Vocabulary Games for English
Vocabulary games are an excellent way to get students practicing their vocabulary skills in a fun and stimulating way. Games can be used as an educational tool to make students think about their vocabulary words in a new way and drill spelling skills without simply using the same old classroom exercises.
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Password
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Password is a simple game that will have students thinking about how to define their vocabulary words in new ways. Choose two students to compete, and have them stand facing the class with their back to the blackboard. Then, write a vocabulary word on the blackboard, and have the class call out one word clues as to what word it is. The first student to correctly guess wins the round, and a new pair of students can take on the challenge.
Spell it Together
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Spelling is an essential part of working on vocabulary, and with this game students will have to combine their skills to work together in order to spell a word. Divide the class into two teams, and have each team stand in a line at the front of the class. Give one team a vocabulary word, and have them spell it out by making each student say one letter, starting with the first student and first letter, second student and second letter, and so on. Have the teams take turns spelling words out.
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Dictionary Dabble
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This is a good game for the creative thinkers in the class. Go through the dictionary and pick out words that none of your students will know the definition of. Then, write the word on the board and have each student write down a believable, made-up definition on a slip of paper. Collect all the definitions, and include the real definition in the collection. Then, read the definitions aloud to the class and have them guess which definition is the real one.
Find It!
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For this game, students will have to be quick thinkers as well as quick on their feet. Take a list of vocabulary words and their definitions and write only the definitions on the blackboard. Then, divide the class into two teams, and have them line up at the back of the classroom. Have each team elect a runner, then call out a vocabulary word, and have the runners race to the front of the classroom to point to the correct definition. Students should take turns being the runner for each round.
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References
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