Word Study for
High Ability Kids
Activities for the Classroom
Elementary Enrichment Program
Compiled by S. Drummond 2010
Super Sentence
Read the sentence as it appears and complete the chart using the
capitalized words. Then “translate” the Sentence Stumper into simpler
words.
We live near a GROTESQUE, HIDEOUS, DETERIORATED old house, filled
with TORTUOUS, IMPENETRABLE hallways which give me EERIE,
GHASTLY feelings of CLAUSTROPHOBIA and TREPIDATION, especially
when I hear the FORMIDBLE CACOPHONY of BABBLING voices when no
one is there.
Word
Pronunciation
Meaning - in your own words
Translation:
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Super Sentence
Read the sentence as it appears and complete the chart using the
capitalized words. Then “translate” the Super Sentence into simpler
words.
The TRUCULENT, OPPIDAN LICKSPITTLE SEQUESTERED himself from the
BROUHAHA caused by the PUSILLANIMOUS MOUNTEBANK, and
MCHINATED a MACHIAVELLIAN PREVARICATION to METE to himself
some of the mountebank’s LUCRE.
Word
Pronunciation
Meaning
Translation:
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
*from Teaching Gifted Kids in the Regular Classroom by Susan Winebrenner
Super Sentence
Read the sentence as it appears and complete the chart using the
capitalized words. Then “translate” the Super Sentence into simpler
words.
She BRAZENLY OGLED the SURFEIT of ECCENTRIC GEWGAWS the
CANTANKEROUS, ANTIQUATED man had AMASSED during his ERSTWHILE
PEREGRINATION through the TEMPESTUOUS HINTERLAND of Africa.
Word
Pronunciation
Meaning
Translation:
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
*adapted by S. Drummond from Teaching Gifted Kids in the Regular Classroom by Susan Winebrenner
Super Sentence
Read the sentence as it appears and complete the chart using the
capitalized words. Then “translate” the Super Sentence into simpler
words.
The INCESSANT PALAVER of the MISANTHROPE who INHABITED the DOMICILE
ADJACENT to his own COMPELLED him to DELVE into the BESMIRCHED pages of
the newspaper, ASPIRING to ESPY a more SERENE home.
Word
Pronunciation
Meaning
Translation:
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
*adapted by S. Drummond from Teaching Gifted Kids in the Regular Classroom by Susan Winebrenner
Befuddled Confabulations
Simple statements can be made much more complicated by using synonyms in
place of the familiar words. For example:
Scintillate, scintillate, asteroid minific = Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
Try writing your own Befuddled Confabulation using a familiar Nursery Rhyme.
Befuddled Confabulations
Simple statements can be made much more complicated by using synonyms in
place of the familiar words. For example:
Vociferating skyward to the erroneous topiary = Barking up the wrong tree.
Try writing your own Befuddled Confabulations using familiar proverbs.
Befuddled Confabulations
Simple statements can be made much more complicated by using synonyms in
place of the familiar words. For example:
Slumbering Exquisiteness = Sleeping Beauty
Try writing your own Befuddled Confabulations using titles of familiar Fairy Tales.
Befuddled Confabulations
Simple statements can be made much more complicated by using synonyms in
place of the familiar words. For example:
Jitterbug betwixt the Luminaries = Dancing with the Stars
Try writing your own Befuddled Confabulations using familiar TV show titles.
Befuddled Confabulations
Simple statements can be made much more complicated by using synonyms in
place of the familiar words. For example:
Stellar Expedition = Star Trek
Try writing your own Befuddled Confabulations using familiar movie titles.
Befuddled Confabulations
Simple statements can be made much more complicated by using synonyms in
place of the familiar words. For example:
Seigneur of the Circlets = Lord of the Rings
Try writing your own Befuddled Confabulations using familiar book titles.
Befuddled Confabulation Saga
Challenge yourself with writing a Befuddled
Confabulation story. First, find a story to “translate”.
Then use a thesaurus and dictionary (either in book or
electronic form) to rewrite the story in more complicated
words.
Befuddled Confabulation Melody
Challenge yourself with writing a Befuddled
Confabulation song. First, find a song to “translate”.
Then use a thesaurus and dictionary (either in book or
electronic form) to rewrite the song in more complicated
words.
The Frayer Model
The Frayer Model is an adaptation of a concept map. It is especially
useful for vocabulary that refers to more complex concepts. The model
helps promote critical thinking and promotes deep understanding of a
word or concept. Gifted students will often know the “gist” of a word
in context, but this model ensures more complete understanding that
relies on more than context clues. This model should be used for single
words or concepts, not lists of vocabulary words.
Two types of Frayer Models follow this page. There is also a variation
on the same idea that may be more appropriate for younger students.
Frayer Model
Definition (in your own words)
Facts/Characteristics
Word or Concept
Examples
Non-examples
Frayer Model
Essential Characteristics
Non-essential Characteristics
Word or Concept
Definition
What it is
What it’s not
Vocabulary Building
Vocabulary Word
Draw a picture or diagram
Paraphrase: What does it mean?
Other words I think of
Antonyms: Opposite words
Word Parts
Identifying common word parts such as root words,
suffixes and prefixes can help students to decipher
unfamiliar words when they run across them in text.
Giving students a root word, and then asking them to
find as many examples as possible that contain that word
is one way to increase vocabulary.
Examples:
Photo
(Light)
Photography
Photon
Photogenic
Photosynthesis Telephoto
Photokinesis
Photosensitive
Photophobic
Photocopy
Photopathy
Photographic
Photochromy
Alphabet Scavenger Hunt
For each category, list as many words as you can find that start with the
letter ____.
Pairs of
Antonyms
Pairs of
Synonyms
8 letter words
Words with the
suffix -ment
Words with a
Greek root
Pairs of
homonyms
Pairs of
rhyming words
Adjectives
Proper Nouns
Vocabulary Showcase
This is an activity that could be done by all students, as long as
the given list contains words at varying levels. It combines preteaching of vocabulary with research skills, use of technology,
and visual skills as students arrange their final project.
Give students a list of words related to an upcoming unit of
study. Each student will choose one of the words to showcase.
Once students have chosen their word, they need to find the
following:
What the word means (in the context of the unit of study,
if there is more than one meaning)
An image that represents the word
A current events story that relates to that word
Students then place their word, news article and the photo into
a word processing document. Students should also cite their
sources. These could then be presented to the whole class or
compiled into a visual dictionary.
For a video of this kind of activity in action, see the following
link: http://etc.usf.edu/plans/lessons/lp/lp0070.htm
Spell-check Follies
Spell-check is a fantastic tool, but as we all know, it doesn’t catch
improper use of homophones or words that are commonly misspelled
(such as desert/dessert).
Challenge students to create a story that uses as many of these
examples as possible. They create both the document with the
improper (yet approved by spell-check) words and the document with
the correct spellings. They could also save the incorrect version of the
document on a shared drive or using Google docs and challenge their
friends to correct the errors.
A variation on this activity for younger students is to have them create
a story using a specific set of homophones. For example, have them rewrite a version of a popular fairy tale using as many instances of their,
they’re, and there as possible. After the story is written, have them
create blanks for all the instances of the chosen homophone, and
challenge classmates to fill them in correctly, either using a word
processing program or on paper.
Example:
Once upon a time, ____ were three little pigs. ____ was Curly. He was the oldest.
____ was Wurly. He was the smartest. And then ____ was Flo. She was the
favorite pig. ____ mother loved Flo the best. Curly, Wurly and Flo lived with ____
mother in a high-rise apartment building in New York City. _____ apartment was
on the 75th floor. The pigs didn't mind this because ____ was an elevator that
opened right in front of ____ apartment door. It was on the days that _____
elevator wasn't working, that the pigs suffered.
Word Lists
Have students create lists of as many words as possible
that fit into a particular category. Examples of categories
might include:
Groups of animals (herd, flock, etc)
Bodies of water (lake, river, etc)
Capitonyms - words that share the same spelling but
have a different meaning when capitalized (polish –
to make shiny/Polish – from Poland, march –
uniform, rhythmic walking/March – the third month)
Polysemes – words with the same spelling and
distinct but related meanings (mouth: orifice on the
face/opening of a cave)
English words that are spelled differently depending
on the country of origin (colour/color, check/cheque,
etc)
Brand names that have become generic terms
(Kleenex, Xerox, etc)
Onomatopoeia (zing, splash, hiccup, etc)
Other Strategies
(adapted from http://www.byrdseed.com/vocabulary-skills-for-gifted-students)
Multiple Meaning Words & Homophones
Teach students about the art of wordplay using puns.
Examples:
bands that were banned
vain veins
gorillas serving as guerrillas
horse horses
Be sure to push your students beyond simple examples and encourage
them to learn new meanings. Provide them with lists so they can
explore and develop their own “punny” examples.
Etymology & Greek and Latin Roots
You can have students study Greek and Latin word origins to develop
names for spells, new Pokemon, or strange inventions. Have them
construct words with at least two Greek or Latin roots, prefixes, or
suffixes.
Examples:
Acubible – a sharp book
Aquacrat – a person who lives in water
Cognates
Comparing vocabulary, grammar, and even writing systems of other
languages can give students a new point of view about language arts.
Cognates are an interesting way to find parallels across languages.
Some examples (taken from Wikipedia):
Night (English), nuit (French), nacht (German), natt (Swedish)
shalom (Hebrew), salaam (Arabic), and selam (Amharic)
Analogies
Analogies provide a great way to get gifted students thinking about
word relationships and patterns. Consider using analogies not just in
language arts, but across all disciplines. Have students create analogies
using concepts from:
social studies (Canada : Parliamentary Democracy :: United States
: Republic :: United Kingdom : Constitutional Monarchy)
science (Mount Saint Helens : Lava Dome :: Mauna Kea : Shield
Volcano)
sports (Lance Armstrong : Cycling :: Sydney Crosby : Hockey )
Antagonyms
Antagonyms are words that have the two opposing meanings. “Bound”
is an example since it means moving (”My flight was bound for
Toronto”) and Terrific (Extraordinarily good vs. causing terror).
Using Bloom’s Taxonomy to Differentiate
(adapted from Differentiating Instruction for Gifted Students, B. Beales, DDSB)
Bloom’s Level Word Meanings Task
Knowledge
Find the 10 hardest words in your story. Use a
dictionary to find out what each word means.
Comprehension
Find the 10 hardest words in your story. In your
own words, explain what each word means.
Application
Find the 10 hardest words in your story. Use each
word in a sentence that clearly shows its meaning.
Analysis
Find the 10 hardest words in your story. For each
word, write the root word and another word that
uses the same root word.
Synthesis
Find the 10 hardest words in your story. Use all 10
of these words in a story of your own.
Evaluation
Find the 10 hardest words in your story. Put these
words in order from easiest to hardest to spell (or
pronounce or explain or draw). What makes a
word difficult to spell?
Word Play Game Show
(adapted from Differentiating Instruction with Menus, Laurie Westphal – Prufrock Press)
Homophones
Synonyms
Complete the
Make a set of
homophone concentration cards for
worksheets
at least 10 pairs of
provided by the
synonyms.
teacher.
(15 points)
(15 pts)
Design a game
for your
classmates that
tests their
knowledge of
homophones.
(30 pts)
Antonyms
Make a poster
illustrating at
least 10 pairs of
antonyms.
(15 points)
Multiple Meanings
Look up the word
“run” in the
dictionary. Make a
booklet showing
pictures for at least
half the definitions
of run. (15 pts)
Design a crossword
puzzle where each
clue has 2 or more
meanings.
(30 points)
Create two webs: one
Design a
for the word “good”
worksheet for a
and one for the word
student that
“nice”. Brainstorm
tests his/her
synonyms for these
knowledge of
words that you could
antonyms.
use in your writing.
(30 points)
(30 points)
Create a poetry
Write a funny yet
Design your own
Create a
collection using descriptive story about
children’s
Powerpoint or
at least ten
a day in the life of a
picture book
Smart Notebook
different sets
bug. You must use
based on
presentation that
of
synonyms for the
antonyms to
uses multiple
homophones.
banned words at the
share with a
meaning words and
(45 points)
bottom of the page.
kindergarten
tests the reader’s
(45 points)
student.
ability to identify
(45 points)
their meanings.
(45 points)
Your Own
Your Own Idea!
Your Own Idea!
Your Own Idea!
Idea!
(25-50 points)
(25-50 points)
(25-50 points)
(25-50 points)
List of Banned Words:
good, bad, fun, like, said, hot, cold, happy, sad, mad, go, blue, nice
Guidelines: Choose activities totalling at least 100 points. You may be as creative as you like!
Mystery Words
All four words in each group can be paired with a fifth word to form a
compound word.
MAN
LIFT
HIGH
WHEEL
HORN
LIFE
SHOT
BE
BACK
WORK
BOY
WEIGHT
CASE
MARK
NOTE
END
SHIP
DIE
WARE
BOILED
PASS
WEAR
MINE
STAND
TIME
SIZE
BOAT
JACKET
LOCKED
MARK
SCAPE
LADY
LESS
BOOK
DEAD
PAPER
Try creating your own:
chair
Odd Word Out
In each group of words, all the words have something in common
except one. Find the odd word and write the reason why it doesn’t
belong.
Garnish
Blanch
Mince
Truss
Eradicate
Clavier
Chisel
Sitar
Zither
The odd word out is eradicate
because it’s not something you
do with food.
The odd word out is _____________
______________________________
Ocarina
Saris
Espadrilles
______________________________
______________________________
The odd word out is _____________
______________________________
Clogs
Sabots
Spats
Hora
Tarantella
______________________________
______________________________
The odd word out is _____________
______________________________
Gavotte
Guilder
Rigadoon
______________________________
______________________________
Cravat
Creel
The odd word out is _____________
Bolero
Ascot
______________________________
Mackinaw
______________________________
______________________________
Bushel
Hertz
Joule
Rune
The odd word out is _____________
______________________________
Watt
______________________________
______________________________
Myna
Tern
Petrel
Vassal
The odd word out is _____________
______________________________
Marabou
Fedora
Bunco
______________________________
______________________________
The odd word out is _____________
______________________________
Tiara
Derby
Beret
_______
_______
_______
_______
______________________________
______________________________
The odd word out is _____________
______________________________
_______
______________________________
______________________________
Word Lists
The best idea is to have students track down words in text they are
reading. But if you’re looking for lists of words that high achieving kids
may not yet know, here are some ideas.
Edifice
Irascible
Fracas
Pinnacle
Indigenous
Zephyr
Pariah
Quandary
Mentor
Adamant
Belfry
Nape
Candour
Charlatan
Notorious
Ennui
Paraphernalia
Dexterity
Surfeit
Capricious
Vendetta
Gratuity
Cynic
Penchant
Effulgent
Gripe
Misanthrope
Bliss
Eulogy
Banal
Panacea
Vigil
Scion
Veneer
Covert
Placard
Utopia
Demeanour
Blitz
Malleable
Hierarchy
Catharsis
Wrath
Concordance
Cagey
Pedagogue
Façade
Guile
Pittance
Fervent
Grimace
Incumbent
Vagrant
Parsimony
Quixotic
Savvy
Knack
Nuance
Pallor
Lurid
Veer
Juxtapose
Condone
Ascertain
Obese
Disavow
Wane
Monopolize
Jeopardize
Conspicuous
Emit
Abjure
Alleviate
Propagate
Squeamish
Exploit
Ostracize
Replenish
Affirm
Indisputable
Peruse
Maim
Disseminate
Exasperate
Brusque
Discriminate
Merge
Emulate
Promulgate
Impudent
Deter
Interrogate
Scintillate
Evict
Strident
Fluctuate
Dissipate
Intone
Oblige
Inanimate
Gnash
Ruminate
Seclude
Encompass
Indolent
Intervene
Flaunt
Transgress
Feign
Nebulous
Exuberant
Tantamount
Benevolent
Inaudible
Erudite
Dishevelled
Obtuse
Parched
Catastrophic
Conducive
Congenial
Senile
Lugubrious
Curt
Feckless
Compatible
Infinitesimal
Gawky
Umbrage
Callow
Apathetic
Rival
Austere
Ominous
Revere
Decrepit
Venerate
Spurious
Debacle
Contempt
Affinity
Inundate
Delve
Perpetual
Transitory
Amenable
Scrupulous
Volition
Repugnant
Corrupt
Refined
Fidelity
Anguish
Uncouth
Undulate
Prodigious
Loquacious
Prominent
Vivacious
Altruistic
Somnolent
Affluent
Lucid
Ubiquitous
Chivalrous
Devise
Imbibe
Abhor
Elicit
Masticate
Innocuous
Succinct
Unsavoury
Verbose
Copious
Concoct
Adroit
Sanguine
Meticulous
Stringent
Lax
Lucrative
Listless
Haggard
Haughty
Voluminous
Superfluous
Sublime
Lingering
Savoury
Games
Games can help build vocabulary in high ability students in a way that is
enjoyable. Consider using the following in your classroom:
Board games:
Scrabble
Balderdash
Password
Pictionary
Scattergories
Taboo
Bananagrams
Variations:
Try varying the games to add challenge. For example, when playing
Scrabble, challenge students to use only 5 or more letters for each
word. Or allow students to use a dictionary, but have a time limit for
each turn.
Online Games:
http://www.freerice.com/
http://www.miniclip.com/games/word-vine/en/
Resources
Word of the Day:
A word of the day, either as a whole class activity or as a small group or
individual task, can expose students to words they may not hear in
everyday conversation. Several websites provide a Word a Day, some
on the site itself and some by email.
http://wordsmith.org/words/today.html
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/mwwod.pl
http://www.reference.com/wordoftheday
http://www.oed.com/cgi/display/wotd
Adopt a Word:
At this site created by Oxford Dictionaries, students can “adopt” a word
that has largely fallen out of use in the English Language. Students can
“adopt” the word by pledging to use it in conversation.
http://savethewords.org/
Visual Thesaurus:
An interesting visual thesaurus that gifted students may enjoy
exploring.
http://www.visualthesaurus.com/