Vocabulary activities for 1st graders

Vocabulary: Activities for Your First Grader

Talking to and reading with your kindergartner are two terrific ways to help them hear and read new words. Conversations and questions about interesting words are easy, non-threatening ways to get new words into everyday talk.

Even very young children love to hear and learn new words! Help your child expand their word bank and knowledge of the world by using interesting and vivid words instead of simpler language in your everyday conversations.

Reading aloud exposes your child to lots of vivid language that is not found in books for beginning readers. When you come upon a new and interesting word, take the time to stop and ask your child what they think that word might mean in the context of the story. Then offer a kid-friendly definition of the word and connect it to a similar word and a shared experience.

Word learning and vocabulary growth takes time and patience. Don't expect your child to learn a new word after one conversation or one read aloud. True word learning happens after being exposed to words several times. We all learn about words throughout our lifetime. You're getting your child off to a great start by developing an early interest in words.

Vocabulary in first grade

Try these vocabulary activities at home

Read aloud every day

Reading aloud to your child and having your child read books on their own is the best way to increase their vocabulary. Books provide words they won’t encounter in everyday conversations as the language of books is more complete and formal than talking. A great story also provides context and illustrations for learning a new word.

Bring in the nonfiction

Nonfiction and informational books (such as the DK Eyewitness series) offer young children a treasure chest of new and interesting words about our world. If the book has a glossary, spend some time discussing the words with your child, and as you read aloud stop as often as needed to think about new words and how they connect to what your child already knows about. Learn more in this article, The Vocabulary of Science.

Talk about new words during read alouds

Talking to and reading with your child are two terrific ways to help them hear and read new words. Conversations and questions about interesting words are easy ways to get new words into everyday talk. "The book says, 'The boy tumbled down the hill,' and look at the picture! How do you think he went down the hill?"

Sharing a new word with your child doesn't have to take a long time: just a few minutes to talk about the word and then focus back on the book or conversation. Choose which words to talk about carefully — choosing every new word might make reading seem like a chore. The best words to explore are ones that are less common to see in the books your child might read. When introducing new words to your young learner, keep the following four helpful hints in mind:

1. Provide a simple, kid-friendly definition for the new word: Enormous means that something is really, really big.
2. Offer a simple, kid-friendly example that makes sense within their daily life: Remember that really big watermelon we got at the grocery store? That was an enormous watermelon!
3. Encourage your child to develop their own example: What enormous thing can you think of? Can you think of something really big that you saw today? That's right! The bulldozer near the park was enormous! Those tires were huge.
4. Keep your new words active within your house. Over the next few days and weeks, take advantage of opportunities to use each new vocabulary word in conversation. Kids often need to hear a new word in context ten times or more before they "know" that word.

How do I help my child learn new words while we read aloud?

Literacy expert Sandra Wilborn suggests that parents pause during the read aloud to elaborate on a new word by giving a simple definition, connecting the word to something your child knows, and using it in a sentence. Reinforce the learning by using that new word at home in the weeks ahead. (From our video series Reading SOS: Expert Answers to Family Questions About Reading.)

Give them great words

Children's author Jane Yolen (Owl Moon, How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?) delights in using rich language in her picture books. In this clip from our video interview with Yolen, she says she often has to fight to keep good words — that really stretch vocabulary learning — in her picture books.

Grocery store vocabulary

The produce section is a great place to hear new interesting words. Words like rhubarb, asparagus, artichoke, and kiwi are fun to say, and fun to eat. As you introduce each one, use descriptive words to help your child learn. "A kiwi has a fuzzy outside, but the inside is bright green with black seeds!"

Start at the root

Begin with a simple root word, such as push. Ask your child to come up with words they know that contain that word, such as pushing, pushed, pushover, push-up. Talk about how all these words have some shared meaning related to the word push.

Consider the prefix 

Numeric prefixes like bi- and tri- are a part of many words kids know and use. Discuss words like tricycle, tricep, triangle. All these words share the prefix tri-, which means three. Can they develop a list of words that begin with the prefix bi- (like bicycle and binoculars)? This gives you a great chance to introduce new words, like bicentennial, bicep, and biped. You can generate similar word lists with the numeric prefixes uni, octo, and cent.

Word connections

Try this activity from the Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR). The FCRR "At Home" series was developed especially for families! Watch the video and then download the activity: Word Connections. See all FCRR vocabulary activities here.

Homonym fun

Homonyms — words that sound the same but have different meanings — provide a great opportunity for word fun. Say a word out loud, and see if your child can generate more than one meaning for the word. For example:

bark: the sound a dog makes
bark: the covering on a tree

ring: jewelry you wear on your finger
ring: the sound a doorbell makes

Explore your world

Visits to a museum, the zoo, the botanical garden, historical sites, and even your neighborhood park are terrific opportunities to introduce your child to new words. Spend some time looking at the signage and identifying new words, then connecting them to what you see right there.

"What’s another word for ..."

This game helps your child learn there’s more than one word for everyday things. For example, look around you and say, "what's another word for couch?" (sofa, ottoman). Or, "what's another word for cup?" (glass, mug) .You can extend the game by talking about how two things are similar but not exactly alike (glass, mug). That helps your child learn about the subtle differences in related words.

Understanding vocabulary: why it’s critical to your child’s reading

This video is from Home Reading Helper, a resource for parents to elevate children’s reading at home provided by Read Charlotte. Find more video, parent activities, printables, and other resources at Home Reading Helper.

More vocabulary resources

Vocabulary apps

Reviews provided by Common Sense Media.

Vocabulary Activities - Lucky Little Learners

Written by: Angie Olson

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Are you required to teach a list of vocabulary words each week? Vocabulary words are a very important piece of teaching students to read.  Learning and mastering essential vocabulary words can be achieved through vocabulary graphic organizers, vocabulary templates, no-prep vocabulary worksheets, vocabulary games, and a vocabulary display for your classroom wall!

Before we jump into the activities, if you prefer to see some of these activities in action, check out the video below!

Vocabulary Words of the Week in Journals

At the beginning of the week, we take two days to introduce all of our new vocabulary words for the week.   When the words are introduced the teacher shows the word and a picture to match the word.  The students take turns guessing what the word means.  Finally the teacher reads the definition with the students.  The students help the teacher determine an action that will represent the vocabulary word.  This is a very important piece because research shows that when kinesthetics are included into learning, students are better able to retain the new information.  All week this action is paired with the word whenever it is read or said.  The students then write the word and definition onto their Words of the Week sheet and place it into the vocabulary journal for future reference.

Download Words of the Week HERE

Vocabulary Journals

Vocabulary journals should be a staple in every classroom.  Vocabulary journals can take the form of a stapled packet, coil binded book, or hole punched binder.  The purpose of a vocabulary journal is to have a place for students to keep all of their vocabulary practice and a place for them to look back and reference past vocabulary words.   I love adding the vocabulary journals the parent teacher conference portfolios.  I also love to have students bring their vocabulary journals back to the reading table during reading groups to reference or add information.

Download Vocabulary Journal HERE

Free Editable Word Cards

Every week we put our new vocabulary words on cards.  These cards are used all week for a variety of games and activities.  At the end of the week, the students take the cards home to practice and keep.  Download a free copy of the editable vocabulary cards here.

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Vocabulary Headbandz

Vocabulary Headbandz is a fun game that students love.  Simply print off your vocabulary words onto these free editable vocabulary cards.  Each student attaches a vocabulary word card to their headband.   The youngest participant takes the first turn.  Then play passes to the left. When it’s your turn, just flip over the timer and ask each of the players a question that will help you figure out what the picture is on your head.   Once you’ve asked each player a question, simply begin another round and then another. If you guess the vocabulary word before the timer runs out, simply take another card and put it behind your headband. Continue to ask questions until the timer runs out.  For each vocabulary word that is guessed correctly, you get a point. The player with the most points at the end of the game is the winner.

Teacher Tip:
If you don’t own the Headbandz game, the headbands could be made from sentence strips and binder clips.

Memory/Concentration

Memory (also known as Concentration) can be played two different ways.  Students can have two stack of vocabulary words and take turns turning over two cards in an effort to get a match.   Each time a card is turned, the student turning the card has to read the word aloud and use it in a sentence.  If the student gets a match, he/she can keep the match and go again.  If the student does not get a match, the next player takes a turn.  Another variation of the game would be to have one copy of cards have the vocabulary words printed on them.  The other set of cards has the definitions printed on them.

Teacher Tip:  Use two different colors of paper when printing the cards.  Also, choose a dark color or make copies on card stock paper so the answers don’t show through the back side of the card.

Vocabulary Display

Vocabulary displays can be a powerful instructional tool.  Complete the vocabulary posters with the students.  Provide the students with their own vocabulary mini-posters to complete with the teacher.  If you have more than one word per day, make multiple copies of each word and display them all.  Leave this information up on the wall all week and at the end of the week, the expo marker can be wiped off with Lysol wipes or a Mr. Clean magic eraser.

Download Vocabulary Display HERE

Vocabulary Bingo

After the class has learned at least twenty-five different vocabulary words, bingo is a great option that students love to play that will provide a great opportunity to review.  Students simply write a vocabulary word in each space of their bingo card.  The teacher provides the definition of one of the words and the student finds the vocabulary word and covers it with a bingo chip.  The first student to get 5 in a row, 4 corners, or black out wins the game.

Download Vocabulary Bingo HERE

Roll a Word

Students need a vocabulary word list or stack of word cards.  This activity should be played with partners or small groups.  Students take turns choosing a card/word.  Then student rolls a dice and follows the prompt on the Roll a Word sheet.  Other players determine if the answer is correct.  Players take turns until the teacher decides that the time is up.

Download Roll a Word HERE

Vocab Short Stories

Writing stories is the ultimate determination of whether or not a student truly understands the meaning of his/her vocabulary words.   The teacher writes the vocabulary words that he/she would like the students to use when writing their short stories before making copies.  Students need to use all the vocabulary words in context all while forming a short story.  This activity comes with templates for 8 words, 10 words, or 12 words as well as with or without space for drawing a picture to match the story.

Download Vocab Short Story HERE

Parts of Speech

Nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs are an important piece of students learning grammar so why not combine them with vocabulary word practice?  Students read the words at the top of their sheet  and then sort them into the proper grammar categories.  This worksheet is available in 8 words, 10 words, or 12 words templates.

Download Parts of Speech HERE

Draw a Word

Drawing detailed pictures of a word’s meaning is another powerful tool to help students learn, understand, and retain a new vocabulary word.  The teacher can choose the six words prior to making copies or the student can choose the six trickiest words.

Download Draw a Word HERE

Picture This

Give each student a vocabulary card with a number.  Write the numbers from 1-25 (or however many students you have in your class).  Once students get their card, instruct them not to show anyone their card.  Provide the students some time to draw the vocabulary word with as many details as possible.  The student needs to also include their card number in the corner of their drawing.  Write the list of vocabulary words on the board and give each student a recording sheet.  Students walk around the classroom and look at each picture.  Then they write the vocabulary word answer in the correct box of their recording sheet.  Another variation for teachers who want more structure would be to have students sit at their desk while students take turns coming to the front of the class one a a time to explain their picture to the class.  Students who are sitting at their desks would need to determine the word that the picture is showing and write the answer on their recording sheet.

Download Picture This HERE

Act it Out

Act it Out is similar to Picture This except instead of drawings, the students would use actions.  The actions are performed as a group or one at a time in front of the class for the others to guess the vocabulary word and write it on the recording sheet.

Download Act it Out HERE

Vocabulary Word Mini Posters

Earlier in this post I explained vocabulary displays.  When the teacher is completing the vocabulary posters with the students, the students can complete the mini posters and put them in the vocabulary journals.  This is a great option to keep the students engaged and actively participating.

Download Vocabulary Mini Posters HERE

Vocabulary Dice

Vocabulary dice can be used with any list of vocabulary words.  Give each student a list or stack of vocabulary words.  Students can do this activity independently or with a partner.  Once a word is chosen, the student rolls the dice and follows the prompt on the dice.   Answers can be provided verbally or written on a piece of paper or marker board.

Download Vocabulary Dice HERE

Vocabulary Sentences

Students choose five of the trickiest words from the vocabulary word list.  Then the student writes a sentence that shows the meaning of the word in context within the sentence.  Students can also color the vocabulary word within the sentence.

Download Vocab Sentences HERE

What’s included in this 56-page vocabulary pack:

• Vocabulary Journal
• My 5-Day Vocabulary Routine
• Words of the Week
• Vocabulary Words Worksheet
• Vocabulary Mini Posters
• Roll a Word
• Vocabulary Dice
• Vocabulary Bingo
• Vocabulary Short Stories
• Draw a Word
• Parts of Speech
• Vocabulary Sentences
• Act it Out
• Picture This
• Editable Word cards
• Editable Grammar Flip Flaps
• Vocabulary Posters with Display
• Detailed Explanation with Pictures for each Activity

Download Vocabulary Words Resources HERE

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Vocabulary work at the Russian language lessons in the 1st grade. EMC "School of Russia"

Vocabulary work at Russian language lessons in the 1st grade

EMC "School of Russia"

Lesson 2

Guess the riddle.

Curious red nose

Only stick out in the garden

Green heels.

(Carrot.)

- These are dangerous places in trap letters. You need to remember these trap letters and always correctly write this word.

- Words to memorize we will call vocabulary.

This is the first dictionary word.

- Close your eyes and say it word clearly.

- Restore the offer. (All hints are removed.)

On garden bed grows .

- Write in your notebook the last word.

4 lesson

Guess riddle.

Not an artist, but vociferous,

Not rider, but spurs legs.

(Rooster)

– Who is Rooster ? What can you tell about it?

- In certain regions of our country a rooster is called a peven, a pevun. Words cock , song , songbird - Russian and go back to the verb to sing. This is the name of the rooster for his love of singing.

Rooster - sing, songbird singing bird; loving to sing.

Teacher hangs up card:

– What letter is missing?

– Which word helped you?

Associative memory.

Petya the cockerel,

Bright red scallop.

Our rooster can sing!

(letter We can't erase it!)

Early in the morning at dawn

He plays D!

6 lesson

– In the word all the letters are mixed up. If you put them in the right order, you can read the word - the name of the dish.

RALACTE (plate) .

- Put in word stress.

- What letter does it sound unclear?

- Remember spelling of this word.

- Remember everything vocabulary words that we have studied. Correct Pinocchio's mistakes.

Markov, rooster, torelka.

- Compose with word plate offer.

- Give me description of this proposal.

- Write it down. ( Compiled the proposal writes it on the board with comments .)

7 lesson

From vocabulary words the letters ran away, put them back in their place.

□reel.

11 lesson

Replace pictures words and make sentences.

- The teacher replaces the pictures words: boy, girl.

Guys, this is new vocabulary words. What do you think are the "dangerous" places to remember in these words?

- Write these off suggestions. What words-objects do you see in these sentences? (Football, doll.)

– And now make sentences about a boy and a girl yourself using the words from the exercise 4, p. 35.

- What it contains your suggestion?

– How is it pronounced?

- What sign do you put punctuation when writing?

- Which words in sentences designate, name an object?

12 lesson

Self-dictation.

- Remember vocabulary words. Write them down. How many words did you write down?

- What do these words mean? Try asking a question for each word.

– Today we will meet new dictionary words, but they must first be deciphered.

Code:

- What letter is on the second place? She needs to be remembered.

 Associative memo.

from rock years,