Words: Vocabulary Workshop
Words, Words, Words
Janet Allen
© Mary Barrett
Mayo High School
1420 SE 11th Ave.
Rochester, MN 55904
mabarrett@rochester.k12.mn.us
These materials may be duplicated for non-profit, educational use.
Text notes from Janet Allen’s Words, Words, Words
Stenhouse Publishers ISBN 1-57110-085-7 © 1999
1
Text notes from Janet Allen’s Words, Words, Words
Stenhouse Publishers ISBN 1-57110-085-7 © 1999
2
Using Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes
Description: Can you figure out what this word means?
pneumoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
If you use your knowledge of prefixes and suffixes, you could break it
down into the following parts:
pneumo (air, wind)
ultra (beyond the normal)
micro (small)
scopic (to see)
silico (hard stone)
volcano (fire)
coni (dust)
osis (disease)
You read Latin from right to left, so literally this word means the dust
from burning a hard stone and that is too small to see in the air.
This is the longest word in the dictionary, and it is a term for black lung
disease. (Miners breathed in a very fine coal dust that coated their lungs
and made it difficult for the miners to breathe. Many coal miners died
of black lung disease.)
Not only could you figure out this word if you had some knowledge of
Greek and Latin prefixes, roots, and suffixes, you could also pronounce
it! A college dictionary will give you the etymology of the word,
including its roots and their meanings.
Text notes from Janet Allen’s Words, Words, Words
Stenhouse Publishers ISBN 1-57110-085-7 © 1999
3
Why 99% Accuracy?
The man leaned against the current as he waded, waist-deep, upstream. His
hands steadied either end of the FURNWUNCH balanced across his shoulders.
He had moved about 90 yards from the DNUP where he had entered the stream. A
few yards ahead, a part of the wooded bank had been replaced by an ACNRID
FRUD. He came abreast of it, and with effort, pressed the FURNWUNCH up and
over his head, and then set it on top of the FRUD. He placed his hands on his hips,
pulled his elbows back, and arched his back in an attempt to stretch out muscles
that were knotted from long exertion.
He relaxed somewhat and began a visual inspection of the FRUD. He
moved closer to it and reached under the water to explore its surface. Moving
slowly, he started the search from the downstream end. At about the RONDTIP
he stopped and probed one area intently. Satisfied that he had located a
GRUNDLE, he continued to the upstream end. There was only one GRUNDLE
to contend with. He retrieved the FURNWUNCH and cradled the heavy
implement as he made his way back to the RONDTIP. He gingerly lowered the
FURNWUNCH, holding it perpendicular to the FRUD. When it reached the
GRUNDLE, he slid it in its full length. He held it in place with one hand and
turned the expansion lock handle until the instrument was seated tightly in place.
His mission accomplished, he was clearly relieved. He waded easily downstream
to the DNUP.
From: Harris, C. H. Curriculum Based Assessment: A Primer
297 Words/ 6.4 GE Flesch-Kincaid
Why 99% accuracy? This passage has 16 occurrences of six unknown words, or
93% known words, making it impossible to comprehend. Pre-teach vocabulary
words that are essential to comprehension before students read!
Text notes from Janet Allen’s Words, Words, Words
Stenhouse Publishers ISBN 1-57110-085-7 © 1999
4
Words, Words, Words – By Janet Allen
Teaching Vocabulary in Grades 4-12
Text Notes
“The amount of time spent reading is the best predictor of vocabulary
growth.”
Janet Allen Words, Words, Words
(Based on research from Anderson and Nagy 1991; Baumann and Kameenui 1991)
**And this means fiction and nonfiction! Mary Barrett
Stages of vocabulary knowledge: 1. First Exposure = partially known
2. Repeated Exposures = understanding
3. Literacy Maturity = concept fleshed out
3 Approaches to Vocabulary Instruction:
1. Incidental
2. Mediated support
3. Direct Instruction
Vocabulary vs. Concept
Teaching vocabulary is teaching new labels for familiar concepts.
Ex. Knowledge of Fair/Unfair can lead to understanding of the
vocabulary terms bias, discrimination, stereotyping.
Teaching a new concept requires more time.
Ex. The concept Faithfulness would require several reading,
writing, thinking, and exploring activities. Once the concept is
in place, students can generalize to loyalty, steadfastness, and
commitment as vocabulary terms.
Concept instruction has the most lasting effect.
5 Reasons Supporting Direct Instruction of Vocabulary
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Increase reading comprehension
Develop knowledge of new concepts
Improve range and specificity in writing
Help student communicate more effectively
Develop deeper understanding of words and concepts of which students
are only partially aware
Text notes from Janet Allen’s Words, Words, Words
Stenhouse Publishers ISBN 1-57110-085-7 © 1999
5
3 Key Characteristics of Good Vocabulary Instruction
1.
Integration
Vocabulary instruction is part of your everyday lesson, not an add-on
that separates the vocabulary from the text.
2.
Repetition
Students need to have multiple encounters with a word before it enters
their speaking, listening, and writing vocabulary. Students need to see
the words in varied contexts.
3.
Meaningful Use
Multiple and meaningful exposures to words might occur when the
teacher
 describes words;
 supports words with visuals;
 connects words to students’ lives;
 extends words with anecdotes;
 makes associations;
 gives definitions;
 compares and contrasts;
 questions;
 charts characteristics;
 rephrases sentences;
 analyzes word structure;
 provides tactile examples; and/or
 gives examples of correct and incorrect usage.
DO NOT simply give students word lists and tell them to look up words in the
dictionary. Definitions may not have enough information, may not make sense if
applied literally, or may be inappropriate for idiomatic usage.
Text notes from Janet Allen’s Words, Words, Words
Stenhouse Publishers ISBN 1-57110-085-7 © 1999
6
2 TYPES OF CONTEXT
1. Semantic/Syntactic
 cause/effect
 compare/contrast
 sequence
 examples (“such as”)
 direct explanation (“in other words”
 sentence structure
2. Typographical
 charts
 pictures
 glossary words
 parenthetical definitions
 text features (bold, italics, etc.)
BRING VOCABULARY TO A CONSCIOUS LEVEL









Model using context to figure out meanings.
Demonstrate how to use dictionaries, thesauruses, and other resources.
Highlight the importance of specialized vocabulary.
Connect individual words to a larger concept.
Show why some words require deeper understanding than other words.
Create visuals, webs, or organizers to develop memory links for words.
Extend student knowledge by pointing out multiple meanings of words.
Show students how you learn incidental words.
Help students discriminate between common knowledge and specialized
vocabulary.
Reading fiction and nonfiction takes different skills and strategies.
Tailor your strategies to the content of the text.
Text notes from Janet Allen’s Words, Words, Words
Stenhouse Publishers ISBN 1-57110-085-7 © 1999
7
POSSIBLE STRATEGIES
#1 Access Prior Knowledge
LIST – GROUP – LABEL
1. List all the words you can think of related to
.
(the major concept that you are introducing)
2. Group the words that you have listed by looking for words that have something in
common.
3. Once the words are grouped, decide on a label for each group.
WORDSTORMING
1. Write down all the words students can think of related to a given concept, theme, or
target word.
2. When students have exhausted their contributions, help them add to their individual lists
by giving some specific directions:
a. Can you think of words that describe someone without
?
b. Can you think of words that would show what someone might see, hear, feel,
touch, smell in a situation filled with
?
c. What are other words made from this root word?
3. Ask the students to group and label their words.
4. Introduce any words you think should be included and ask students to put them in the
correct group.
PRIOR KNOWLEDGE ASSESSMENT
1.
2.
3.
4.
Choose words that you know may present difficulty in the text.
Copy the word and its sentence onto an overhead.
Read the sentence, containing the word in context, aloud to students.
Give the students a KWL-style form to assess what they already know about the word.
Students will record the word in the appropriate column as the teacher reads each
sentence. (See p. 10)
5. Words that most students place in the first two columns will need to be explicitly taught;
words in the second two columns may be addressed in context.
Here is a sample of what the form’s columns might be:
Text notes from Janet Allen’s Words, Words, Words
Stenhouse Publishers ISBN 1-57110-085-7 © 1999
8
Geometry: Word Sort
Try to find the 4 headings among the words in the following list. One of the columns contains two subheadings under it. Then sort the words into columns that fit the headings.
Parts of Shapes
Measures
Relations
Shapes
points
vertices
parallel
parallelogram
length
edges
triangle
pyramid
volume
perimeter
square
hexagon
Solid Figures
rhombus
perpendicular
Plane Figures
radius
circle
circumference
prism
Text notes from Janet Allen’s Words, Words, Words
Stenhouse Publishers ISBN 1-57110-085-7 © 1999
similar
intersecting
angles
congruent
opposite
cylinder
points
square
diagonals
bisector
adjacent
rays
symmetry
cube
sphere
cone
9
Totally new
Heard before but
unsure of meaning
Text notes from Janet Allen’s Words, Words, Words
Stenhouse Publishers ISBN 1-57110-085-7 © 1999
Know one definition
Know several ways to
the use word
10
#2
MAKE WORD LEARNING MEANINGFUL
CONCEPT ATTAINMENT
Concept
Characteristics
Non-examples
Definition of Concept
Examples
Words that Connect
EXAMPLE: Concept Attainment
Concept
Direct vocabulary instruction
Characteristics
Non-examples
Definition of
Concept
Examples
Words that
Connect
 multiple exposures/
 integrate into lesson
multiple strategies
 meaningful use
 new concept
 generate word lists
 look up words in dictionary and copy definition
Good vocabulary instruction is based on integration
into a lesson, learning the word in context, and
meaningful exposures to the word multiple times.
 Metacognition about Context Clues
 Analyzing prefixes, roots, and suffixes
 Presenting words in sentences from text
 Strategic Instruction
 Scaffolding multiple experiences with increasing
student accountability
 Word Diary
Text notes from Janet Allen’s Words, Words, Words
Stenhouse Publishers ISBN 1-57110-085-7 © 1999
11
CONCEPT LADDER
Concept:
What does it look like?
What is it used for?
What are its parts?
What is it made of?
What did it replace or what has replaced it?
It is a kind of
It might also be called
Text notes from Janet Allen’s Words, Words, Words
Stenhouse Publishers ISBN 1-57110-085-7 © 1999
12
MAKING CONNECTIONS
Connected Concept/
Example
Connected Concept/
Example
CONCEPT
Connected Concept/
Example
Connected Concept/
Example
EXAMPLE: Making Connections
Conductor/
Orchestra
Manager/
Retail Store
Teacher/Classroom
Coach/
Sports Team
Text notes from Janet Allen’s Words, Words, Words
Stenhouse Publishers ISBN 1-57110-085-7 © 1999
Leader/
Youth Group
13
KNOWLEDGE CHART
Lee Corey
Word/Concept:
Prior Knowledge about
Text notes from Janet Allen’s Words, Words, Words
Stenhouse Publishers ISBN 1-57110-085-7 © 1999
New Knowledge about
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COMPARE/CONTRAST
Word:
Definition:
Compare to:
Contrast With:
Examples:
EXAMPLE: Compare/Contrast
Word:
Democracy
Definition: Form of government in which all people of voting age in the country
have an equal voice in how decisions are made and how laws are determined.
Compare to:
Contrast with:
family meeting
Monarchy
co-operative groups
Communism
food co-op
Socialism
Examples: ancient Greece
United States of America (representative democracy)
Text notes from Janet Allen’s Words, Words, Words
Stenhouse Publishers ISBN 1-57110-085-7 © 1999
15
ROOTS AND CONTEXT
Target Word in Context:
Word part(s) I recognize:
Meaning(s) of word part(s):
Other words I know with the word part(s):
Definition by analysis:
Target Word in Context:
Word part(s) I recognize:
Meaning(s) of word part(s):
Other words I know with the word part(s):
Definition by analysis:
Text notes from Janet Allen’s Words, Words, Words
Stenhouse Publishers ISBN 1-57110-085-7 © 1999
16
DIRECT INSTRUCTION WITH CONTEXT
Adams and Cerqui (1989)
Sentence that uses the target word in context:
is not:
New Word
is:
is not:
is:
is not:
is:
Example:
Example:
Example:
EXAMPLE: Direct Instruction with Context
Sentence that uses the target word in context:
The whole situation when the principal accused the student of theft was
PREPOSTEROUS since it was obvious that the student was incapable of stealing
anything.
is not: realistic
is not: serious
is: crazy
New Word:
Preposterous
is not: defensible
Ex.: Dennis Rodman
is: ridiculous
is: silly
Ex: “Can we have more
homework?”
Text notes from Janet Allen’s Words, Words, Words
Stenhouse Publishers ISBN 1-57110-085-7 © 1999
Ex: I just love being
tired and hungry!
17
SENSORY LANGUAGE CHART
Word/Phrase in context:
What does the word make you:
See?
Hear?
Smell?
Feel/Touch?
Taste?
EXAMPLE: Sensory Language Chart
Word/Phrase in context: “She frowned so hard her face could not unfrown
itself.”
What does the word make you:
 crabby, angry woman
SEE
 wrinkles
 wild hair
HEAR
 Grrrrr
 yelling
 “You did WHAT?!?!”
SMELL
 fear

 wall behind my back
FEEL/TOUCH
 angry breath on my face
 anger
TASTE

Text notes from Janet Allen’s Words, Words, Words
Stenhouse Publishers ISBN 1-57110-085-7 © 1999
 pursed lips
 hands on hips
 pointing finger
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UNDERSTAND WORDS AS CHARACTER TRAITS
Text Title/Author:
Trait
Character
Character
Character
Character
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
EXAMPLE: Understanding Words as Character Traits
Text Title/Author: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Scout
Atticus
Jem
TRAIT
1 honest
Boo Radley
2 reliable
3 mysterious
4 noble
5 selfless
6 stern
7 imaginative
8 optimistic
Text notes from Janet Allen’s Words, Words, Words
Stenhouse Publishers ISBN 1-57110-085-7 © 1999
19
#3
MAKE WORD LEARNING FUN
WORD WALLS
J. Green
The most important thing about a word wall seems to be to keep the walls
accessible and organized!
1. Cut out the letters of the alphabet to head columns of words. You can also
create word walls by using themes or concepts.
2. Separate columns with narrow strips of construction paper on which students
can write words.
3. Put new vocabulary on the wall (initially by the teacher, ultimately by the
students).
4. Change the words on the wall as you enter a new unit or topic. You may
want to archive the words for future reference.
Encourage student use of the word wall.
o Require word use in student writing.
o Give extra credit for student use of words in writing.
o Play a game with a Nerf ball in which the person throwing the ball has
to ask a question about words (What two words describe
?)
The person catching the ball has to answer the question and then
generate the next question or task as s/he throws the Nerf ball.
o Have “Word Bees” with meanings or synonyms or antonyms.
o I have used word walls with homophones, giving each class one
section of the bulletin board and making the gathering into a contest.
The Civil War and Reconstruction
Slavery
 abolition
 Freedman’s
Bureau
 Black Codes
 suffrage
Politics
 Lincoln
 impeach
 radical republicans

Text notes from Janet Allen’s Words, Words, Words
Stenhouse Publishers ISBN 1-57110-085-7 © 1999
Economics
 plantation
 boycott
 scalawags
 carptebaggers
 sharecroppers
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WORD JARS
Allen and Gonzalez 1998
The purpose here is to get students to pay attention to words that they have read,
seen, or heard.
1. On slips of paper, students write down a word and indicate where they
read/saw/heard the word.
2. The slips of paper go into a large jar (such as a pickle jar from the cafeteria.
3. Each day, the teacher pulls a word or two from the word jar.
4. The class discusses the meaning of the word and how it was used.
Variation:
 Create several word jars that represent categories from a novel or
poem, historical era, math concept, etc.
 Collect words in each category.
 Put the words into categories on the Word Wall when it is time to
discuss them.
 Have students use the words in writing about the topic.
LA Ex: Words that describe a character
Words that expressed a character’s emotions
Words that describe the setting
Words that evoke sensory images
Words that represent themes in the novel or poem
Text notes from Janet Allen’s Words, Words, Words
Stenhouse Publishers ISBN 1-57110-085-7 © 1999
Soc. St. Ex: Words related to war
Words related to peace
Words related to battles
Words related to soldiers
Words related to weapons
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EXAMPLE: Word Jar
Geometry Words
Shapes
Parts of
Shapes
diagonals
vertices
edges
lines
points
rays
angles
Measures
length
perimeter
volume
circumference
radius
area
Text notes from Janet Allen’s Words, Words, Words
Stenhouse Publishers ISBN 1-57110-085-7 © 1999
Plane Figures
-triangle
-square
-circle
-hexagon
-parallelogram
-rhombus
Solid Figures
-sphere
-cube
-prism
-cone
-cylinder
-pyramid
Relations
parallel
perpendicular
adjacent
opposite
symmetry
intersecting
congruent
bisector
similar
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CREATING SLANG DICTIONARIES
Margaret Meek 1988
“Slang is language that rolls up its sleeves, spits on its hands, and gets to work.” Carl Sandburg
This strategy can be used in two ways. First of all, it allows students to bring their own language into the
classroom, empowering them as sophisticated users of vocabulary. Secondly it allows the teacher to
focus on formal language and discuss the times and places where slang and formal language are
appropriate.
Here is how it works:
1. Write the slang word.
2. Write the definition for the slang word.
3. Use the slang word in a sentence.
4. Write a formal language synonym for the word.
5. Give the history of the slang (if applicable).
Slang Word
Definition:
Sentence:
Formal Language
Synonym
Word History
EXAMPLE: Slang Dictionary
Slang Word
Flapper
Definition:
A young woman in the 1920s who wore short skirts, wore
make-up, cut her hair, and defied society’s rules.
Sentence
Formal Language
Synonym
Word History
With short hair and a short skirt, with turned-down hose and
powdered knees – the flapper must have seemed to her
mother (the gentle Gibson girl) like a rebel.
 brazen hussy
 rebel
 flirt
FLAP – slang for a “loose or flighty girl”
Flapper – British slang for a “very young female prostitute”
Text notes from Janet Allen’s Words, Words, Words
Stenhouse Publishers ISBN 1-57110-085-7 © 1999
23
Semantic Map for Plane Figures
Concept Vocabulary
Plane Figures
Point
Line
Segment
Angle
Polygons
Other
Ray
Acute
Obtuse
Right
Convex
Triangle
Regular n-gon
Concave
Circle
Ellipse
Concept for Plane Figures:
McRel Teaching Reading in Mathematics 2nd Edition ©2002 (page 20)
24
Word Diary
Date
Name
Unfamiliar Word
Hour
Dates:
to
Context: Sentence in which you found the word
Guess
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Your grade depends on the following: 1) The word is spelled correctly; 2) the word is used in the sentence in which you found it; 3) the word is highlighted
or underlined within the sentence; 4) your handwriting is legible; and 5) your guess makes sense when it is substituted
for the new word in the context of the sentence.
Your Word Diary is due after each 10 diary entries. Thanks!
Due Date:
Words Vocabulary Workshop
25
prescription
inscription
inscribe
prescribe
scribble
description
scrib, scrip
to write
describe
scribe
subscription
scrip
subscribe
subscript
superscript
Words Vocabulary Workshops
script
26
Monarchy
Oligarchy
Archetype
Archrival
Anarchy
Archenemy
Patriarchy
arch, archae, arche
first, chief, ruler,
ancient, primitive
Architect
Matriarchy
Archeologist
Words Vocabulary Workshop
Archive
Archaic
Archdeacon
Archangel
27
VOCABULARY FRAMES
Vocabulary frames are a flash card method of learning new vocabulary. You DO
NOT use vocabulary frames for every vocabulary word you encounter. Some
words are explanations of a totally new concept; you put those words on a
vocabulary frame flash card.
Look Backwards
look forward,
foretelling
PRE DICT ION
speak
(noun)
Dictator Napoleon
looked ahead by
gazing into a crystal
ball.
Top Right Corner:
Write the word's definition.
Top Left Corner:
Write the word's opposite and cross it out.
Lower Left Corner:
Write a silly sentence that uses the definition of the word.
Lower Right Corner:
Draw a graphic to help you visualize the concept.
In the Center:
Isolate any prefixes.
Isolate the root.
Note the meaning of the root.
Isolate any suffixes.
Label the part of speech in parenthesis.
Words Vocabulary Workshop
28
equilateral triangle
Front of Card
Obtuse
triangle
a triangle that has three
sides of equal length
4”
4”
4”
If you combine four triangles
that have sides of equal lengths,
you will get a square!
Back of Card
Words Vocabulary Workshop
29
Word Games in the Classroom1
Balderdash
Produced by Gameworks Creations, Inc. through Western Publishing Company, Inc., Racine, WI 53404.
distributed by Games Gang Ltd., New York, NY 10010
Played like the parlor game dictionary. Players create phoney but believable definitions for given words
and earn points for selecting the correct definition or if their “bluff” definition is selected. Great for
assessing suffix, prefix, and root word knowledge.
Bingo
Bingo is one of the most popular of all games. It can be used on a regular basis to reinforce both sightword identification and phonic analysis. Bingo can also be used to reinforce the specialized vocabulary
contained in the various content fields. It is a very relaxing, "fun" activity for students and gives them a
change of pace.
Boggle
Produced by Parker Brothers, P.O. Box 1012, Beverly, MA 01915
The “three-minute word game” in which players decipher words from a sixteen-letter cube tray, spelling
any word diagonally, horizontally, vertically, or snakily formed in the tray. If the letters are connected,
they will spell—longer words are rewarded with more points. This game has the advantage of being quick
and allowing everyone to play at once.
Charades
Produced perhaps in some royal parlor and maybe even some fire-lit cave.
Get that kinesthetic energy and dramatic expression working in your vocabulary favor! Use vocab words,
history terms, geometric shapes, famous names, places, or things—words from any content area can be
used in this improvisational technique.
Find the Difference Game (from Gibbons, Scaffolding Language Scaffolding Learning: Teaching
Second Langauge Learners in the Mainstream Classroom, Heinemann, 2002)
This is a barrier game in which pairs of students have two similar but not identical pictures, words
(synonyms), concepts; they must find the differences by questioning each other and/or describing the
picture, word, or concept.
KOOSH Ball Game (Miller, Wilma H. (1997), Ready-Use Activities & Materials for Improving Content
Reading Skills)
Throwing and catching a koosh ball for lots of different purposes is a popular classroom game. Teachers
might use it on a regular basis with their students to reinforce the specialized vocabulary contained in the
various content fields or words from stories they have read in class. It is a quick, fun activity for students
which can be played during short down times before, during, and after break or when students are waiting
to be called to lunch or to an assembly. It's another way to reinforce vocabulary.
1
Allen, Janet, Words, Words, Words: Teaching Vocabulary in Grades 4-12, Stenhouse Publishers, 1999, pp. 117120.
Words Vocabulary Workshop
30
Here are the steps in playing:
1. Have each student think about the vocabulary words you have been working with. It helps to
have a list of the words on the board or on a chart so that students can see them.
2. The first student says a word from the vocabulary list, then tosses the koosh ball to another
student who gives a definition or uses the word in a sentence. The answering student then
tosses to the next student who calls out another word and tosses it to a different student who
supplies the definition or uses it in a sentence.
3. Have a student monitor check the definitions from 3" x 5" cards to check answers. This step
not only keeps students honest but also serves as review.
Ideas for using:
 Prefix or Suffix meaning: Have students play the same game using common prefixes and suffixes
you would like students to learn.

Spelling: Have students use spelling words. One calls the word and another spells it.
Listen Up!
Produced by The Game Works, Inc. under license from Steven Stroh, Inventor.
“Say what you see, draw what you hear.” You’ve seen this premise before—you see a collection of lines,
angles, and arcs on a card and must describe verbally what you see accurately enough for your partner to
duplicate your words in picture. Great for math and science vocab—shapes, angular degrees, and fun.
Outburst
Produced by Parker Brothers, a division of Tonka Corporation, Beverly, MA 01915, under license from
Hersch and Company.
Players are given a topic, such as “commands you give your dog” and then have sixty seconds to identify
the ten listed on the playing card. This “game of verbal explosions” is played in teams.
Oodles
Produced by Milton Bradley Company, Springfield, MA 01101, a division of Hasbro, Inc.
Teams of players try to guess words beginning with a given letter, based on catchy clues. For example,
the letter is B –“tiny mistake, or Yogi’s buddy” (Boo Boo), “the deer politicians love to pass” (buck).
Password
Produced by Milton Bradley Company, Springfield, MA 01101.
Played like the old TV game show, players give one-word clues to guide their partners to the target word
Great for antonym and synonym play, also to assess vocabulary comprehension.
Pictionary
Produced by Western Publishing Company, Inc., Racine, WI 53404, distributed by the Games Gang, Ltd.,
New York, NY 10010.
Pictionary is literally charades on paper. Players identify unknown words through sketches. A one-minute
time limit and a race around the board make for great word play through tactile translations, the “game of
quick draw.”
Words Vocabulary Workshop
31
Probe
Produced by Parker Brothers, a division of General Mills Fun Group, Inc.
Played much like hangman, players choose a word, record it on a word tray, and expose letters as they are
guessed, ultimately attempting to guess the word. Great for phun with fonemic awareness.
Scattergories
Produced by Milton Bradley Company, Springfield, MA 01101, a division of Hasbro, Inc.
This “fast-thinking categories game” combines the critical thinking strategy of categorization with word
knowledge and beginning sounds. Players list words beginning with a specific letter in a given category.
Points are earned only for those words no one else lists.
Scrabble
Manufactured by Selchow and Righter Company, Bay Shore, NY 11706.
If you don’t know this one, ask your grandma. It’s been on the market since 1948 and continues to make
word play popular and fun.
Taboo
Produced by Milton Bradley Company, Springfield, MA 01101, a division of Hasbro, Inc.
Played in teams; players try to get their team to say the secret word, but there is a list of words that are
taboo and cannot be spoken in the attempt. Great way to encourage your students to become on-the-spot
thesauruses.
Win, Lose, or Draw
Produced by Milton Bradley Company, Springfield, MA 01101, a division of Hasbro, Inc.
Played just like Pictionary, only with familiar phrases instead of individual words. Based on the TV
game show.
Word Yahtzee
Produced by E. S. Lowe, a Milton Bradley Company, Springfield, MA 01101.
Played like the popular numbers game, only with letters. “Roll the dice, build words and score big!”
Words Vocabulary Workshop
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