Activities for promoting vocabulary learning in older children and young people

Word StormEncourage the child or young person to think of as many words as they can that are associated with the target word. Record the ideas on paper. Consider developing this information into a Mind Map.

Which words are connected?Write the target word in the middle of the board/page. Around the target word, write some words that are linked to the target word and some that are not. The child or young person must decide which words are connected with the target. If connected the child or young person draws a line between the target word and associated word and has to explain why they are linked.

Queen follower royal

ruler monarch sovereign

King emperor teacher servant

Which words are linked?Choose a target word and provide a list of 5-6 words (3-4 of these words are linked or associated with the target word). The child or young person must choose which words are linked with the target word and cross out those which do not.

Which of the following are brittle?o Chalko Irono Charcoalo Matchsticko Concreteo Twig

Match the definitionWrite down three definitions of the target word (two are incorrect and one is correct) and encourage the child or young person to match the correct definition to the word.

Conflict is… Where groups of people meet to talk Where groups of people fight Where groups of people celebrate

True or falseWrite down four facts or statements about the target word (two are correct and two are incorrect). The child or young person must identify the facts that are correct and those that are incorrect.

Stealthy. Is it true or is it false? Stealthy actions are performed loudly A burglar is usually stealthy Creeping quietly is stealthy Running up the stairs is stealthy

Think–a-Link Write the topic word on the board/paper e.g. volcanoes. Hand out a number of cards with a different word written on each sheet. The words relate to the topic and could have been taught or covered that lesson/week. The child or young person must explain why their words relates to the topic word, for example ‘eruption – this is what happens when the lava bursts out of the volcano’.

TabooA child or young person is given a card with a key curriculum word/concept written on it and 2-4 other associated words. They must describe the key word/concept without using the associated words written on the card.

Reverse TabooAs the game ‘Taboo’ above. This time the child or young person must use the associated words on the card in their description of the key word/concept. You could ask the child or young person to create their own ‘reverse taboo’ for a key word/concept. What am I?Stick a label with a key topic word or concept on the child or young person’s back. They must ask questions to guess the word. This can be made harder by allowing only yes/no questions and made easier by describing extra detail to help them guess the word.

Word map (see separate document)Ask the student to complete a word map. This will help them learn about the sound structure and the meaning of the word, and helps them fully understand the word by ensuring they put the word in a sentence. They may need support around understanding the meaning of the word through discussion or looking in a dictionary before completing the word map.

Using a DictionaryWork through how to look up a word in a dictionary with the student and practice looking up key curriculum/topic words. The Collins Co-Build dictionary provides accessible definitions and is also available online at www.collinsdictionary.com

Using a ThesaurusDiscuss the meaning of ‘synonym’ and practice using a thesaurus to look up words with similar/same meaning.

PosterMake a poster of key words related to a topic that the child or young person is studying. Encourage the child or young person to create pictures related to the meaning or the sound of the word. They could also include pictures of words that that sound similar or which start with the same sound.

Guess the word gameMake some word cards with current curriculum or topic words and put them in a container e.g. a bag or box. The child or young person must pick a word from the bag/box and describe it without using the word.

Word search / crosswordGive the child or young person a pre-prepared word search with topic words hidden or a crossword where the clues are related to the meaning of the word or sound of the word.

Bingo gameMake bingo boards with 6-8 topic words on each board. Write all the topic words on the board/on a piece of paper for the child or young person to refer to. Read out a definition of the word, and ask the child or young person to guess the word. If they have that word on their bingo card they can cross it out.

Word AssociationTake turns to think of a word, any word, and write it on a piece of card. Encourage the child or young person to think of related words. Once you have a number of word cards you can discuss how these words are linked.

Linking WordsWrite the name of a current topic on the board/on a piece of paper e.g. ‘electricity’. Give the child or young person a word that relates to this topic (e.g. current, switch) and ask them to explain why/how the word links to the topic.

Pairs gameMake some pairs cards with the word on one card and the definition of the word on the other card. Play pairs and take turns to turn over two cards. If the word and the definition match then the player gets to keep the pair. If they do not match, discuss what meaning / word would match to those cards.

20 questions gameAsk the child or young person to think of a word e.g. a newly learnt word from a topic. If they find it hard to think of a word you could let them choose one from a word list. The other player(s) have to ask questions to guess what the word is. If they reach 20 questions and have not guessed, the child or young person can give some more clues until the word is guessed.

Categories gameMake some word cards with words from different categories e.g. words about World War 2 and words about cooking. Make large category cards for the categories you have chosen. The child or young person has to turn over a word card and link it to a category and explain why the word fits that category. The word cards could be put in a board game shape and the child or young person has to roll a dice and move the counter to the next word.

Word recall gameChoose a category based on a recent topic, e.g. space, The Romans, food, carbohydrates, materials, occupations etc. Ask the child or young person to think of as many words as they can in that category in 3 minutes. After the 3 minutes, you could help them add words that they have not thought of.

Draw the word gameThis game is easier when using more concrete words. It is like ‘Pictionary’. Make some word cards and let the child or young person choose a word and draw it for another player to guess.

Mime the word gameThis game is like charades. The child or young person has to act out a word for another player to guess.

Jigsaw cards gameCreate small jigsaws with the word and the meaning. The child or young person has to match the word to the meaning and they are helped by the jigsaw shapes.

Just a minute gameGive the child or young person 1 minute to talk about the word. Other player(s) guess the word from the clues given.

Hangman gamePlay hangman for newly learnt words or words in a topic.

CalligramsCreate a poster of the word, drawing or creating the letters so they look like something that relates to the meaning of the word. This can help visual memory.

GlossariesGive a list of topic vocabulary and ask the child or young person to add definitions to the list as you cover the words in lessons. Encourage them to use a dictionary for this activity.

IconsDraw icons or pictures alongside the words to help learn them.