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Activity for Level 5
Vocabulary Building
ABC Adjectives
Time Required:
Objective: Reword sentences with new vocabulary words
Directions:
1. The teacher begins by saying, “My cat is an active cat.”
Group Size:
2. The next student says, “My cat is a brilliant cat.”
3. Continue by having students use adjectives that begin with the letters of the
alphabet in order.
Materials Needed:
None
Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation ©2001 AGS® American Guidance Service, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use only.
5Voc-A01
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Activity for Level 5
Vocabulary Building
Find the Antonym
Time Required:
Objective: Recognize and read antonym pairs
Directions:
1. Prepare word cards by writing one word from List A on one color card and the
Group Size:
antonym match from List B on a card of another color. Pass out cards to students
so that each student has one card. (Be sure that each student will have a match.)
2. If students are unsure of the meaning of their word, have them use the dictionary.
3. Have the students go around the room and interview the other students to find
their antonym pair.
4. Once all pairs have been found, mix the cards up, and repeat.
5. To make the game more challenging, write the words from List A and List B on
Materials Needed:
• Index cards of two
colors
the same color cards.
List A
admire
gain
horrible
idle
liquid
ridiculous
vast
student
thaw
triumph
heal
height
innocent
panic
sturdy
List B
detest
lose
pleasant
active
solid
sensible
limited
teacher
freeze
defeat
infect
depth
guilty
calm
weak
Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation ©2001 AGS® American Guidance Service, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use only.
5Voc-A02
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Activity for Level 5
Vocabulary Building
Catch a Category
Time Required:
Objective: Retrieve phoneme-specific vocabulary within a given category
Directions:
1. Pass out the list of categories to each student.
2. Put the letters in a bag or box. Have students select a letter.
3. For each category, instruct the students to write down a response beginning with
Group Size:
the selected letter.
4. Scoring is as follows: 2 points for accurate item belonging to the category and
Materials Needed:
• Timer
• Bag/box
• Individual letters of
the alphabet
beginning with the selected letter, 1 point for an accurate item belonging to the
category and beginning with a different letter. If two students give the same
answer for one category, they cancel each other out, and no points are awarded.
(This rule inspires unique thinking and humor.) No answer can be used twice by
the same student within a round.
5. Set a timer for 3–5 minutes (depending on the group).
6. After the timer goes off, students read their answers, starting with #1 of
Category A, and score (with tally marks by the word) their responses. Tally
marks are totaled, and the winner is identified.
Category A (At Home)
Beginning with the letter _____
My favorite food _______________
Book _______________
Great television show _______________
Special hobby _______________
Family member _______________
Category B (Outdoor Fun)
Beginning with the letter _____
Sport _______________
Animal _______________
Plant/Tree _______________
Picnic food_______________
Game _______________
Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation ©2001 AGS® American Guidance Service, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use only.
5Voc-A03
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Activity for Level 5
Vocabulary Building
Bingo
Time Required:
Objective: Learn vocabulary word meaning
Directions:
1. Have children choose nine vocabulary words from the list below.
2. Students need to look up each word and record the definition on a separate sheet
Group Size:
of paper for future reference.
3. Have students randomly place the vocabulary words on their bingo grid.
4. Call out the definitions one at a time, and have students put a marker on the
appropriate word.
5. Students call out “bingo” when they have completed any line (horizontal, vertical,
or diagonal).
Materials Needed:
• Bingo grids
Vocabulary
capitol
basin
comrade
dense
phonograph
quarantine
rudder
sapling
kernel
fawn
emperor
reckon
scholar
veil
sneer
vicious
Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation ©2001 AGS® American Guidance Service, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use only.
5Voc-A04a
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Activity for Level 5
Vocabulary Building
Guess the Meaning
Time Required:
Objective: Identify word meanings
Directions:
1. Have students work in pairs, and give each pair one word from the list below.
Group Size:
2. Each pair looks up the word in the dictionary.
3. The pair writes the word, the part of speech, and the definition, and then uses it in
a sentence.
4. Once all students have finished, call each pair up to the chalkboard to write its
word.
5. The pair pronounces the word and uses it in a sentence for the rest of the class.
Materials Needed:
6. The class then tries to guess the meaning of the word.
• Chalkboard/chart
paper
7. If the class is unable to guess the definition after a few tries, the pair reads aloud
the definition from the dictionary.
Vocabulary Words
admiration
barter
conquer
decree
clench
reel
scant
orphan
grant
enamel
floe
hymn
nimble
picket
rung
presence
modest
irrigate
heron
export
Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation ©2001 AGS® American Guidance Service, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use only.
5Voc-A04b
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Activity for Level 5
Vocabulary Building
Have I Got a Word to Sell You!
Time Required:
Objective: Practice vocabulary knowledge creatively
Directions:
1. Divide the students into small groups, and pass out several index cards to each
group.
2. Tell the students you are going to play a “word-selling” game. Each team is
Group Size:
assigned a vocabulary word. The team then writes a creative definition of the
word, making it interesting enough or exciting enough to be “sellable.”
3. Each team then tries to write a definition that is as close to the actual one as
possible.
4. Time the groups 3–5 minutes per word.
5. Once each team has written both a creative and an accurate definition for the
Materials Needed:
• Index cards
• Dictionary
• Timer
word, have each team share its definitions with the class for a vote.
6. Assign points for highly creative and highly accurate definitions. The team with
the most points wins the round, having effectively “sold” its word.
7. Continue the game for several rounds.
Possible Words
academy
kernel
pantry
bacteria
lava
quail
cactus
mascot
tablet
fawn
nostril
universe
jewelry
oxen
veil
Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation ©2001 AGS® American Guidance Service, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use only.
5Voc-A04c
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Activity for Level 5
Vocabulary Building
Analogies
Time Required:
Objective: Determine relationships among words
Directions:
1. Explain to students that analogies are words that have a relationship to one anoth-
Group Size:
er. The key is to determine the relationship of one pair of words and then find a
second pair of words that has the same relationship. For example, “in” is to “out”
as “hot” is to “____.” Since “out” is the opposite of “in,” the answer should be
“cold,” which is the opposite of “hot.”
2. Read a set of analogies to the class, and have the students identify the relationship
of those words. Then read the first word in the second set, and have them identify
a word that would be suitable.
Materials Needed:
None
laugh : giggle : : sob : (cry)
mother : daughter : : father : (son)
whisper : soft : : yell : (loud)
yard : house : : playground : (school)
hut : small : : mansion : (large)
ring : finger : : bracelet : (wrist)
stove : kitchen : : shower : (bathroom)
lemonade : glass : : coffee : (cup)
banana : fruit : : onion : (vegetable)
beef : cow : : pork : (pig)
chef : cook : : surgeon : (operate)
judge : robe : : astronaut : (spacesuit)
gorilla : ape : : python : (snake)
Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation ©2001 AGS® American Guidance Service, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use only.
5Voc-A05
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Activity for Level 5
Vocabulary Building
Make a Story
Time Required:
Objective: Use vocabulary in context to create a story
Directions:
1. Prepare word cards by writing one word on each card.
Group Size:
2. Have students sit in a circle, and distribute card(s) to students for a class story.
3. Make sure that students understand the meaning of the word(s) on their card(s).
4. Have students, one by one or at random, add to the story using their vocabulary
word.
5. Record the story on chart paper, and reread as a class.
6. Have students write their sentence addition on a white piece of paper and
Materials Needed:
• Note cards
• Chart paper
• Blank drawing
paper
illustrate it.
7. Bind into a class book.
Story Vocabulary Words
cabinet
armor
device
brisk
reasonable
opportunity
modest
nudge
kneel
gulp
haze
fright
evidence
dynamite
quality
scuffle
various
swirl
wax
yelp
select
timid
obtain
plead
loyal
humble
glorious
dodge
Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation ©2001 AGS® American Guidance Service, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use only.
5Voc-A06
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Activity for Level 5
Vocabulary Building
Find the Synonym
Time Required:
Objective: Recognize and read synonym pairs
Directions:
1. Prepare word cards by writing one word from List A on one color card and the
Group Size:
synonym match from List B on a card of another color. Pass out cards to students
so that each student has one card. (Be sure that each student will have a match.)
2. If students are unsure of the meaning of their word, have them use the dictionary.
3. Have the students go around the room and interview the other students to find
their synonym pair.
4. Once all pairs have been found, mix the cards up, and repeat.
5. To make the game more challenging, write the words from List A and List B on
Materials Needed:
• Index cards of two
colors
the same color cards.
List A
immense
timid
mend
consent
peril
marvelous
blunder
desire
vast
delayed
transport
attempt
victor
wealth
demonstrate
List B
huge
fearful
repair
agree
danger
wonderful
error
want
immense
tardy
move
try
winner
fortune
show
Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation ©2001 AGS® American Guidance Service, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use only.
5Voc-A07a
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Activity for Level 5
Vocabulary Building
New Sentence, Same Meaning
Time Required:
Objective: Rewrite sentences with new vocabulary words
Directions:
1. Give the students a simple sentence written on a sentence strip.
2. Each student needs to rewrite the sentence using the thesaurus to change as many
Group Size:
words as possible without changing the meaning.
3. Have students read the “before” and “after” sentences for the class.
Example:
Before: The mouse ate a piece of cheese off the table.
Materials Needed:
After:
The rodent consumed a portion of cheese off the console.
• Sentence strips
• Thesaurus
Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation ©2001 AGS® American Guidance Service, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use only.
5Voc-A07b
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Activity for Level 5
Vocabulary Building
Odd Word Out
Time Required:
Objective: Identify similar and different vocabulary words
Directions:
1. Write groups of four words, each in which three words have related or similar
meanings and the fourth word an unrelated or opposite meaning.
Group Size:
2. For each word group, have the students identify the three words that are alike and
the word that is different. (Students may use dictionaries to look up unknown
words.)
3. Have one student explain why the selected word does not belong.
Materials Needed:
• Chalkboard/chart
paper
Word Groups
terrify
alarm
frighten
hurry
(hurry)
mad
crazy
careless
insane
(careless)
junk
flaw
rubbish
waste
(flaw)
boy
lad
youth
man
(man)
charm
gift
present
donation
(charm)
energy
power
trust
strength
(trust)
below
level
under
beneath
(level)
abrupt
sudden
frequent
hasty
(hasty)
find
locate
endure
discover
(endure)
sell
prohibit
forbid
restrict
(sell)
Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation ©2001 AGS® American Guidance Service, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use only.
5Voc-A07c