Vocabulary & Spelling, page 2
Lesson plans and activities

Negative Prefixes
Using a Cloze approach, students read a typical ad and supply the missing negative prefixes. Then they answer questions and do writing of their own. This 2-page handout requires a word processor for access.

These pages focus on vocabulary instruction. Other pages dealing with word study are Words at Play, Etymology, and Spelling.

Number2.com
Free vocabulary building, SAT and GRE preparation.

The Power of Simple Words
Long, fancy words designed to show off intelligence and vocabulary aren't always the best writing choice. This short (2:02), playful video explains why simple, punchy language is often the clearest way to convey a message. Includes follow-up questions at the end; appropriate for middle school and older.

Prefixes
This video, appropriate for all age groups, explains what a prefix is and gives examples. The video runs 3:07.

Puzzlemaker
A puzzle and games generation tool for teachers, parents and students.

Quiz Hub
Fun online interactive learning quizzes for vocabulary (including SAT vocabulary) and spelling.

Reflecting on the First Six Weeks of Word Study
An elementary teacher discusses his classroom approach to new words.

Latin Roots
More than 500 collections of words with Latin roots that teachers have assembled and shared. Choose the list that best meets the needs of your students.

Rooting One's Way to Meaning
Small groups of students will use the Visual Thesaurus to assist them in an inquiry based approach to discovering the meanings of some common Latin and Greek roots. Then, each student will then teach a particular root and related vocabulary words to another group of students through a "jigsaw" exercise.

Roots and their Families, Part 1 and Roots and their Families, Part 2
Students complete words in sentences by typing in the correct root, sort roots to complete sentences correctly, and answer questions about new words by using their roots as clues. These interactive lessons are designed for adult learners and will work for middle school and above.

Spelling
Ideas for improving spelling at all grade levels.

Short Circuit
In this game students match prefixes and suffixes with their meanings. The game uses an engaging "power the communicator" premise. If you take your students to the lab for this, have them turn the sound down at least halfway before starting.

Sufficient Suffixes: Four in a Row
This game, designed for upper elementary, challenges students to add suffixes to change a word to a different part of speech. It requires Adobe Reader or compatible application for access.

Suffixes
In these online lessons, students choose definitions of words based on their suffixes and on context clues, make new words by adding a suffix to a root word, and use suffixes to complete words. These activities are designed for adult learners but will work with middle school and above.

Synonym City
In this activity students indicate synonyms by writing them on paint chips of similar color.

Synonym Word Bags
Students will fill Word Bags with synonyms for frequently used words. This activity is ongoing throughout the year; it is designed for 3rd and 4th graders.

Synonyms: WordGirl Maze Mania
In this downloadable interactive game, students collect synonyms as Word Girl flies through a maze in purusit of the bank robber. Audio is helpful but not essential.

Teaching Vocabulary: Two Dozen Tips and Techniques
These ideas will work on many grade levels.

To, Too, or Two: Developing an Understanding of Homophones
In this minilesson, students begin by generating a list of homophones with which they are familiar. Students then listen to a song, identify homophones in the song, and discuss their meaning and spelling. Finally, student groups create a skit that depicts the meaning of a homophone. As the group performs the skit, their classmates attempt to guess the homophone that is on display. Groups finish the lesson by creating a comic strip version of their skit to be compiled into a class "homophone book."

Use synonyms to make your writing vivid
Although this lesson is designed for use with the thesaurus that comes with Microsoft Word 2008, it can be adapted to other situations.

Visualizing Vocabulary
Students work with prefixes, suffixes, and root words and with illustrating concepts. This lesson is part of the National Writing Project.

Vivid Words
In this technology-integrated lesson students respond to a visual image by generating a list of descriptive words. They use online sources to discover synonyms for one of the words, select one, and search for the synonym in use online. Then they use a slide presentation to teach their new word to the class.

Vocab Ahead
Vocabulary video and flash cards for secondary students. Includes pronunciation, SAT/ACT words. Registration is required, but it's free.

Vocaboly
Software to build vocabulary quizzes. Click on "Vocabulary Test" for free online quizzes.

Vocabulary.com
Don't miss the Vocabulary Challenge, in which students check their knowledge of SAT-level words. Hints are available, and incorrect responses receive an explanation.

Vocabulary Builder
Online, interactive practice with words from tests like SAT, GRE, and GMAT. Includes definition, words in context, and practice with antonyms.

Vocabulary Magic
This lesson will take words that are unknown to students and teach students how to determine their meanings. Students will exhibit expanded vocabulary and sentence awareness by writing a story using new vocabulary words. This lesson uses the book Farmer Duck by Martin Waddell and includes handouts. It is designed for second grade.

Vocabulary Web Games
This page uses Macromedia Flash for online vocabulary quizzes of SAT/GRE words. Each quiz consists of 10 words with immediate feedback for each item.

Vocab-u-lous
Looking for a sponge activity to develop vocabulary? This one is designed for middle school/high school and requires Adobe Reader for access.

What's in a Name?
Students consider the etymology of different words, including their own names. They examine how influences from other languages, including computer languages, find their way into English discourse. This lesson is designed for grades 7-9.

Word Parts
Students study Latin and Greek bases for words. For each base listed, an onsite worksheet provides its meaning, practice with the base, sample words and their meanings, and fill-in-the-blank sentences. Several of the bases relate to the Harry Potter books.

Word Well Used
This column finds SAT-type words that are well used and elaborates on them. Might there be a classroom activity here, maybe even a (very large) word wall?

Words with Multiple Meanings
Activities for homophones, homonyms, and words with multiple meanings.

Word Wall "Active-ities" Build Vocabulary, Spelling, Writing Skills
Five activities using word walls.

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