4 Games to Help Students Think Critically About Vocabulary

On the IRC Brock University Pinterest page, I came across a resource named 4 Games To Help Students Think Critically About Vocabulary. I have attached the link below. The resource outlines 4 different games that teachers can incorporate into their classroom to help develop the students vocabulary and assis them in learning how to write.

http://educationtothecore.com/2015/10/games-to-help-kids-think-critically-about-vocabulary/

Helping students develop a strong vocabulary through the use of these four games will help ensure that students are developing the skills that will help them in their writing process. Instead of just having a word wall and introducing new words and their definitions to students that way why not play a fun game where students are not only engaged and having fun but also getting creative and most of all learning.

One of the most effective ways of having students learn new words is having them make real world connections and experiences to the words themselves. Students can play games that will help make connections and have a lasting impression on them as well.

The game What's My Word allows students to move around and using an activity sheet with clues, students must try and guess each other's words to help develop their vocabulary. The game focuses on spelling familiar and unfamiliar words that is a part of the specific expectations for the language curriculum.

The next game that was inspired by a Youtube video is called Definitely...Not...Kind Of. The game can be played as a whole class or in small groups. The game really focuses on the vocabulary expectation of the language curriculum. Students are first given a category that the word belongs to and then the students begin to guess by using the adjectives below to try and figure out what the word may be. 

The last game is called Don't Say It and is inspired by the game named Taboo. Students work collaboratively with a partner and one person has to describe the word they have without saying any of the forbidden words underneath. The partner then has to try and guess what the word is. The game focuses on students confirming word meaning or word choice using different types of resources appropriate for the purpose. The game also helps develop the student's interconnected skills that are essential in the writing strand of the curriculum. 

All of these games are great for in-service and pre-service teachers to use in order to help their students develop their vocabulary and have fun while learning. These activities could be a great way to get students thinking critically before writing a report or a project. The games can also be modified to be a little more challenging in order to ensure differentiation in the lesson.