[wersum]

Can anyone suggest any vocabulary activities or games (to review spelling or content voc.)? I am looking for something I can use with my cooperative groups. I'm not interested in worksheets or computer generated games.

[Jaime]

I introduce the vocab. for our reading stories by playing "hang man". After the word is revealed, we discuss the meaning of the word. Actually, it's hang man, but I adapt it by drawing a monkey hanging in a tree. I draw the tree then each time they miss a letter, I draw the parts of a monkey (tail, body, head, arms, legs, and sometimes I'll draw the ears separate. I chose to do it this way because last year I had a student that had a brother commit suicide. I wasn't sure how it happened, so instead of calling it "Hang man", I called it "swinging monkey". My fourth graders love this activity.

[katiebaum]

I just read something in my intervention book that mentioned having the kids act out the words. I think i'm going to use it this week. It also would suit those children who need to be up and moving. Isn't that one of the multiple intelligences?

[Mariely]

Hello there! My friend Mrs. Jennifer Gold has a Spelling Handbook that she gives to the kids to choose an activity to do with their spelling words. Here's the link to the handbook:

http://www.mrsgoldsclass.com/Word%20...20handbook.doc

Her website by the way is www.mrsgoldsclass.com.

Hopefully those activities will help you out. I will look around and see what other activities I can offer you from my own collection of things and then I will post later. Take care!

Ms. Mariely Sanchez
www.sanchezclass.com

[angelangst]

Thanks for the link Mariely, I have some activities, but these will be great for the early finishers to choose from!

[SusanTeach]

One of my centers occasionally is where they make a small booklet and illustrate the vocabulary. Then they write a sentence to go along with the picture. They love it because they're always looking for an excuse to draw, and it really helps them remember what it means (for my visual learners) and be able to use it in a sentence. They're allowed to draw stick people, of course (for those of us who aren't artists!).

For a whole class activity, we play "swat" (an idea I got here on PT!). If you need the directions, let me know - but it would be hard to do in cooperative groups quietly.

[iteach4th]

I've heard of SWAT but have forgotten how to play it. Will you please explain for us?

Thanks!

[goldman]

Thank you Mariely for the ideas and your friends ideas.
I would love the directions for SWAT too! Thanks!

[SusanTeach]

So easy.....and fun! You put the vocabulary words on the board - randomly written around (not necessarily in rows). 2 students (we like boys vs. girls) each have a fly swatter. I read a definition and the first student to "swat" the word gets a point for their team. We play until all the words are done (and I do some words more than once to make sure they're paying attention). You can also put some words from past vocabulary in there - as a refresher.

I think other people wrote the words on a transparency, so the swatting wouldn't erase them from the board - so that's another option.