Building Vocabulary With Purposeful Games

What’s the Why?

While I’m not a big fan of finding alternatives for “said”— I don’t share in the sentiment of “said is dead!” which could be another post one day— I AM a big fan of building vocabulary. Words empower writers to express ideas with clarity, and the right word in the right place can have a dramatic impact on the overall meaning of a piece. Furthermore, a strong vocabulary knowledge is important for reading comprehension. Here are a few playful ways to bring vocabulary building into classrooms.

How it Works

1. Word Attack

Think of this one as Vocabulary Headbandz! One student is given a word they don’t see. Index cards work, and so does a Smartboard or a phone app, depending on the tech you want to use. You could play with either of these ways. 

• The one student might ask yes/no questions to the class to guess their word. 
• The class gives verbal clues without saying the word, and the student has to guess it. 

2. Word charades

This one is just like Word Attack, but no words! Only acting out. One student chooses a word and acts it out so that the other students in the room have to guess the word.

3. Pictionary

Student draw the word, and others have to guess what they are drawing. You can provide supports for students by having the list of words for them to use as reference. Students will benefit from the repeated exposures to new words while engaged in a playful activity. 

4. Salad Bowl (My favorite!)

My family plays many different versions of Salad Bowl, and here’s how I envision it for vocabulary learning in classrooms. You can play all four rounds or any numbers of them. Rounds are as follows:

• Round 1– All of the words are written on paper strips or folded cards. Similar to Word Attack, students choose a word from a bowl and have to say what the word means without saying the word. Teammates try to guess it. 
• Round 2– Similar to charades, students pick words from the bowl, and they have to act them out. Teammates try to guess it. 
• Round 3– Students pick words from the bowl, and they get only one word to get teammates to say the chosen word. (Rounds 1 and 2 should be played first!)
• Round 4– Students pick a word from under a sheet and act it out from under the sheet. You can only do round 4 after the first three rounds and with confident students. That being said, prepare for a lot of laughs. 

Final Thoughts

Vocabulary is the writer’s toolbox! A rich vocabulary allows young writers to express themselves with precision and creativity. Strong word choices make writing more engaging, paint vivid pictures for the reader, and boost confidence. Building vocabulary empowers kids to communicate effectively and unlock their full writing potential.