes a strong vocabulary an especially important thing to have.

Rather than cramming for a specific test or assignment, it will be helpful for eleventh graders to focus on study and enrichment all year long. They can use these three lists to get started by reviewing the words daily with digital flashcards and taking our accompanying word quizzes to see how much they’ve retained. With a little practice each day, these terms will be second nature to eleventh graders in no time.

• indoctrinate
• contradiction
• effervescent … full list
• conciliatory
• altercation
• delineate … full list
• ameliorate … full list

Think you can pass this eleventh grade vocab quiz? Only one way to find out!

Twelfth-grade vocabulary words and tips

In their final year of high school, students are able to interpret, use, and understand some of the most complex words in the English language. They’ve built up their vocabularies through their regular coursework and by studying for the SAT or ACT, if they’ve taken the tests or plan to. Students at this level are working with the real world in mind, and they need to be able to interpret language in a variety of settings.

So, what’s left to do? Plenty! It’s time to deepen their understanding of language and create a lifelong practice of learning and thinking about the way we use words. For twelfth graders, this may mean reading more complicated books and poetry, being adventurous in their writing, and seeking new opportunities for learning, which is a lifelong skill that will benefit them once they leave the four walls of the school building. They can start by getting familiar with these word lists. These words are ones they may need for test prep, college, their careers, and beyond. Start by reviewing the words, and then dig in to our spelling tests and quizzes to build a functional and seriously impressive vocabulary in no time.

• anachronism
• camaraderie
• incompatible
• digression … full list
• rancorous … full list
• ostentatious
• superfluous
• collaborative … full list

Once you’ve reviewed these words, test yourself with this quiz built straight for twelfth grade vocabulary.

Ashley Austrew is a freelance journalist and writer from Omaha, Nebraska. Her work has been published at  Cosmopolitan ,  Scary Mommy ,  Scholastic , and other outlets.  For more by Ashley, read:  “Teacher” vs. “Tutor”: Why Most Kids Need Both  | Your Student Can Take Middle School By Storm With The Right Vocabulary  |  Make Your Writing The Star Of National Grammar Day With These Tips | How To Plan Out And Plan Ahead For Your Final Project

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7 Effective Vocabulary-Building Activities

“I love the taste of words. They have a taste and a weight and a colour as well as a sound and a shape.”

—Philip Pullman

A 2008 article from  The   Washington Post showed how “ Students Dig Deep for Words’ Origins .” The article noted that Phil Rosenthal was one of the few high-school instructors in the United States teaching an etymology course. According to Rosenthal, students take the class because they want to brush up on their vocabulary skills before taking the ACT or SAT, and/or because they have a genuine interest in the history of words. (It was also reported that a few students sign up for the course thinking they will be studying insects.)

This article brought to mind my failed attempt at introducing middle-school students to the study of words. I took too much ownership of the unit. If I had approached word study as a process of shared inquiry, my students and I would have had a much more meaningful experience.

Here’s what we know about vocabulary development: There is a strong connection between a student’s vocabulary and his or her reading ability. The same is true for a student’s ability to listen, speak, and write. In fact, we now recognize that each person actually has four vocabularies, one each for reading, listening, speaking, and writing (listed here from largest to smallest). Obviously, there is much overlap, but students will always be able to recognize more words than they can produce.

In addition, giving students long lists of vocabulary words with little or no context is not an effective way to teach vocabulary; students must be actively involved in word study for it to mean anything to them. Simply put, if students don’t use the words they are studying, those words will not become part of the students’ “producing” vocabulary. To develop an effective vocabulary program, consider the following types of student-friendly activities:

Vocabulary-Building Activities

Previewing in context.

• Select 5-6 words from a chapter or selection students are about to read.
• Have students turn to the page in which each word is located. Ask the students to read the word in context and try to figure out its meaning.
• Have students write down what they think each word means.
• Discuss possible meanings and arrive at a definition in this context.

Self-Collection

• Have students collect interesting words from different sources, preferably non-school sources.
• Have students identify each word and the context in which it is used.
• Next, have them analyze the word using its context, word parts, and dictionary definitions.

Language Families

• Divide the class into eight groups, and have each group research one of the Indo-European language groups (Albanian, Armenian, Balto Slavic, and so on).
• Afterward, have each group present their findings to the class. (Let the groups choose how they want to present their findings.)

See minilesson for "Discovering Word Origins (Etymology)."

Prefix, Suffix, Root Study

• Assign students 3-4 word parts (prefixes, suffixes, roots) each week.
• Give students strategies for learning these word parts.
• Assign students one word part daily. As you take roll, have students write the word part, the definition, a sample word, and a sentence using the word.
• Then have them brainstorm for familiar words that will help them remember the meaning of each word part.
• Challenge them to combine the word parts they have studied into as many words as possible (perhaps in 5 minutes’ time or as a challenge assignment for the next day). Special cards can be used for this purpose.
• Also challenge them to create “new” words using the word parts they have learned. To qualify, a new word should make sense and might be actually used.
• Ask students to share their new words; partners should try to guess what each one means.

Special Note: Thoughtful Learning's writing handbooks contain extensive lists of prefixes, suffices, and roots.

Word Sleuthing I

• On a regular basis, present students with a list of five or six mostly familiar words that contain the same root, prefix, or suffix. (Make the last one or two more challenging than the other words.)

Note: For extra credit, encourage students to provide some of these lists of words.

Word Sleuthing II

• Provide students, on their own or in pairs, a word to investigate on the Internet. They should try to find as much as they can about the word, starting with its etymology. Instruct them to find information about the word from at least _________ sources (you determine the number) in addition to online dictionaries.
• After their research, have students present their findings to the class. (Let students choose how they want to present their findings.)

Word Contest

• For an end-of-the-week activity, have students, on their own or in pairs, be ready with pen and paper. Then give them 3-5 minutes to list as many words as they can containing a particular prefix or root. (Suffixes may not work as well.)
• The winner is the individual or team listing the most words. (But make sure that each word is real.)

Reading is far and away the primary way for students to build their vocabularies, so encourage them to read all sorts of print and online materials. Along with that, employ a variety of activities (like the ones above) to help students appreciate the richness of the language. The combination should produce positive results.

Want more vocabulary-building activities?  

• Explore 12 Vocabulary Activities for High School !

Teacher Support:

Click to find out more about this resource.

Standards Correlations:

The State Standards provide a way to evaluate your students' performance.

• LAFS.K12.L.3.4
• LAFS.K.L.3.4
• LAFS.K12.L.3.5
• LAFS.K.L.3.5
• LAFS.K12.L.3.6

45 High School Art Project Ideas For Your Next Creative Assignment

Art is a medium of expression that can be exhibited through endless ways and creative means. Its beauty lies in the fact that its boundaries are limitless and each art piece can be interpreted according to individual tastes and life experiences.

Thus, choosing a high school art project idea for high school students can be a significant mental task. These very art project ideas can ignite a passion for art, which they may wish to pursue later in their lives. Hence, the need to nudge them into creativity and be aware of its influence on their impressionable minds is important.

Choosing An Art Project Idea

Choosing an art project idea is a very personal experience that is unique to each individual. There are multiple factors involved in this selection that need to be considered before a final consensus is reached. Some steps and criteria to guide you in selecting a project that aligns with your interests, skills, and educational goals are:

• Identify Your Interests and Passions: Choose a project that resonates with your interests or experiences. Whether it’s a favorite hobby, a cause you’re passionate about, or a theme you find intriguing, personal connection will keep you motivated. You may also consider areas you haven’t explored yet in your artwork. This could be an opportunity to delve into a new style, technique, or subject matter that excites you.
• Assess Your Skill Level: Choose a project that matches your current skill level while still offering a bit of a challenge. If a project is too difficult, it could lead to frustration, but if it’s too easy, it may not be fulfilling. Consider what skills you want to develop. Do you want to improve your drawing, painting, or sculpting abilities? Pick a project that focuses on these areas.
• Consider the Resources Available: Ensure you have access to the necessary materials and tools for your project. If not, think about how you can adapt your idea to fit what you have or what you can easily obtain. Think about the time you have to complete the project and the space where you’ll be working. Some projects may require more time or a larger workspace than others.
• Set a Clear Objective: Be clear about your artistic goals. What do you want to achieve with this project? Is it to express an idea, tell a story, experiment with a new technique, or explore a specific theme? Having a clear goal can guide your creative process. Also, analyse the learning outcomes you wish to achieve. Consider what you want to learn from the project. This could be a new technique, understanding a new concept, or exploring a different cultural perspective.
• Think About the Audience: Consider whether your project will be displayed publicly, submitted for a competition, or shared with a specific audience. This might influence your choice of theme, style, or medium. Also, consider the message you wish to convey to your audience. Think about what you want your audience to take away from your artwork. What message or emotion do you want to convey?
• Explore Themes and Concepts: Start with broad themes like identity, nature, technology, or society. Then narrow it down to something more specific that interests you, such as exploring identity through self-portraits or environmental issues through recycled art. On the other hand, if you prefer conceptual art, think about ideas or social issues that are important to you and how you can express them visually.
• Research and Inspiration: Study the work of artists you admire and analyze what makes their work compelling to you. This can give you ideas for your project. You may create an inspiration board or sketchbook where you gather images, colors, textures, and other elements that inspire you. This can help you visualize and refine your project idea.
• Experiment and Play: Before committing to a final project, do some sketching or create small prototypes. This allows you to test out ideas, compositions, and techniques. Sometimes, the best ideas come from unexpected places. Be willing to adapt or change your project as you experiment and discover new possibilities.
• Discuss with Your Teacher or Peers: Discuss your ideas with your art teacher or classmates. They can provide valuable feedback, suggest improvements, or help you refine your concept. If possible, consider collaborating with others. Group projects can offer new perspectives and ideas, making the final work richer and more diverse.
• Plan for Execution: Once you’ve chosen your project, break it down into manageable steps. This could include research, sketching, gathering materials, and setting milestones. Allocate time for each step and consider deadlines. Good planning will help you stay on track and reduce stress.

High School Art Project Ideas

High school art project ideas need to be selected catering to the age demographic, cultural perspectives, and resources available in the area. At the same time, they need to inspire confidence, explore various art techniques, and spark creativity in the students.

Here are some high school art project ideas that can help with this:

• Mixed Media Collage: Create a collage using a mix of materials such as fabric, paper, photographs, and paint. The theme could be personal identity, cultural heritage, or a social issue.
• Self-Portrait Series: Develop a series of self-portraits in different styles (e.g., realism, abstract, cubism) or using various mediums (e.g., pencil, watercolor, digital).
• Environmental Art: Use recycled materials or natural elements to create artwork that highlights environmental issues such as pollution, deforestation, or climate change.
• 3D Sculpture: Work with clay, wire, or found objects to create a 3D sculpture. The subject could be anything from a human figure to an abstract form.
• Perspective Drawing: Explore one-point, two-point, or three-point perspective by creating a detailed drawing of an urban landscape, an interior scene, or a fantasy world.
• Typography Art: Design an artwork that focuses on typography. You could create a word or phrase using different fonts and styles to convey a message or emotion.
• Art Inspired by Music: Listen to a piece of music and create an artwork that visually represents the mood, rhythm, or story of the music.
• Art with a Social Message: Choose a social issue that you’re passionate about (e.g., mental health, equality, human rights) and create an artwork that raises awareness or makes a statement.
• Time-Lapse Painting: Create a painting or drawing and document the process with a time-lapse video. The final video can be as much a part of the project as the artwork itself.
• Cultural Exploration: Research an art style or tradition from a culture different from your own and create an artwork that pays homage to or reinterprets that style.
• Altered Book Art: Take an old or discarded book and transform it into a piece of art by altering its pages through cutting, painting, folding, or adding mixed media elements.
• Surrealism Project: Create a surreal artwork inspired by artists like Salvador Dalí or René Magritte. Use unusual combinations of objects and dream-like scenes to create a sense of the bizarre.
• Street Art/Graffiti: Design a piece of street art or graffiti on a canvas or wall (with permission). Explore bold colors, typography, and symbolic imagery to create a powerful visual statement.
• Shadow Art: Play with light and shadow to create an artwork. Use objects to cast shadows on a surface, or create a sculpture that interacts with light to form interesting shadows.
• Digital Art/Photo Manipulation: Use digital tools to create or manipulate images. Explore techniques like digital collage, photo manipulation, or creating entirely digital illustrations.
• Optical Illusions: Create an artwork that plays with the viewer’s perception through optical illusions. This can include impossible shapes, ambiguous figures, or perspective tricks.
• Fabric Art/Costume Design: Design and create a piece of wearable art or a costume using textiles. This could involve sewing, fabric painting, or even using unconventional materials.
• Art Inspired by Literature: Choose a favorite book, poem, or short story and create artwork that illustrates a scene, theme, or character from the text.
• Memory Box/Assemblage Art: Create a memory box or assemblage piece that combines personal objects, photographs, and other materials to tell a story or represent a significant memory.
• Mural Project: Collaborate with classmates to design and paint a mural. The mural could be on a large canvas, wall, or public space, and could reflect a community theme or shared vision.
• Time-Based Art: Create a piece of art that evolves, such as a series of photographs documenting the same subject over days or weeks, or a painting that you gradually change over time.
• Exploration of Color: Create an artwork focused on the use of color. This could involve exploring the color theory, monochromatic schemes, or the emotional impact of color.
• Nature-Inspired Art: Use natural materials like leaves, flowers, or stones to create an artwork. Alternatively, create a piece that reflects the beauty of the natural world, such as a detailed botanical illustration.
• Abstract Expressionism: Experiment with abstract art by focusing on colors, shapes, and textures rather than representational forms. Explore different techniques like action painting, dripping, or layering.
• Cultural Masks: Research traditional masks from different cultures and create your mask using paper mache, clay, or other materials. The mask could represent an emotion, a character, or a personal story.
• Portrait of a Friend or Family Member: Create a detailed portrait of someone important in your life. This could be done in any medium, and you could experiment with different styles or techniques.
• Art Inspired by Science: Create an artwork that explores a scientific concept, such as the human body, the solar system, or cellular structures. This could involve detailed illustrations or abstract representations.
• Interactive Art: Design a piece of art that invites interaction from the viewer, such as a puzzle, a piece that can be touched, or an installation that responds to movement or sound.
• Symbolism in Art: Create an artwork that uses symbols to convey a deeper meaning. You could explore personal symbols, cultural symbols, or universal ones.
• Fantasy World Creation: Imagine and create an entire fantasy world through a series of drawings, paintings, or mixed media pieces. This could include landscapes, creatures, and characters.
• Digital Portraits: Use digital tools to create detailed, stylized portraits. You could experiment with techniques like glitch art, digital painting, or 3D modeling.
• Time Capsule Art: Create a piece of art that represents the current moment in time for you, which could be placed in a time capsule and opened at a later date to reflect on your thoughts and feelings.
• Social Media as Art: Create an artwork that explores the impact of social media on our lives. This could involve using digital mediums, photography, or even creating a physical piece that comments on the digital world.
• Personal Map: Draw or paint a personal map that represents your life journey, your thoughts, or your emotions. It doesn’t have to be a literal map but can include abstract elements that symbolize different parts of your life.
• Art Installation: Design and create an installation that transforms a space. This could involve light, sound, objects, or even interactive elements that invite viewers to become part of the artwork.
• Art in Everyday Objects: Transform an everyday object into a piece of art by altering its appearance, function, or context. This could involve painting, sculpting, or assembling objects in new and unexpected ways.
• Reflection Art: Create an artwork that explores the theme of reflection, either literally (using mirrors or reflective surfaces) or metaphorically (reflecting on a memory, event, or idea).
• Cultural Symbolism: Research and create an artwork inspired by the symbolism found in a specific culture’s art. This could involve exploring traditional motifs, colors, and patterns.
• Art Based on a Scientific Principle: Explore a scientific concept through art. For example, you could create a piece that visualizes the concept of time, gravity, or evolution.
• Thematic Series: Develop a series of artworks around a central theme, such as “Growth,” “Conflict,” or “Transformation.” Each piece should explore a different aspect of the theme.
• Mind Maps: Create a visual mind map of your thoughts, ideas, or knowledge on a specific topic. This could be done in a highly stylized or abstract way, connecting different concepts visually.
• Deconstruction Art: Take an object and deconstruct it, either physically or conceptually, to explore its parts in a new way. The final piece could be a sculpture, collage, or abstract artwork.
• Story Through Objects: Create a still life that tells a story through the arrangement of objects. Consider how the choice of objects, their placement, and the lighting can convey a narrative.
• Symbolic Jewelry Design: Design and create a piece of symbolic jewelry using materials like metal, clay, or beads. The jewelry could represent a personal story, a cultural motif, or a concept like protection or love.
• Cultural Exploration Through Fashion: Design a series of fashion pieces inspired by the traditional clothing of different cultures. Consider how you can incorporate cultural motifs, colors, and forms into contemporary fashion design.

Significance Of Introducing Students To High School Art Projects

Art projects in high school are crucial for a number of reasons, contributing significantly to students’ personal development, academic growth, and future success. Some of these reasons are

• Creative Expression and Emotional Development: Art projects provide students with a healthy outlet for expressing their emotions and thoughts, especially during the often turbulent high school years. Engaging in art helps students explore their identity and beliefs, fostering self-awareness and confidence.
• Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving: Art challenges students to think creatively and approach problems from different perspectives, enhancing their ability to develop innovative solutions. The process of creating art involves making numerous decisions about composition, color, form, and materials, which strengthens students’ decision-making skills.
• Cultural Awareness and Appreciation: Art projects often involve exploring different cultures and historical contexts, helping students appreciate diversity and develop a global perspective. Students learn to express their cultural heritage and respect that of others through their work, promoting inclusivity and understanding.
• Interdisciplinary Learning: Art projects can be integrated with subjects like history, literature, science, and mathematics, providing a holistic learning experience. For example, students might create art inspired by scientific concepts or historical events. Also, engaging in art can enhance understanding and retention in other subjects by making abstract concepts tangible and relatable.
• Skill Development: Through art projects, students develop fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and the ability to work with various materials and tools. Art education also helps students develop visual literacy—the ability to interpret, analyze, and create meaning from visual information.
• Personal Growth and Confidence: Completing an art project requires planning, perseverance, and attention to detail, fostering self-discipline and patience. Successfully creating and sharing art can boost students’ confidence and sense of accomplishment, particularly when they see their work displayed or receive positive feedback.
• Communication Skills: Art teaches students to communicate ideas and emotions visually, which is an important skill in many fields, from advertising to design to social media. Discussing and critiquing art helps students articulate their ideas and opinions, improving their verbal communication and critical analysis skills.
• Preparation for the Future: For students interested in pursuing careers in art, design, architecture, or related fields, high school art projects provide a foundation and portfolio development. The skills developed through art, such as creativity, problem-solving, and visual communication, are increasingly valuable in a wide range of careers, not just in traditional art fields.
• Stress Relief and Mental Wellbeing: Engaging in art can be a form of stress relief, offering a break from academic pressures and helping to improve mental health through mindfulness and relaxation. The iterative process of creating and refining art helps build resilience, as students learn to cope with mistakes and setbacks.
• Community and Collaboration: Collaborative art projects teach students how to work together, negotiate ideas, and contribute to a collective outcome. Participating in art activities can strengthen the sense of community within a school, bringing students together through shared creative experiences.

Art filtrates every aspect of our lives and can inspire us in many ways. Thus, these high school art projects will not be merely a curriculum requirement but will end up providing an extra edge to the personalities of high school students.

To inspire the Leonardo di Vinci in all of them, you may consider redecorating your classroom as well! Here are 12 creative classroom decor ideas to help you get started on this fun project!

An Engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor, and animal rights activist. I have more than 5 years of teaching experience and have worked closely with students with learning disorders. I have worked with special educators, counselors, and experts in dealing with common issues that students face during their academic journey.

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The GED Reasoning Through Language Arts Test: Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students 

Whether you're preparing for a standardized test, hoping to improve your comprehension of reading assignments, or simply looking to increase your word knowledge, our lists of essential, high-frequency words will put you on the path to vocabulary success.

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Other learning activities, teaching tools, vocabulary lists in this collection:.

• differentiate
• discrepancy
• spontaneous
• incremental
• apprehensive
• proliferate
• consecutive
• inconceivable
• superficial
• incompetent
• inscrutable
• precipitate
• disposition
• rudimentary
• condescending
• sustainable
• superfluous

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Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.

Expect Unexpected Engagement When you try Hexagonal Thinking in ELA

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067: 10 Creative Ways to Teach Vocabulary

• June 4, 2019

Vocabulary is something that’s often added to English classes as a bit of an afterthought. Something to get done randomly, in between all the other work. Alongside the lessons on grammar, literature, writing, speaking, debate, ethics, career studies, research skills, media literacy, love of reading, etc.!

I like what Kelly Gallagher and Penny Kittle say in 180 Days about how you just have to choose what to focus on . You can’t do it all. (Also such good life advice, am I right?).

But often, vocabulary is a must. You’re handed a book to get through, or a list with a certain amount of SAT words that you need to cover each week.

When I first began teaching, I didn’t really know what to do with my vocabulary book. It had some great title like “Hot Words for the SAT” with little flames around the printed letters on the cover. Whoo hoo! Surely those flames meant it would be fun for my students!

So when I was planning my units , I scheduled in vocabulary quizzes for Fridays and “study for vocabulary quizzes” on Thursday nights. I know you’re impressed.

Since then, I’ve learned a few things. We can definitely do better than “study for vocabulary quizzes.” Not that I’m blaming twenty-two-year-old teacher me. There was a lot going on for her at work. I know you can relate.

But let’s dive into some other options, for those who have the time and energy to pursue them. In this post and podcast, I’m sharing ten ideas for making the study of vocabulary something students might even look forward to.

You can listen to the audio version below, or on  iTunes ,  Blubrry , or  Stitcher . Or, read on!

#1 Video Journals

You know how you sometimes stumble upon AMAZING Youtube videos and you just wish that somehow, someway they were applicable to your classroom? Like the video below, that I’m laughing so hard at again right now.

Well, vocabulary video journals are the perfect way to work them in. Each week, once your students have their vocabulary list, turn their attention to whatever video you’ve discovered that you think will be riveting for them (this Ukrainian sand painter  and  this guy dancing  are two of my all-time favorites).

Play the video and then give them a short related prompt. So with the cat above, you might say “Write this cat’s internal monologue. Who is it sneaking up on? Or what is it planning? What happens after it jumps?”

Ask students to write in their journals (or notebooks, or iPads), using ALL THEIR VOCABULARY WORDS in their writing.

Will their writing be a little crazy? Perhaps not totally connected? At times, yes. But I have found that the videos are so engaging to them that they bring that positive energy into their vocabulary writing. After ten minutes they’ve at least considered and thought through the meaning of their words as they try to build them into their writing. Then have them trade notebooks and give each other a bit of feedback on whether they used the words correctly. There’s no need to collect or grade this writing, it’s just a fun way to start memorizing the words and their meanings.

I wrote up a formal set of lesson plans for this activity for Read Write Think , if you’d like some printable materials and more video links.

#2 Create a Meaningful Vocabulary Product 

What if instead of approaching vocabulary as something they had to learn each week, they approached their words as something they needed to be able to teach others?

I’ve been fascinated by Jal Mehta and Sarah Fine’s book In Search of Deeper Learning lately – I’ll be sharing more on this later, and interviewing Sarah on the podcast. One of the chapters is about a project at one high school to explain advanced economics concepts in a student-friendly way.

The students created their own economics text. “A student-authored economic textbook – in which each spread features students defining an economic concept with a facing page illustrating that concept – was praised by President Clinton as one of the most lucid and incisive books on the subject that he had ever read” (49-50). You guys, I couldn’t love this idea more.

So how might you build it into your vocabulary instruction? Well, maybe your students create their own version of that economics textbook, with vocabulary words on one page and sketch notes or one-pagers explaining them on the connecting page. Or maybe they create a video channel for SAT-takers all over the world, posting new videos with new words every week of the year. Then you let them know that you can share their digitized book, or their channel, with a group of over 15,000 Creative High School English teachers . So basically if it’s good, it could be used by many, many students.

#3 Postcards

I’ve got a weakness for buying postcards, but I’ve turned it into a fun classroom tool. It’s easy to pick up cheap and unique postcards in thrift stores, boutiques, and of course, while traveling. If you can build up a small collection, they make a really fun vocabulary tool. You can invite students to contribute too.

Simply lay out your collection across the front of the room each week and let students choose a new postcard. Then give them a fairly general prompt to write on, using their vocabulary words, inspired by the postcard. For example, “Write the story of a conversation that just took place in the scene you’re looking at. Try to include lots of descriptive details about the characters speaking, as well as all your vocabulary words.”

Write for a while, then, again, trade and let students read each other’s writing and give feedback on how they used the words.

#4 Word Wall Posters

Have you heard of a word wall? Basically you put vocabulary you’re studying up on your wall, in a visually striking, memorable way (if at all possible). When I’m doing these, I like to assign each student a word and have them create a regular paper-sized poster with their word on it along with complementary images, synonyms, the definition, etc. I like what my friend Melissa says about making sure word wall fonts are BIG so they can be read from across the room, and putting your word wall area up on the part of the wall students are most often facing.

You can choose to put the word wall posters up AFTER whatever vocabulary assessment you use, building a huge wall of posters throughout the year, or you can have them up all week and then take them down before the assessment. It probably goes without saying, but you won’t want them up during any vocabulary quizzes!

My own personal twist on the word wall concept is that I like to do a get-up-and-move activity with my students once they’ve created their posters. I divide the class in half, and have each half form a circle – one inside the other. Then they turn so they’re each facing a partner. I give everyone thirty seconds to present their word wall posters with their partners, then call for one of the circles to rotate. We repeat this until the circles have gone around. While they won’t see every word during this rapid-fire vocabulary stream, they see a lot, and it’s always fun. (By the way, I call this “rotating circles” and it’s good in lots of situations.)

#5 Vocabulary One-Pagers

Another great way to get students thinking carefully about their words is to have them create vocabulary one-pagers. If you’ve used one-pagers with novels, podcasts, films, or as a getting-to-know you activity , students already know the concept of connecting key imagery and words to distill concepts into a one-pager. It’s easy to do it with vocabulary too, and it makes the words far more memorable to see them illustrated.

#6 Vocabulary Review Games 

By now, Kahoot and Quizlet are much loved tools for the teachers of a gamer generation. But have you ever tried Quizziz ? I discovered this free tool through Jennifer Gonzalez’s info-rich  Teacher’s Guide to Tech for 2019 . You create quizzes students can play alone or live in your class. Then Quizziz grades them for you so you can see how everyone’s doing.

As a player, you see your ranking after each answer, and you also get a meme response to how you’re doing. I was entertained, and found myself scrambling for the right answers as the countdown timer showed my dwindling response time when I played another teacher’s vocabulary quiz.  Here are some screenshots to give you an idea of what the platform is like.

#7 Vocabulary Tattoo Design If you’re really struggling to get kids interested in the power of words, try an activity where you assign each student a word and ask them to create the tattoo image for someone who wanted this word as part of a tattoo. Ask them to brainstorm a backstory for why that word was so important to the person, and then come up with an image that connects the word, its meaning, and the backstory. Not easy! But perhaps outside-the-box enough to capture some interest. Then let everyone present back their tattoo designs.

#8 Post-It Stations Stations are a great way for you to get your kids up and moving around. Try posting words around the room on the walls, then having students move from place to play and put up sentences using the words on post-its. As they circulate, they’ll get to see lots of others’ sentences as well. You’ll want to circulate too, so you can lightly edit post-its that don’t quite get the definition right in their usage. Or you can give this job to a handful of students, making them a team of official editors.

#9 Use your Makerspace

Have you fallen head over heels for Angela Stockman’s #makewriting concept with me ?  If so, perhaps you have maker elements like legos, clay, art materials, or other loose parts in your classroom. Why not create vocabulary maker challenges? Have student partners build a representation of their assigned word, then write on index cards or mini white boards how their made item represents the word. Proceed to gallery walk!

#10 Magic Spells

Like the tattoo activity, I think magic spell vocabulary has the potential to grab the attention of students who are really tapped out when it comes to studying vocab.

If your class loves Potter, try having them create magic spells that involve the words they’ve been assigned. Rowling does this with spells like “wingardium leviosa” (nice way to learn levitate) and “petrificus totalus” (you get the idea – petrify).

Have students go through their words and come up with a spell for each one, then explain what it does. You could even create a class vocabulary spell book, all working on it live together in class through Google Slides, then run through it at the end and choose your favorites together.

I hope these ideas help! I’d love for you to drop a comment below and let me know if you’re going to try some of them out.

Do you find your inspiration in VISUALS? I love ‘em too. Let’s hang out on Instagram! Click here to get a steady stream of colorful ideas all week long.

I’ll help you find the creative ELA strategies that will light up your classroom. Get ready for joyful teaching!

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11 Comments

This is such a creative list of ways to have students learn vocab words. I will certainly use some/all of these for my Spanish classes, particularly the heritage speakers' class!

I'm so glad, Diane! I'm thrilled to hear you're finding it helpful!

Thank you so much for this podcast! I have found so many of your ideas inspirational, but this episode took me (and my students) to a whole new level. Based on your 2nd suggestion, my students are writing a novel! They designed the characters and the setting together as a whole class. Then writing partnerships submitted novel plot ideas. I worked those into a plot containing pieces of them all, and now they're working in writing partnerships to write the chapters. It's been the most thrilling experience of my teaching career! The kids are so engaged as they write. They know we are going to publish, and that there will be an authentic audience outside of the classroom, and that is pushing them to do their best writing and collaborating. Thank you for the continual inspiration and the confidence boosting. Your podcast really is changing the lives of teachers and students! Meghan Warner

Cool stuff you have got and you keep update all of us. cartoon illustration

Enhancing and motivating. Appriciate your effort helping teachers and learners. Many thanks.

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So thrilled to have found you, Betsy. You are helping me and by extension, my students, every day with really special, creative ideas. Thank you for the warm and generous gifts you give us.

I love these ideas because I perpetually struggle to make vocabulary instruction meaningful. Do you have any ideas specific to virtual learning?

I love you! Great ideas! I can’t wait to implement them in my classroom! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Flora from Greece

Thank you so much for your kind words, Flora! I’m so thrilled that you’re finding the ideas helpful!

I’m just wanting to increase my personal vocab. I love the first idea about the video. I will do that starting this week. Thank you!

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Reading Worksheets, Spelling, Grammar, Comprehension, Lesson Plans

Vocabulary Worksheets

Vocabulary is a fundamental learning concept but covers many different areas. We've developed hundreds of practice activities to help your student improve their vocabulary skills. You'll find worksheet activities around the alphabet, dictionary skills, Fry sight words, Dolch sight words, phonetics, homographs, homophones, prefixes, proverbs and adages, root words, shades of meaning, suffixes, synonyms and antonyms! All of our printable worksheets are designed around common core standards and cover a broad range of skill levels from kindergarten through high school.  Feel free to print copies for your classroom or at home.

Alphabet Worksheets

Dictionary Skills Worksheets

These worksheets help students to learn how to effectively use a dictionary. All worksheets are free to use at home or in the classroom. Just print and duplicate!

Fry Word List - 1,000 High Frequency Words

Homograph Worksheets - Learning About Homographs

Homophone Worksheets

Phonics Worksheets | Phonetics

Prefix Worksheets

Proverbs and Adages Worksheets

These worksheets hep students to understand the meaning of proverbs and adages, looking into the deeper meaning of these phrases.

Greek and Latin Root Words

Shades of Meaning Worksheets

These worksheets help students learn to interpret the shades of meaning behind specific words, in order to help with reading comprehension and writing.

Suffix Worksheets

Synonym Worksheets and Antonym Worksheets

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11 Vocab Games to Make the Learning Stick

Learning vocabulary doesn’t have to be all flashcards and boredom!

How do you make those vocabulary words stick—not just for the vocab quiz tomorrow but for the long term? Practice, practice, practice! The best way to get your students excited about words is if you make them too much fun to resist!

It doesn’t matter whether your students are learning about Native American tribes, plant cells, or John Steinbeck, word knowledge impacts comprehension and overall learning. Here are 15 perfect vocabulary games for students to play at school or at home.

This post contains affiliate links, which means we may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!

1. Multiple Meanings Around the World 

Students travel the world by identifying words with multiple meanings—and master vocabulary skills as they play! Grades 4 & 5.

2. Word on the Street

Buckle up and get in the fast lane to fun with Word on the Street, the hilarious tug of words. Students have 30 seconds to come up with a word that matches each category card, then players moves the letters found in the answer 1 space at a time toward their side of the street. First player to claim letters wins. Grades 4 & up.

3. Choice Words

Perfect game for using words in different contexts. A word card is drawn and students must come with a phrase using that word. Players compare answers and score one point for each phrase that other players haven’t thought of.  Grades 4 & up.

Familiarize students with vocab words with this Bingo-like game. Game boards feature synonyms on one side and antonyms on the other.  Students must determine whether their cards contain a synonym or antonym for the word called out by the teacher. Grades 5-8.

5. Rhyme Out

This triple-rhyming card game is loads of fun! Each card gives 3 clues and a “rhymes with” hint. Players must come up with the correct rhyming words.  Grades 4 & up. ADVERTISEMENT

Students listen to a definition, then race the other players to shout out the right word first! Grades 3 & up.

7. After Words

A think-quick game for vocabulary practice. Students must quickly come up with a word that works with the category in play AND begins with the last letter of the last word played. Grades 4 & up.

8. Word Waffle

In this mouthwatering multiple-choice game, students must “waffle” between two answers. If they pick the correct answer to the vocabulary question, they keep all their waffle toppings; if not, they give half of their toppings back to the kitchen. Comes in different grade level versions.

9. Word-a-Round

This game is harder than it looks! Each card features a word printed in a circle. Players race to determine where the word starts and read it aloud. Includes 300 words. Grades 4-8.

10. Wordical

Students try to build the highest-scoring word by rolling the vowel dice and combining it with their consonant cards. Grades 4 & up.

A crazy-fast word building challenge. Be the first to build a word by adding one or more letters to the letter cards.

12. Word Building Dominoes

Think of them as building blocks of vocabulary. These sturdy. color-coded dominoes are designed to help your students master the use of root words, prefixes, and suffixes. Grade 3 & up.

13. UpWords

Students love this popular 3-D word building game. Like a crossword puzzle, but with the ability to build on top of words already played. Grades 3 & up.

14. That’s It!

Draw a topic card and then race to shout out answers until someone says the exact word written. Get the most right and Thats It! you win! Grades 4 & up.

15. Sentence Scramble

The object of this game is to form as many sentences as possible with a color-coded set of word cards. Each set is a different part of speech-verbs, nouns, prepositions, etc. Grade 4 & up.

Do your students have a favorite vocabulary game? Add it to the comments below.

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