Vocabulary is the number one predictor of your student’s academic and life success. That’s why I made it such a key part of Grammar Galaxy, a new, fun language arts curriculum for beginning readers. Reading is the best way to build vocabulary by far, but we can squeeze more vocabulary teaching in without our kids even realizing it through games.
Are you in a hurry? Pin this post so you can reference it later.
I’m including over 50 games that can be tailored to a wide range of grade levels and number of players. If you scroll down, you’ll find a list of online vocabulary game sites that are also free. If you love this list, be sure to check out the Ultimate List of Free Grammar Games as well.
A Sticky Situation – The player who is it is in the center with a sticky note on their back with a vocabulary word on it. Students turn around in the circle so players can see and give clues to the word. The player that gives the winning clue is then it.
Beach Ball Vocabulary – Write words in marker on a beach ball. Players gently throw the ball. Whichever word a player’s thumb (right or left) is touching must be defined and used in a sentence.
Chat About It – Partners compare the number of words correctly defined/used in a sentence on a list.
Circle Rotation – Players form inner and outer circles. The outer circle player asks the facing inner circle player a question about a word and signs her sheet if she is correct. The player with the most signatures wins.
Definitely…Not…Kind Of – Students try to get their teammates to guess their vocabulary word by putting their descriptor words into definitely, not, and kind-of categories.
Dictionary Roll a Word – Encourages students to check the dictionary for the part of speech of a word, pronunciation and more using a die.
Don’t Break the Ice – Students hammer out the ice piece that corresponds to the definition read.
Don’t Say It – This is like Taboo for vocabulary words with a list of words that cannot be given as clues for guessing the word.
Erase a Word – Team members get to erase a correctly identified vocabulary word and win when all their words are erased.
Fake Texts – Text your students using a new vocabulary word and challenge them to use the context to determine meaning.
Fish Race – Teams or players move their fish one wave for correctly identifying vocabulary words (used for Spanish vocab, but appropriate for English as well).
Game Show – Students write their own vocabulary questions and answers on cards that are then used in a game show format.
Rate Your Happiness – Have students rate their happiness on a 1-5 scale if they experienced a situation using a vocabulary word.
Relay Runners – Teams compete to find the just-defined word in a stack of index cards at the finish line and return to their team the fastest.
Roll the Die – Depending on the roll of the die, students will define, give a synonym or antonym, use a word in a sentence, draw a word, or act it out. Do the same with a spinner or with notecards.
Slap! – Call out a vocabulary word and the first student to slap it, adds it to his/her pile.
Stack the Words – Students who correctly define or use a vocabulary word written on a cup can keep it and use the cup to build a tower. Highest tower wins. Also with prefixes.
Sticky Note Match – Students write vocab words on sticky notes, outline them on the board and write the definition in the square. Their partner has to match them.
That’s Nonsense! – Print out sentences that include nonsense words and have players match vocabulary words to the correct sentences. Can do this with teams and by timing.
Toss and Answer – Students throw a ball or small object into a muffin tin that has a word in each compartment. Students could define the word or have to use it in a sentence.
True or Untrue – Kids can give the correct definition or try to fool players with a fake one.
Vocabulary Kaboom – Words are drawn on sticks and must be used correctly. If a player draws a kaboom stick, all the sticks must be returned to the cup.
Vocabulary Oops! – Players get to keep vocabulary cards they correctly identify until they draw an Oops! card
Vocabulary Social – Students wear vocab words in lanyards and introduce themselves as their word.
Vocabulary Spelling Game – Students use letter tiles to spell out words based on the definition.
Vocabulary Swat – Teams use a flyswatter to swat the correct word on the board after hearing the definition read. You can also write words on bug cards.
Vocabulary Word Snowball Fight – Vocab words and definitions are written on separate pieces of paper that are crumpled up and thrown. Students pick up a word and have to find the student who has their definition. You could compete for time.
Word Sneak – Pairs attempt to sneak vocabulary words into conversation.
Word Speed – Write as many words as they can think of in a time limit, getting points for correct words.
Word Up Baseball – The teacher is the pitcher who throws the “ball” to the student batter. The batter must throw the ball to the correct player / word in the outfield.
I’m so excited about the beautiful weather we are having lately. I want to get outside and do fun educational things with the kids. Here are 6 great outdoor activities for you to consider.
#1 Tennis
I’ve written about what a great family activity this is, but I wanted to mention it again. Go to your local park’s or schools’ courts and have fun. Pick up racquets at a garage sale or buy used from a local club. We have also gotten private lessons for our family outdoors at a very reasonable cost. You can count it as P.E. hours!
#2 Four Square
After tennis, this is my favorite outdoor game to play with the kids. Here are the official rules. We use sidewalk chalk on our driveway. Once again, P.E. hours. 🙂
#3 Hiking
We love to hike any time it isn’t really cold. Spring is a perfect time to hike before it gets really hot. Fortunately, there are a number of great hiking trails near where we live. It’s great exercise and so inspiring to be in God’s creation. You can study wildlife and plants on the way and count it science. Even better, do some drawings of what you find and count it as art, too.
#4 Gardening
Anyone who knows me well knows that I don’t garden. But I want my kids to have the experience of planting and caring for plants with the hope they will inherit their dad’s green thumb. This is a great time to teach the kids about plants and yes, counting it as science.
#5 Birding
I took an ornithology class in college because I absolutely love birds. We enjoy watching the birds at our feeder all year, but we have an opportunity to see more species when we venture out. One thing I learned is that cemeteries are excellent places to look for birds. Bring your bird book or app. Look at old headstones or the grave sites of famous people in your area and you’ll get history time in, too.
#6 Reading
Whether you are reading to your children or everyone is reading independently, spring is a great time to take the books outside. Scholastic shares this list of read alouds for spring that would make good options. You can count this as language arts or any subject that you’re reading about.
There are more outdoor activities than I can list, so I want to direct you to the Homeschool Days Hop.
Last week I shared my new language arts curriculum, Grammar Galaxy. It is for beginning readers. This guest post by my friend, Ashley White, will help you get your child ready for it! Be sure to subscribe to Mommy’s Little Learners.
How many times, as a homeschooling parent, have you asked your young reader to “just sound it out!”? We’ve all done it more times than we can count on our own two hands! And that’s ok. I’ll give you some grace on that only because reading research has come a LONG way in the last years.
Times they are a changing, so let me fill you in on 7 Reading Strategies to go beyond “Sound it OUT!”
Keep in mind that these strategies build upon each other. Start by teaching Strategy #1, then work your way slowly down the strategy list. Introduce a new strategy only if your reader has become proficient in the others.
This is a simple strategy that can create a strong reader! If your child gets stuck on a word, ask them to simply “Look at the picture.” Doing this will help them predict words based on the clues gained from the pictures.
**Side note** Make sure that young readers have books with good picture support! This is key when teaching young ones to read successfully. Joy Cowley is one of our favorites. Here’s a great link list of her publications. Joy Cowley books
Strategy #2 – Does it Make Sense?
Simply say it when your reader gets stuck…“You said this ____. Did that make sense?” As adult readers, we do this naturally. By using this phrase, you are setting your reader up for a way for them to self-monitor and check that what they said actually makes sense in context. This is a key-question strategy that will play a huge role in your child’s reading ability once all these have been taught and mastered.
Strategy #3 – Get Your Mouth Ready
Sometimes picture clues and trying to make sense of the word simply doesn’t provide enough information for young readers. So asking them to “get their mouth ready” based off the word’s beginning/initial sound helps them to predict what would make sense. I hope that now you can see how each strategy builds upon each other.
If your reader is taught the first 2 Reading Strategies, then they can apply it when trying to incorporate the third one into their reading. And before you know it, it will come together naturally and beautifully.
Strategy #4 – Does It Look Right?
This is another key-question strategy. When readers look through the word from beginning to end, this allows them to check their prediction that they made while reading. After they have studied that word, they will either confirm or reject their word choice based off of the letter-sound relationship. If your reader can’t make sense of the letter-sound relationship, this is when the other strategies above can be used. Offer your reader the chance to “look at the picture” to check if their word choice matches and “makes sense.”.
Strategy #5 – Reread
When your reader comes to a word they don’t know, ask for a prediction (a “smart prediction”) based off the beginning sound. Go back and try that suggestion in the sentence, asking your reader… “Does that word make sense?” and “Does that word look right in the sentence you just read?” Keep in mind, when readers get stuck on a word, they often forget what they read. To check their comprehension, it’s important for them go back and reread.
Strategy #6 – Does it Sound Right?
This is your final key-question strategy! If your reader reads something that just doesn’t sound right at all, then try reading it back to them. “You read it like this…does that sound right?” This is a helpful strategy for auditory learners. There’s something magical when they hear their mistake read back to them.
Good Readers will continually use and reflect on the 3 key-question strategies: Does it Look Right? Does It Sound Right? Does It Make Sense?Once they have mastered this, you’ll be amazed!
Strategy #7 – Look for Chunks
This is one of my favorite strategies to use with young readers. However, keep in mind that all of the above should be introduced and practiced first. If your reader gets stuck on a word, ask them to use some of the above strategies first before they try this one. Have your reader look for “small words inside the big word.”
For example, the word “flat” has the small word -at inside it. I would cover up the beginning blend to show them the small word -at, then see if they can add the /fl/ blend. Once your young readers has discovered the word is “flat”, then ask them to reread the sentence, just to make sure that it “sounds right” and “makes sense.”
Lots of information, right? Keep in mind that when you implement each strategy slowly and allow your reader time to practice it daily, all this information will begin to feel comfortable, for both you and your reader.
I know many moms that have printed multiple copies of this printable and placed them ANYWHERE their child might be reading…bathrooms, cars, bedside tables, just to name a few.
Enjoy and happy reading with your little ones!
Ashley N. White is a former teacher turned homeschooling mother of 3 boys. Before becoming a mother, she taught in the classroom and was later appointed the title of Reading Coach for the 8th largest school district in the country. When she isn’t teaching her own, Ashley is offering workshops to teach parents adaptable educational ideas that they can apply at home. She blogs and shares her journey at mommyslittlelearners.blogspot.com.
Language arts is critically important to our children’s academic and life success. Fortunately, that doesn’t mean teaching these skills has to take hours, be difficult, or even worse, be boring.
In my search for curriculum to teach my children to read and analyze good literature, build a strong vocabulary, spell accurately, use grammar properly, develop legible handwriting, write creatively, write to inform, and speak well, I found myself alternately delighted and depressed. Some things worked brilliantly–others, not so much.
After 17 years of teaching language arts to my own six children and eleven of my friends’ children, I’ve learned there’s a better way.
Language Arts Teaching Can Be Fast
My initial attempt at potty training my oldest son took a very. long. time. Once he was ready, it took no time at all. I didn’t have to remind him or clean up accidents at night. He had it.
Teaching grammar, in particular, can be like potty training. You can teach the abstract concepts year after year before a child’s reasoning has developed, or you can wait until teaching grammar takes no time at all. You can take your high school student through a course like English Grammar 101 and be done with that aspect of language arts in no time. Meanwhile, you can skip the dry grammar workbooks that could squelch your child’s desire to ever learn it.
My fourth son was potty trained very fast because he happened to think potty training was fun. Formal teaching doesn’t have to — and probably shouldn’t — take a lot of time. This list of children’s reading behaviors by grade levels makes it clear that elementary students cannot sustain attention for long periods. Kindergarteners’ attention span is just 10-15 minutes!
The best way to use those minutes of limited attention in younger students is to read. Students who read (or are read to) frequently will develop better vocabularies, spelling skills, and writing skills than students who don’t — even without workbooks.
Language Arts Teaching Can Be Easy
I hear from many homeschooling moms who aren’t confident in their ability to teach language arts. Some of these moms choose a curriculum that looks difficult so they feel confident their child will learn more than they did. Harder must be better, right? Wrong!
Many reluctant readers avoid reading because the books they’re given are just too hard for them. The way to motivate them is to give them books they can be successful reading. As homeschooling moms, we want to choose curriculum that makes language arts concepts simple for us to understand, too.
Language arts teaching can be easy for parents by focusing on reading. Ask your child questions about what was read. Look up new words together. Spell words in the car. Write things incorrectly and see if your child can guess what’s wrong. And did I mention the importance of reading? 🙂
Make language arts easy for your child by giving as much assistance as is needed. Read the directions for him. Allow your child to dictate spelling words or entire stories. Put off work that is too difficult in favor of learning what makes her feel successful.
Language Arts Teaching Can Be Fun
The best way to make language arts teaching fast and easy is to make it fun. Kids learn faster when they’re having a good time and it’s much easier to teach a happy child than a crabby one. This also works in reverse. Short, easy lessons are a lot more fun for kids than long, overly difficult ones. I’ve shared how to make grammar fun, but vocabulary, spelling, and writing can be fun, too.
I did my master’s research on humor and learned that surprise is a key component of what makes us laugh. Read books with a surprising and funny twist. (Kids prefer funny fiction, so give it to them!) Surprise the kids by playing games instead of doing seatwork. Let them surprise you with their funny writing.
Let your child lead you in making language arts enjoyable. Incorporate your child’s personality and preferences into your teaching. Does your child love to play video games? Have him read game hacks online. Does your student love movies? Read the book first and have a movie party to celebrate finishing it. Do you have competitive kids? Turn every aspect of language arts into a challenge.
Grammar Galaxy is Fast, Easy & Fun Language Arts for Beginning Readers
I wanted a curriculum that was all of these things and hadn’t found it, so I created one.
Grammar Galaxy is Fast.
Whether you’re homeschooling multiple children or your child attends a traditional school, you don’t have a lot of extra time. That’s why Grammar Galaxy is designed to take just ten minutes of teacher/parent time a day. Your beginning reader can use the extra time to read and write for the fun of it!
Grammar Galaxy is Easy.
If reading and writing aren’t your strengths, you’ll love Grammar Galaxy. Concepts are presented in an easy-to-understand story format. And there’s no prep work! Just read with your child and do the short activities that reinforce the learning.
Grammar Galaxy is Fun.
The evil Gremlin tries to destroy Grammar Galaxy and the guardians have to save it by completing missions. Grammar Galaxy includes humor and mystery, but it doesn’t include dry exercises. Young writers are asked to do very little handwriting. Instead, they enjoy learning by doing.
You can click the “Learn More” button to download a sample and check out reviews or “Shop” to take advantage of introductory pricing that ends after April 17th.
I explain the story behind Grammar Galaxy and how to use it in the video.
Groans. That’s how grammar lessons taught in the traditional way are usually greeted. And we can’t blame our kids for dreading grammar. It can be dry and tedious.
Skipping it isn’t a good option, however. Grammar is important because it comprises a significant part of college entrance exams. It also determines how our kids will be viewed by peers and potential employers.
Fortunately, there’s another way. Grammar can be fun! When it is, it helps make grammar lessons stick. Here are six easy steps for engaging grammar teaching.
My favorite way is to search for grammar fails online. Of course, you’ll want to review your finds before sharing them with your kids.
Be on the lookout for other humorous grammar examples. I just read from an instruction manual that was obviously not written by a native English speaker. It read: “Dont’s use the power button.”
#2 Make it Relevant
A research study found that depressed patients, who normally didn’t find anything funny, enjoyed psychiatric humor. Our kids will not only laugh at jokes they can relate to, but will enjoy grammar lessons that are about them. Instead of working with textbook sentences, have your students make up their own. They’re likely to be funny and a lot more enjoyable to analyze or edit.
#3 Make it Active
Grammar lessons don’t have to be limited to pencil and paper. They can involve movement and should, especially if you’re teaching younger boys. Grammar can be more fun if kids can move around while giving their answers orally.
Give your students motions to use for punctuation, for example. Have them jump up and down when you read a sentence that should end in an exclamation point. Or send them on an adjective scavenger hunt.
#4 Make it Social
Grammar can be a lot more fun to learn with other students or family members. You can have your child play one of the many free grammar games I’ve listed with you or a sibling. Or you can let them entertain one other by making grammar humorous and relevant. My kids and their friends had fun with dry sentences by reading them with funny accents.
#5 Make it Short
Anything stops being fun when it goes on too long. Long lessons also make it less likely that your child will remember what’s being taught. Even though grammar is important, it isn’t as important as reading for pleasure.
#6 Make it Suspenseful
Even though I liked English when I was in school, I didn’t look forward to learning new concepts.
Suspense is what makes us eagerly await the next chapter of a book or the next episode of a favorite show. We can build the fun of anticipation into our grammar teaching by having students edit a continuing story line by line or by teaching grammar within the context of a continuing story.
Grammar Galaxy: The Easiest Way to Make Grammar Fun for Beginning Readers
Speaking of suspense, I’ve been working on a complete language arts curriculum for two years. I’ve been telling my readers and podcast listeners about it all this time and I can finally announce that the first two levels are done!
Grammar Galaxy teaches grammar in a humorous, relevant, active, social, short, and suspenseful way. It uses the same approach for teaching literature concepts, vocabulary, spelling, composition, and even public speaking to students who have just started to read. Grammar Galaxy is most appropriate for advanced first graders, second graders, and older beginning or reluctant readers through the sixth grade. It’s perfect for teaching siblings, as Gena Mayo of IChooseJoy.org shares in her thorough review.
When my friend, who has two dyslexic sons I have been teaching literature and writing to for years, saw the cover of Grammar Galaxy, she said,
“This just looks like fun!”
That was my goal. Teachers read a short, humorous story about the royal English family living in Grammar Galaxy to their students. The English family has an enemy called the Gremlin, who tries to destroy the English language. In one story, the Gremlin labels all the fiction books in the library system as nonfiction, bringing them to life. The king appoints his three children Guardians of Grammar Galaxy, but there is more work than they can do alone. They recruit other students in the galaxy to complete missions to make things right and let them know if they solved the crisis.
Students spend just 10-15 minutes three days a week completing fun, active missions in their Mission Manuals that require little handwriting. They spend the rest of their language arts time reading, being read to, or listening to audiobooks.
To learn more, click here or on the rocket below. See you in Grammar Galaxy!
Here are some more games to make math fun, including board games, printable games, and DIY games.
Multiplication Practice Paperfolding by Kids Activities Blog – By simply folding some paper into cootie catchers, you can actually create an informative math game for students focusing on anything from addition to fractions.
Math Wall Stickers (Reusable!) – Play with math on the walls! This set of reuseable wall decals are a great way to turn math into an interactive experience. Play Simon Says with math on the wall! “Simon says show one half.” Love it!!
3D Lego Multiplication Graph via Frugal Fun for Boys – We love Lego, but did you know because of their shape they are great tools for multiplication? This graph will help kids visualize multiplication in three dimensions.
Numbers & Counting Quiet Cubes Game– This game designed for ages 4-7 uses dice rolls to help teach ABCs, counting and basic addition. The best part is the foam dice are designed to be super duper quiet for a truly peaceful learning experience!
Math Explosion Volcano Game – With this fascinating game, players are able to customize math facts with a math fact creator so that players of all ages can play for many years to come. Be the first player to explode the volcano by getting your math facts correct!
Connect Four Bingo Game – Everyone loves Bingo, and when you can take a game that’s already fun and turn it into something educational everyone wins. Children will be paying close attention so they can be the first to exclaim BINGO!
Aliens on Vacation multiplication game by Deceptively Educational – This printable board game requires a little setup, but it provides children with a chance to put their math skills to the test to get their alien home from vacation.
Factors and Multiples Games – Play Monster Mash! A game that helps students understand greatest common factors and lowest common multiples.
Crazy Daisy Multiplication via Deceptively Educational- Looking for something a little more cute? The Crazy Daisy Multiplication printable math game will help kids visualize solutions as they color in a crazy daisy.
Whack It! Place Value Math Game – It’s no secret that kids love any game where they can get a little bit physical and give things a good whack, so why not teach math at the same time? This game helps with place values, but can be adjusted for other lessons.
I’m a Christian psychologist turned homeschooling mother of six. My life can be a little crazy, so I look for sanity-saving ideas to use and share. I hope you’ll read my About page to learn more.
