Tools for Instruction
Understand Antonyms
Students who develop a rich awareness of word relationships tend to show improved reading and listening
comprehension. They also tend to demonstrate a greater ability to use precise language thoughtfully in their
own speech and writing. In order to fully understand word relationships, however, students must gain deep
knowledge of words’ meanings so they can detect subtle differences in shades of meaning. Provide a variety of
activities to help students reinforce their understanding of antonyms and their ability to detect whether word
pairs are polar opposites such as hot and cold or less extreme opposites such as hot and chilly.
Four Ways to Teach
Substitute Antonyms in Sentences 10–15 minutes
•Say, Antonyms are words with opposite or nearly opposite meanings. Provide a brief list of words, and work
with students to brainstorm antonyms for each word. As you write, pause to briefly define any words that
are not known to all. See the examples below.
Word
relaxed
ordinary
complicated
dark
Antonyms
anxious, nervous, tense, jumpy, jittery
extraordinary, remarkable, amazing, unique, rare
simple, clear, straightforward, uncomplicated
bright, sunny, shining, beaming
• Have each student choose a word from the first column and craft a sentence that conveys the word’s meaning.
• Invite students to read their sentences aloud. As a class, revise each sentence using an antonym for the
target word. Discuss how the sentence needs to change in order to convey the meaning of the antonym.
Original Sentence Ken studied all day on Sunday, so he was relaxed about Monday’s math test.
Revised Sentence Ken forgot to study for Monday’s math test, so he felt nervous.
Sort Antonyms 20–30 minutes
•Assign to small groups four to five words that have familiar antonyms.
• Have groups write each of their assigned words on an individual index card. For each word, have them think
of or look up an antonym and write it on a separate card. Groups should end up with eight to ten cards, each
showing a single word.
• Direct groups to shuffle their cards and hand them to a different group. Challenge groups to sort the cards
they were given into pairs, matching each word with its antonym. Allow them to use dictionaries if needed.
• Display the paired index cards, and review the antonyms throughout the week.
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Vocabulary I Levels 6–8 I Understand Antonyms I Page 1 of 2
i-Ready Tools for Instruction
Identify Antonyms in Academic Text 20–30 minutes
Help students apply their understanding of antonyms to content-area vocabulary. Choose, copy, and
distribute a passage from a current science or social studies text that contains examples of antonyms, such
as soluble/insoluble, edible/inedible, or diluted/concentrated.
• Have pairs of students read the passage and work together to identify antonyms, using dictionaries as
needed. Ask, Which words in the passage describe opposite concepts? What do the words mean? How are they
used in the sentence?
• Discuss students’ findings and keep a running list of antonyms they identify. Briefly review the meaning of
each word, and correct any misidentifications.
• Display the list of academic antonyms on the wall and encourage students to add to it throughout the week.
Support Special Education Students  To support background knowledge for students far below grade
level, begin the activity by reading the passage aloud and briefly explaining the concepts associated with the
target antonyms.
Write Opposite Stories 30–45 minutes
Connect to Writing  Have pairs of students use antonyms in a creative writing exercise.
• Distribute a list of antonyms at students’ reading level, or prompt students to brainstorm a list. Divide the list
into two columns; words with opposite meanings should appear beside each other.
generous
innocent
suddenly
confusion
miniature
stingy
guilty
gradually
understanding
enormous
• Have partners agree on a story topic. Then direct one partner to write a short story using words from the left
column, while the other writes a story using words from the right column.
• Have partners trade stories and discuss them using the following prompts: What was each story about?
How were the stories different? In what ways did they have opposite meanings?
Check for Understanding
If you observe...
difficulty identifying antonyms for a word
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Then try...
using the target word in a sentence that conveys its
meaning, then confirming understanding by asking
students to define it in their own words. Next, provide
two words, one of which is an antonym for the target
word. Ask, Which of these means the opposite of the
word you just explained?
Vocabulary I Levels 6–8 I Understand Antonyms I Page 2 of 2