3 Classroom Vocabulary Games You Can Use Now

When we talk about words, we spend a lot of time on reading skills like segmenting and blending and on spelling, but meaning matters. Developing vocabulary through classroom vocabulary games and other vocabulary activities helps students master word meaning to support their reading comprehension.

Classroom vocabulary games to try

Classroom vocabulary games make vocabulary practice fun and help kids positively connect words and meanings. Here are a few classroom vocabulary games your students will love. 

Guess the word

Picture This. You can play this with the whole class or with small groups. The goal is to draw the word so that others can guess it. You’ll need word cards, a whiteboard or large pad and easel and markers.

Students take turns pulling a word card and drawing a picture to represent the word they get. Other students try to guess the word. When the word is guessed correctly, have the student write the word on the board before clearing it to draw their word for the next student. 

Charades. Instead of drawing their word, students act out the word while others try to guess. Charades adapt well for Zoom or other online platforms. You just need to share words with students ahead of time or put them in 1-1 chat to know what word to act out. 

Vocabulary bingo

Make bingo cards with your vocabulary words. Then instead of reading the words, read the meaning. Students put a marker on the word that matches the meaning. The first student to fill a row, column, or diagonal calls BINGO! 

Have students say in their own words, the meaning of the vocabulary words they marked. 

Swat it

Put your vocabulary words all over the board or another wall in your classroom. Have students approach the word wall you’ve created for this game and give them a fly swatter. As you read the word’s meanings aloud, students search for the word and swat it with the fly swatter. See how long it takes for students to swat a certain number of words. 

For a home version of this game, make sure each student has a set of word cards. Have them lay the cards out, word side up, in front of them. Have somebody else read the definitions to them (if you are working with students remotely, you can read the meanings), while students slap each word as they match it to the meaning. 

Other classroom vocabulary activities

In addition to games, you’ll want other options to help students practice words, whether phonics, spelling or vocabulary word meaning. Here are some additional vocabulary activities you can use to help students practice or check their vocabulary: 

• Find the word in a book, magazine, newspaper, or online source

• Listen for the word and note when they hear it

• Write a sentence with the word 

• Look up the word in a dictionary

• Draw a picture of the word

• Use the word in their writing

• Use the word in conversation

• Make a list of words that rhyme with the word of the week. 

Word of the week vocabulary sheets that incorporate some or all of these activities are a great way to provide practice that students can do at school or at home. You can get a word of the week vocabulary worksheet AND additional vocabulary and phonics worksheets in this free sample, just fill in your details below.

FREE Phonics Worksheets & Activities

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive regular teaching tips and updates & get instant access to the free phonics worksheets and activities PDF:

Success! Now check your email to confirm and download your phonics homework freebie!

If you don’t get an email from Melinda Crean – Top Notch Teaching within a few minutes, check your spam folder or promotions folder (Gmail). If you still don’t see it, email me at: [email protected] and we’ll get you sorted.

Thanks
Mel

For even more phonics and vocabulary activities, the Phonics Homework and Activities bundle includes activities that focus on sounds, reading, phonics, and word meaning—including more word of the day vocabulary worksheets, write your own sentences and synonym and antonym vocabulary activities. Get yours here. 

The Phonics Homework and Activities bundle will keep you covered for the whole school year. Get activities including: 

• Draw and match

• Find the words

• Missing sounds

• Say and trace

• Jumbled sentences

• Roll and read game

• Tap it, map it, zap it

• Fluency board

• Write your own sentences

• Word of the week

• Missing punctuation

• Reading & spelling 2/3 syllable words

• Synonyms and antonyms for words

Keep phonics and vocabulary practice fun for students (and easy on you) >> Phonics Homework and Activities bundle

FREE Phonics Worksheets & Activities

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive regular teaching tips and updates & get instant access to the free phonics worksheets and activities PDF:

Success! Now check your email to confirm and download your phonics homework freebie!

If you don’t get an email from Melinda Crean – Top Notch Teaching within a few minutes, check your spam folder or promotions folder (Gmail). If you still don’t see it, email me at: [email protected] and we’ll get you sorted.

Thanks
Mel