vocabulary assignment ideas for 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

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.

• Read more about: Excellent Teaching

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How to Teach Vocabulary in Secondary Classrooms

So you want to upgrade your vocabulary game. This time, you’re serious. You’re done with the worksheets and memorization games that leave both you and students desiring more. Where should you begin? Keep reading. I’ve got plenty of unique ideas for how to teach vocabulary in secondary classrooms (meaningfully and effectively).

These blog posts should help you to create a program you are proud of — one you love! Vocabulary is one of my favorite topics to teach, but it has taken me a while to get comfortable with it.

I hope that you find some helpful strategies, activities, and tips to increase student learning in this collection of articles.

How to Design a Meaningful Vocabulary Program

Vocabulary needs to be more than an afterthought. If you’ve never really fallen in love with the way you’ve taught vocabulary, this post will help you to design a program you will be proud of! It’s full of fresh ideas for vocabulary routines, keeping teens engaged, and assessing meaningfully.

Retention: Not Memorization

Focus on helping students learn new words instead of memorizing them. In this post, you’ll find recommendations for the amount of words you should assign, how to practice the words, and how to make assessments meaningful. The goal is have students who come back to you saying, “I am finding our vocabulary words in my independent reading!”

Integrating Vocabulary with Reading and Writing

Research shows that vocabulary is most meaningful when it’s taught from an integrated approach. Show students how vocabulary connects with reading and writing by using these three best-practice strategies.

From Basic to Deep Understanding

Help students move from basic understanding of words to a deeper, more analytical view. If you need some motivation and specific philosophical approaches to worthwhile vocabulary instruction that directly relates to all content areas, read this.

Brain-Based Learning

Get students to make brain-based connections with their vocabulary words. You know why it’s important, but you’re lacking specific takeaway strategies to make it happen. If you’re wondering how to teach vocabulary with the brain in mind, you’ll love these tips. This post details five vocabulary activities to use in your secondary classroom.

Engaging Activities

I love putting students in the driver’s seat with vocabulary instruction. It shouldn’t be “sit and get.” Vocabulary learning should sound noisy, look messy, and feel fun. This post outlines five more strategies for getting students actively involved in practicing their vocabulary words.

Differentiating Meaningfully

I have a passion for differentiating learning in meaningful ways. If you know you want to switch up your approach but don’t know how to teach vocabulary differently, try incorporating some of these simple yet creative techniques. Plus, you’ll read about an extension activity that will allow students to focus on how they learn best.

Picture Associations

If you aren’t using pictures to teach vocabulary, this one is a game changer. Helping students to make meaningful visual connections with their words takes vocabulary retention to a whole new level. But! There are so many ways to use pictures with vocab. Read about a handful of options in this post.

No matter the content area, students benefit from scaffolding with vocabulary. Word walls are a research-based approach to helping students remember new words longer. This post has some helpful tips for creation.

Sure, your first attempt at incorporating some of these strategies might not be perfect. But, you will laugh. I promise. And, students will remember more words. Making vocabulary instruction meaningful should be a top priority. Literacy matters. Words matter. Teaching students to love words is part of developing a literacy culture. Let’s seize the opportunity.

5 Ways to Incorporate Vocabulary in Writing

Go beyond the expected. Story writing? We can get more creative and informative! Students benefit from using writing to practice using their vocabulary words. School associations, RAFTs, gallery walks, and more. Read about five engaging options in this post I wrote for teachwriting.org.

10 Examples for Introducing Vocabulary Words

Choosing vocabulary words can be tricky! Looking for specific word nerd inspiration? Here are 10 words that all students should learn before graduating, along with inspiration for teaching them.

RELATED RESOURCE:

Use these brain-based, differentiated learning tools to help students remember words long after the unit is over. They can be used more than once per year, and there are enough activities that students will never get bored. Pick and choose what works for your students’ needs and your classroom culture.  Some of the activities included also make for great back up sub plans.

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Trauma-informed practices in schools, teacher well-being, cultivating diversity, equity, & inclusion, integrating technology in the classroom, social-emotional development, covid-19 resources, invest in resilience: summer toolkit, civics & resilience, all toolkits, degree programs, trauma-informed professional development, teacher licensure & certification, how to become - career information, classroom management, instructional design, lifestyle & self-care, online higher ed teaching, current events, five ways to make teaching high school vocabulary fun and interesting.

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
• Four Great Programs for Teaching Financial Literacy to High School Students
• Three Innovative Methods of Teaching for High School Educators
• Online Resources for High School Calculus
• How Teachers Can Help Prevent High School Dropouts
• 4 Downloadable High School Geometry Practice Worksheets

Categorized as: Tips for Teachers and Classroom Resources

Tagged as: Engaging Activities ,  High School (Grades: 9-12) ,  Language Arts

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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

Samantha in Secondary

Digital Vocabulary Activities for Virtual Learning

March 26, 2020 by Samantha H.

Studying vocabulary can be difficult enough in the secondary English Language Arts classroom let alone finding ways to get middle school or high school students to practice at home. Making digital vocabulary activities that are fun, engaging, and relevant has become key in my teaching practice as I’ve learned to navigate distance learning. These strategies can be used any time students are 1:1 in the classroom. Read below for a list of fresh ideas to incorporate in your classroom!

Create a Google Slideshow

Provide your students with a vocabulary list or allow them to self-select from a text. Using Google Slides, have students create a set of two slides for each term. On the first slide, they should have the word and the definition along with a photo that represents the word set as the background. On the second slide, they should describe why they chose the term. This is an easy, low-prep activity that allows students to think about the words in a more visual way. My students always enjoy this one and end up remembering the terms with ease.

Try Flocabulary

Check out Flocabulary ‘s SAT Vocabulary Activities for grades 9-12. There are a ton of really great lesson ideas here.

Google Forms Self-Grading Quizzes

Have your students watch a video on YouTube to teach them about self-grading quizzes. ( This one is a quick, easy example!) Have your students create practice quizzes for each other with the terms.

Create a Quizlet Set

Students love Quizlet sets because there is a multitude of ways they can be used. The terms can be seen as traditional flash cards, but then there are also a lot of games that students love. For distance learning, I would ask students to create their own sets from a self-selected set of terms.

Make a Class Padlet

Another powerful tech tool is Padlet . Students could use this to create an individual or group word wall for any text.

Alphaboxes is a great activity for face to face learning, so I recently made a digital copy that you can access in my Free Resource Library . The gist of the activity is to provide students with an organizer featuring each letter of the alphabet. They then self-select words and fill in the definitions based on any text they read. You can find more information on this activity in my blog post about it here .

Vocabulary Logos

Looking for something completely unique? Try to have your students create logos for their vocabulary terms. Use these as examples. This would be a good way to use Google Drawings . Your students will enjoy figuring out the best way to portray their word.

I hope this post helped you find a new way to use digital vocabulary activities for your vocabulary instruction! How do you use technology to teach vocabulary in your classroom? Sound off on the comments below or follow me on Facebook or Instagram to join in on the discussion!

Happy teaching!

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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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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 !

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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.

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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.

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6 Ways to Sneak Vocabulary Instruction Into High School English

Vocabulary is essential in the high school English classroom. Whether you use a traditional vocabulary program or simply work in[…] Continue Reading

Vocabulary is essential in the high school English classroom. Whether you use a traditional vocabulary program or simply work in word study where you can, here are some creative ways to focus on vocabulary instruction so that students are continually reinforcing their skills.

1. Use rich vocabulary in your own grading and feedback. “Great work!” and “Way to go!” are nice, but using higher-level vocabulary when giving written feedback will motivate students to learn more-sophisticated words as well as their usage. Connecting the language to their work is the ultimate motivation for kids to learn and remember the meanings of new words and phrases.

2. Incorporate rich vocabulary into your discussion of literary elements. After introducing students to tone in literature, for example, give them a comprehensive sheet of different words signifying various tones (for example, facetious, brash or malicious ). Students can define the words they don’t know and then do different activities connected to the current book you’re reading as a class. For example, you could pull three passages from the book and have students use their reading skills and their knowledge of the meaning of the tone words to match the appropriate tone to each passage. You could do the same activity with a list of sophisticated adjectives and have them pair the adjectives with different characters. Having students apply the words to the book will help reinforce their knowledge of the meanings.

3. Make your own word wall (and no, your students aren’t too old for that!). Pin four large, bright pieces of paper around the room at the beginning of the year, and label them “verb,” “noun,” “adverb” and “adjective.” Each time a new word is introduced in class—maybe someone asks what a word from the text means, or you say something that they need you to reword or explain—give the definition, then have the students figure out its part of speech. Record the word on the appropriate poster. That way, you’ll have an ongoing record of words introduced throughout the year. These become great visuals for students to look at and reference when expressing themselves in class.

4. Incorporate vocabulary into peer conferencing. This activity gets kids collaborating and using stronger verbs and more diverse sentence structures. Before they swap essay drafts with partners for peer conferencing, have each student circle every instance of the verb “to be” in the draft. This could take the form of any conjugation: is, are, was, were, be, being and so on. When they switch papers with their partners, in addition to your normal peer feedback requirements, have students suggest how their partners could rework the sentences to eliminate all uses of “to be.” This could mean sentence combining, and, in many instances, swapping out a stronger verb for “to be.”

5. Acknowledge students’ use of strong vocabulary. For the weeks you have a conventional vocabulary list of words, post them in the classroom so they are visible. If a student uses a vocabulary word during class discussion, add a point to the student’s participation grade for the week. To make keeping track of all the points simple, keep your grade book open so your roster is easily on hand, and limit the number of days you do this. If a student doesn’t use the word correctly, use it as a chance to take a break from what you’re discussing to see if another student can rework the usage so it’s being used correctly.

6. Do a vocabulary warm-up. Create your own “word of the day” using difficult words from the book you’re currently reading. Write the word, the definition and the page number of the book in which the word was originally found. After students copy down the word and definition, have them read the original sentence in the text and then write their own sentence using their knowledge of the word based on the definition and the context clues from the book. Students then swap sentences to read and deepen their understanding of the word (Bonus: This is also a great chance for them to ask questions about the word and for you to address them one-on-one!).

Learn how you can power up your students’ vocabulary with the new edition of Prestwick House Vocabulary Power Plus , which has helped over 1 million students get ready for the SAT or ACT while improving their vocabularies.

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Mr and Mrs Social Studies

A Teaching Blog

8 Social Studies Vocabulary Activities You Must Do with Your Students

Social studies vocabulary activities.

Do you ever feel like you do the same vocabulary activities over and over again and want to try something new? Or do you feel like you don’t really have the time in the school day to prioritize social studies vocabulary activities? This blog post will give you 8 social studies vocabulary strategies to help you succeed! Even better, many of these activities are perfect to use digitally!

Social Studies Vocabulary: The Struggle

Before we get into the activities, there is some surprising but important information to share that can change our perspective about how we teach vocabulary. While we were doing some research about the best vocabulary strategies to use in social studies, we found this 2018 study from Hannah Chai and V. Lee Welz from Wright State University . This article featured a chart that demonstrated how social studies textbooks expose students to approximately five times the number of words as each of the other core subject areas. For specific examples, take a look at the chart below.

In our teaching experience, we have found trying to do too much or teach too much content, and in this case, too many vocabulary words, does not yield lasting results. Instead of trying to teach all of the vocabulary words shared in a unit or in a textbook, select the most important 20-25 or so words to emphasize more. This is especially important as it takes at least 10 exposures to a word for students to understand it well enough to use it, as cited by Aimee Alexander-Shea in this study . 

Social Studies Vocabulary Strategies

Quizlet is an amazing free resource to help students with social studies vocabulary… simply create a set with your vocabulary words or find a set that already exists and duplicate it. Quizlet is also a great tool to help students practice vocabulary independently. We especially recommend using the flashcards and playing the Match game or Quizlet Live with your students for engaging practice.

Frayer Model

The Frayer Model is a popular graphic organizer tool that can help students build their vocabulary. This vocabulary chart works great on a handout or for Google Slides. Traditionally, the Frayer Model has students incorporate the definition of a word, an image or picture of it, and both examples and non-examples of the word. In our own teaching, we have found that a variation with the official definition, a definition in the student’s own words, an example sentence, and an image or picture are a better fit. You can take a closer look here for a sample version on Google Slides.

Semantic Mapping

Semantic mapping, or a word sort, is a wonderful way for students to make connections between different vocabulary words, especially with social studies vocabulary. In this activity, students can sort words into a chart with some basic categories, such as people, places, inventions, religions, or any other categories that make sense. For a more advanced option, students can decide which categories they would like to create. You can do this on a Google Doc or handout, but our favorite method is using a Google Slideshow with moveable tiles that students can drag into the correct column!

Synonyms + Antonyms

One way to improve our understanding of vocabulary is with synonyms and antonyms. We create self-grading Google Forms with a variety of synonyms and antonyms of different vocabulary words. This helps students make connections between different words, as well as helps them understand the nuance between certain terms.

Related Words

One of our favorite social studies vocabulary activities is using related words. In this type of activity, students look at three sample words that are somewhat related to one of their vocabulary words and must figure out which vocabulary word they are referring to. It is a fun mystery challenge for students and makes for a great game or board race, in addition to a simple activity on Google Forms.

Fill in the Blank

You probably have already used fill in the blank vocabulary activities, as these are commonly provided by textbooks. This type of activity usually contains sentences with a word missing, and students must decide which vocabulary word makes the most sense to fill in the blank. This is a simple activity to set-up (we use self-grading Google Forms) and can help students with context.

Historical Fiction Journal

A fun writing assignment that showcases student creativity is a historical fiction journal! We love using these as impromptu activities in many units, and they also work great for vocabulary. In a historical fiction journal, students take on the role of a historical figure that lived during the time period they are studying. You can have students incorporate as many vocabulary words as they can in their response. This is one of the most advanced strategies listed here as students must see if they can fit the word in the context of what they are writing about.

Vocabulary Bingo

While it is pretty simple, one of our favorite social studies vocabulary activities is some good old-fashioned bingo! This can also be a perfect activity for a Friday or on a transition day between larger activities. Simply have students fill in their vocabulary words onto a bingo grid (5X5 chart with a free space in the middle). Then, read aloud the definitions, and students must figure out which vocabulary word you are referring to.

Social Studies Vocabulary Word Wall

A list of social studies vocabulary activities would not be complete without including a word wall! Displaying a word wall in your classroom can be a great visual reminder of the vocabulary you are studying. While word walls take many forms, we prefer using a version with the word, the definition, and an image.

Now that we have shared all about how we teach vocabulary to our students, we encourage you to give these activities a try! You can either create your own activities following the framework we have described or check out the versions we already have created here ! We currently have versions for our Ancient Civilizations curriculum, early American history, modern U.S. history, and more!

We also wrote this blog post about more vocabulary activities that can work for any subject, including any aspect of social studies!

Are you looking for some new teaching ideas to engage your students in your social studies class? If so, you’ll love our FREE guide: 5 Creative Projects to Ignite Student Engagement in Your Social Studies Class . These activities have both printable and digital options and can work for any social studies subject!

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Teacher's Workstation

A collection of teaching resources by elementary ali.

The Big List of Engaging Vocabulary Activities for Science (Interactive Science Series)

Vocabulary is essential in learning new things. The more vocabulary a student knows, the more they can assimilate new information. You have probably noticed a few words that are repeated quite often when reading through content area standards. Name, identify, describe, and terms are all words that indicate a student will be using vocabulary to demonstrate understanding of that concept. Vocabulary is an important aspect to schema or background knowledge.

There are four types of vocabulary practice that I have found to help students commit vocabulary to memory and use it correctly:

In Context – Using vocabulary in context is the best way to learn the definition, correct usage, and real life application of each vocabulary word. This can be utilized by having students use context clues to define the words from their reading. You can assign words for students to locate everywhere the words are used in a text. And most importantly, you can assign words for students to find used in hands-on learning. They can report on how they used each word in their lab. More specific ideas are found in the bist below.

Writing – I have read several articles lately explaining that hand-written notes are more effective at helping people remember information. I know that throughout college, I would remember just about anything that I wrote out while I was studying. So, my studying sessions involved me rewriting  everything that I had learned. I am not suggesting plain ole boring writing out everything for vocabulary practice in the classroom because its not fun or engaging. However, there are some ways we can change up presenting hand-written vocabulary practice to make it fun and engaging.

Movement – Just like with writing, study after study shows the benefits of movement in the learning environment. I have taught 8th grade Advanced Science, 7th grade Science, 5th grade (ELA, Science, & Social Studies), and pre-k. No matter what the age, turning a lesson into a move around the room activity or a game makes engagement skyrocket. And engagement equals more learning! I have some fun ways in the list that incorporate movement.

Games – Games are fun and boost engagement levels. But, even more amazing than simply raising engagement, I have seen kids learn incredible amounts of information without even knowing that they are learning! I love when I can sneak learning into a game. Its a win for everyone.

Creative Output – I love this one the most because it incorporates the student output of writing (or drawing or designing) with the fun level of movement and games. Creative output activities are a fun way to sneak in some serious critical thinking!

Now let’s get to the good stuff!

My BIG List of Vocabulary Activities for Science (or any content area)

1.Word Wall Cards – Posted around the room by category or alphabetical as a reminder or reference, and a tool for some fun games.

2.Word Wall Builder Chart  – Guide students through building a knowledge of their vocabulary words using prior knowledge, context clues, and real life experiences.

3.Write the Room – Send students around the room, or word wall, looking for each hint in their chart. Use your word wall or hide words around the room.

4.Writing with Key Terms – Add vocabulary from the lesson and have students write an informational text, summary, or story using the words.

5.Vocab Boxes – Students can complete the boxes to demonstrate understanding of the words.

6.I Have…Who Has?

7.Science Says – Game played like Simon Says using content words and actions to remember what the words mean.

8.Vocab Practice Page

9.Vocab Matching Cards

10.Memory Game with Vocab Matching Cards

11.Go Fish with Vocab Matching Cards

12. Word Art

13.Movie Poster

14.Vocab Roll & Review

15.Vocab Spin & Review

16.Vocab Bingo

17.Vocab Comic Strips

18.Spin-A-Hint Guessing Game

19.Vocab Thumb Ball – Using a wet erase marker, write hints for your vocabulary words (definitions or illustrations) all over a beach ball. Throw the ball around the room and when someone catches it, they have to define the word that is described under their right thumb.

20.Vocab Tumbling Tower – Paint then ends of blocks from a tumbling tower game with dry erase or chalkboard paint. Write vocab words on the end of the blocks for each game. To pull a block out of the stack , students must define the word.

21.Vocab Treasure Hunt – Spread vocab word coins around the room so students can take turns (or racing in two groups) picking up coins. They have to define the word to keep the coin.

22.Vocab Choice Board

23.Crossword Puzzle (with definition or illustration as hints)

24.Doodle Notes

25.Word Sorter Pockets

26.Quick Draw (Dry Erase Game) – Print and Laminate the board for multiple uses. Students will use dry erase markers to write the word you define. Say “show me what you know!” and students will hold up their board for you to see who knows the word.

27.Character Quote Clouds (use the word)

28.Board Game (roll and define to move)

29.Vocab Song Creation

30.Vocab Puzzles

31.Vocab Flower

32.Stoplight Vocab Self Assessment – use small sticky notes with the vocabulary words and move them to green as they are learned. Laminate the stoplight and use dry erase marker for the words.

33.Picture Word Wall – Type or write the words on the cards and add an image, print, and post on your classroom word wall.

34.Draw the Room – Send students around the room to find and draw the correct image for each hint on their paper. Use your word wall or hide picture word wall cards around the room.

35.Vocab Dominoes

36.Vocab Mini Books – Works for Interactive Notebook or as stand alone mini books.

37.Vocab Review Sort Pocket Folders – Works on their own, but can be glued into a notebook.

38.Anchor Chart with Labeled Parts – (ie: parts of an insect) Use the vocabulary words to label the picture. Make the picture something that encompassed all the grouped vocabulary words.

39.Word Search with definition or picture as hint.

40.Act It Out! Guessing Game

41.Interactive Read and Act – (Act out Word when you read it in a text!) Printable reference chart template will help students plan their actions and remember what to look for.

42.Word Poem (Haiku)

43.Classifying with Vocab Words – have students sort a selection of objects or observations between two or three vocabulary words. This gives a hands-on approach to applying vocabulary words to what they are learning. (i.e. sorting Living/Nonliving or Reflection/Refraction)

44.Vocab Strips – Works great for an exit slip or homework activity!

45.Letter Tile Game – played like a simple version of Scrabble.

47.Mnemonic

48.Vocab Reader

49.All About the Word – Chart

50.Vocab-oo Game – (Played similar Taboo)

51.Vocab Character (Personify the Word) – Basher Books are great for a read aloud that will help with this activity! They are a must have on my bookshelves, and they are available in all sorts of subjects.

I hope having this list helps you plan and prep without having to search for ideas!

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In case you want all 55 templates from the 51 activities on my list, I put them together in a really BIG Bundle of editable templates. Click the image below to grab them!

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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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If you have a child still in the midst of middle school, this word list resource might be just what they need.

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High School Vocabulary Lesson Plans That Really Work

• Trent Lorcher
• Categories : English lesson plans for middle school
• Tags : Teaching middle school grades 6 8

More than just vocabulary lesson plans, the following ideas combine ideas on how to teach vocabulary and lesson plans for effective verbal communication. Before getting into the fun stuff, let’s look at why learning vocabulary is so important.

• All standardized tests are reading tests with specialized vocabulary. In fact, the major reason we may not understand our automobile manual, our medical prescriptions, and our investment prospectus is we are not familiar with the jargon.
• Having a broad vocabulary increases confidence . Students who are able to communicate effectively are more likely to forge strong ties with their peers and adults alike.
• Vocabulary skills make reading, writing, and speaking so much better, because comprehension of text and conversation increases.

Great Vocabulary Ideas

The foundation for improving vocabulary involves daily practice using activities such as reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Click on these lesson ideas to find ways of boosting vocabulary learning:

OWN THE WORD

The old school approach to vocabulary consisted of copying down new words, defining them, throwing them in your backpack, taking them out of your backpack 10 minutes before the quiz, studying the words, getting a ‘D’ on the quiz, forgetting the words, getting the quiz back, throwing the quiz in the garbage can never to be seen again. There’s a better way. It’s called actually having kids learn the word by employing verbal, visual, and auditory skills to take ownership of the word.

VOCABULARY POSTERS

You’ve tried the old school approach. Now it’s time for a more focused approach. Forcing children to think outside the box provides opportunities for creativity and review. Be careful though; students might want to do extra practice.

KINESTHETIC VOCABULARY

Kinesthetic learners need entertainment. If you don’t provide it, then they will find other means. These great activities help students learn while having fun and moving around.

This post is part of the series: Learning Styles

These lesson plans are geared toward multiple learning styles.

• Fun Language Arts Review Lesson Plan
• Literary Terms Lesson Plan: Teaching to Different Learning Styles
• Teaching Tips - Vocabulary Lesson Plans
• Creative Lesson Plan: Vocabulary Poster
• A Vocabulary Lesson Plan for Normal People