Word challenges for students

I’ve had the pleasure of working with this company. All opinions are my own.  

Have you tried a writing challenge with your students?  I was so excited to have an opportunity to participate in a special word challenge with my friends at Adobe Education. It’s called a “200 Word Challenge” and it’s the perfect format for student writers. In this blog post, I’ll take you through the challenge resources, share a link to the video where I participate in the challenge, and hopefully inspire you to tailor this to your own classroom.

If you’re a regular reader of the blog, you know how much I love the Adobe Spark tools. Ben Forta and I even wrote a book called 40 Ways to Inject Creativity Into Your Classroom With Adobe Spark. This challenge isn’t one of our 40 activities, but I’m very excited to share it with you.  And don’t forget, I do have a free download, it’s a set of graphic organizers you can use with the Spark tools.

Let’s jump into the writing challenge!

Challenge for Student Writers

The 200 word student writing challenge takes a spin on a traditional writing prompt. Instead of asking students to respond to one question, it has an overarching theme. The theme is broken down into four sub, or smaller, questions. Students can respond with their answers to the questions using about 50 words each.

As you can see in the screenshot above, I answered the questions for my challenge on a Google document before jumping into Adobe Spark. Just like how you would create an example, or exemplar for your students, this is a great step to model. After students put in their responses to their questions, they may want to share with a partner for feedback.

The challenge I’m sharing here in this blog post isn’t grade level specific. So it provides a great opportunity for you to examine your English Language Arts goals, or connect with an ELA teacher who may have certain skills they are working on with your students, if you are teaching a different subject area. You might decide to pull in a checklist, or rubric, or simply include this challenge alongside specific mini lessons already on your calendar.

Sharing Student Writing

After students have created their document with responses to the questions, it’s time to head over to Adobe Spark Page. Spark Page is the website creation tool that allows students to create beautiful landing pages. As you can see in the screenshot below, I am sharing examples from an Adobe Spark Page website in my Chrome Web browser. You can also use Adobe Spark Page  on iOS,. The app for iPads and iPhones is very user-friendly, and students can login with the same email they might use on a Web browser.

If you haven’t set up Adobe Spark for your school, you have two options. This page shares details on district level implementation as well as how teachers can set up their class if you are a G Suite school. 

Once students have opened up their Spark Page, they can build out their website from top to bottom. At the top of the screen there’s a space to add a title and header image.

Then the plus sign that follows as students scroll down the page allows them to combine text, images, links, and more. To get an idea of what this project looks like in action, check out this video recording of my session with Tanya Avrith and Dominic Traynor. We go through the steps together for creating a Spark Page with my example for the challenge.

200 Word Challenge 

Although you are welcome to come up with your own writing prompts and ideas, the team at Adobe Education and Wakelet have you covered. This page goes through lots of ideas for getting kids talking about big issues. As I mentioned above, you might only focus on specific goals you have for students in English Language Arts or integrate another content area.

I can’t wait to see what your students create! If you decide to share on social media, make sure to tag my account @classtechtips  as well as @adobeforedu. You can also add the hashtags #AdobeEduCreative and #WakeletWave for this challenge. This way students can connect with other kids in different parts of the world!

Brilliant Activities To Practise Vocabulary in Language Lessons 

It is important to encourage students’ vocabulary development so that they have the necessary lexis available to them to succeed in communicating and understanding any language. This can be incorporated into most lessons through subtle vocabulary learning activities. This includes actively teaching vocabulary, absorbing words, picking up one or two words and trying to use them each lesson etc.

How can you teach vocabulary in the classroom?

One way of implementing this strategy in the language classroom is to incorporate a number of opportunities for students to reflect on words they already know, have exposure to words they should know, as well as have the opportunity to use and recycle this vocabulary in ‘authentic’ conversations and interactions. Below, you will find a number of fun vocab activities for language teachers to teach vocabulary with the sole purpose of aiding language learners to improve vocabulary learning. 

Ways To Practise Vocabulary

Vocabulary activities are a brilliant way to get students focused in the language classroom and showcase their knowledge. In addition, these fun vocab activities also allow learners to acquire even more knowledge from their peers. Students will have the ability to reflect on what they know if they work individually. However, if they work in pairs and in small groups, they will also learn new words. Combining this reflection, as well as exposure to new words regularly, along with recycling this vocabulary in classroom activities and homework will aid language learners to have more vocabulary to communicate.

The purpose of this post is to collate a variety of fun vocabulary challenges that you can easily use in your language classrooms, at any time of the academic year. The vocabulary development activities are perfect for the French, German and Spanish Key Stage 3, 4 and 5 classrooms in England, but also ideal for English Language Teaching classrooms, as well as any other language teaching classroom anywhere in the world for all language learners!

Try the fun vocabulary challenges and vocabulary activities for revision below today. Which ways to practise vocabulary do you use in your language classrooms? Please feel free to add any ones that we should be using in our language lessons in the comment section below! 

AWESOME VOCABULARY ACTIVITIES AND WAYS TO PRACTISE VOCABULARY IN THE LANGUAGE CLASSROOM

1. How many words can you write with ‘two’ vowels?

Add a challenge to your vocabulary practice activities in your language lessons. This fun vocab activity could be easily adapted for all of your classes and it could be used regularly, but with some adaptations to keep things fresh. For example, change the ‘two vowels’ to ‘three vowels’, or the ‘vowels’ to ‘syllables’ etc. You can make the activities topic related or lexical, i.e. nouns, adjectives, verbs etc.

2. Words Beginning with ‘X’ 

How many words can you write down beginning with any letter of the alphabet? To make this vocabulary challenge topic-related, add a theme that the students must stick to, i.e. Food & Drink or Holidays. Timed vocabulary activities can often be the most fun, as students have a sense of competition and often enjoy trying to compete against their peers. Sometimes, I get students to compete with each other to see who has the most vocabulary that no-one else in the lesson has written down. A little treat always helps for the winner!

3. A-Z Vocabulary Practice Activity

I love this vocabulary activity, as it can be used with all levels for pretty much any topic. Food and drink springs to mind, as well as lexical groups, such as: ‘verbs’, ‘adjectives’ and ‘nouns’. I am working on the topic of health and safety with my current ESOL students and I tried this out with them. Would you have thought of ‘fire extinguisher’ for ‘F’?!

4. What am I thinking?

I first came across this vocabulary activity in my first year of teacher training, when the Head of French used it as a plenary at the end of her lesson on restaurant food and drink. The year 8 students loved it and the vocabulary challenge got the students really involved in recalling the words that they had come across in the lesson. This teacher used the activity as a plenary with the whole group, but I think it would also work well in small groups, using the same principle.

5. Beat The Teacher 

This vocabulary practice activity is an oldie but a goody. It can be used to develop vocabulary and pronunciation for all students. This is one version of ‘beat the teacher’ with a competitive element but there are also many variations of it.

Create a PPT slide with imagery of vocabulary items in a grid. The students and teacher start off with 10 points. Point to an image on the grid and say it in the target language. If you say the word that represents the image correctly, then the students must repeat it. If you say a different word, or pronounce it incorrectly, then students must remain quiet.  If anyone repeats the wrong word, then the teacher gets a point, if all students stay silent the class gets a point.

Tip: Get a reliable student to keep a tally chart of the marks. To decide on a winner, you could set a time limit, or the first ‘team’ to get to a certain number of points. If the class wins, you could let them out a minute early, or give them another type of prize.

I find this kind of vocabulary practice activity works really well to get whole groups engaged and it’s an excellent way of drilling with a competitive edge.

6. Word Association for Vocabulary Learning

I tried this creative vocabulary challenge out today with my English students and they loved it! The students got extremely inventive with the vocabulary that popped into their heads, in association with the previous one. You can use this as a stand-alone activity to get learners thinking of words they know. However, you could also combine it with a writing or speaking activity, too.

Instructions:

1. Teacher says a word, i.e. ‘facile’ and adds to whiteboard
2. Students must say the first related word they think of, i.e. ‘anglais’
3. Repeat until you get bored!

This vocabulary builder was used as a starter to a creative writing activity. So, if you have time, give the students a sentence starter, such as: ‘It was the first time that I was in a new country, when suddenly someone tapped me on the back…’ You can choose a sentence starter that fits with your class and their level. However, this worked so well and really got my students writing spontaneously but creatively at the same time. Win-win I’d say!

7. Hangman To Teach Vocabulary

When you think of fun vocab activities, then this might seem like a really simple and ill-thought out vocabulary challenge. However, try it out. It’s a brilliant idea and gets students so motivated. You can play as a whole class, perhaps as a plenary, or you can put students into small groups with mini whiteboards to compete against each other in small teams. If you are unsure on how to play hangman, check out the rules in the link.

Instructions:

1. Choose the theme
2. Put students into small teams with one mini whiteboard, pen and rubber
3. Students choose who begins, and then go clockwise.
4. Students compete against each other in the small teams
5. Keep a tally-chart and get the winners from each team to compete for an overall winner. This might seem like a really simple and ill-thought out vocabulary challenge. However, try it out. It’s a brilliant idea and gets students so motivated. You can play as a whole class, perhaps as a plenary, or you can put students into small groups with mini whiteboards to compete against each other in small teams. If you are unsure on how to play hangman, check out the rules in the link.

8. Pass It Forward Vocab Activity

I do love a good vocabulary activity with a competitive element! This one’s got both of these combined.

Resources required:

1. magnetic whiteboard and 1 x magnet per group
2. students in groups of 4-5 seated in rows facing the whiteboard
3. 10-15 images per group, related to whichever topic you would like to focus on

Instructions on the Pass It Forward Vocabulary Challenge

1. Sit students in groups of 4-5 in seated rows of tables facing a whiteboard
2. Beforehand, print out 10-15 images related to whatever topic you like on the back table.
3. Describe something from one of the images, i.e. ‘das blaue Hemd’.
4. The person on the back table must choose correct image and pass it forward to the person nearest whiteboard to stick on the whiteboard.
5. First team to put it on correctly and sit down again wins.

NOTE: If others disagree as they are passing it forward, they can pass it back and try again. Also, you can get students to move one chair back after each round. Watch out though, this option can be hard to manage!

CHALLENGE, get a stronger student to read out words, phrases or sentences, instead of the teacher.

9. What am I talking about? for Vocabulary Learning

This fun vocabulary activity, is perfect for revision, as it’s no-prep (always a winner with me), gets all students in the group involved in thinking of words, categorising them in a preferred order, it gets others guessing and recalling vocabulary verbally, leading to improved pronunciation.

Instructions:

1. Put students into groups of 3-4
2. Give each group 2 ‘secret’ topics/themes that you have pre-prepared
3. Students work in their groups to prepare a list of 10-15 topic-related vocab in order of ‘difficulty’. The word they feel is most difficult, but relatd to the theme gets awarded 15 points, then 14, 13, 12 etc
4. After prep time, go around each group with a different student revealing a new word from the list each round, starting with hardest
5. The other groups must identify the topic, for every guess they make incorrectly, that team loses a point.
6. Award points based on value of the word the ‘winning’ team gets right

As a reward, winners from these vocabulary challenges can be awarded merits, or as an extra little touch, a sticker. These are some of my favourites:

French Reward Stickers
Spanish Reward Stickers
German Reward Stickers
Italian Reward Stickers
English Reward Stickers

10. Jumbled Words With A Twist

Resources Required:
TWO OPTIONS:
More Prep – Worksheet with scrambled words and clues
Low Prep – Get students to create their own individual ideas on post it notes or slips of paper + blue tack to stick them up after

Instructions:

1. Whichever option you go for on this vocabulary revision activity, either you or the students have to produce a list of scrambled words related to your topic, or any vocab related to the course.
   i.e. GAUR: _ _ _ _
2. Alongside this scrambled word with space for the correctly spelled word next to it, add 1-3 clues in target language

For example, each jumbled word could be presented as follows:

GAUR: _ _ _ _

11. Lexical Lists for Vocabulary Learning Practice

Vocabulary Activity Resources Required: A4 Paper, pens
When To Use: anytime, but works well at the beginning of a topic to assess current knowledge (add to it as you go through a topic), as well as at the end as a revision activity.
Instructions:
1. Give students A4 paper to fold it into four equal sections
2. Supply a topic, i.e. ‘food & drink’, ‘holidays’ etc
3. Label each section with: ‘VERBS’, ‘ADJECTIVES’, ‘NOUNS’ and ‘USEFUL PHRASES’
4. Ask them to list as many lexical items as they can per category
5. Go around classroom, compare ideas and add to lists

It’s a no-prep vocabulary practice activity and really effective in revising vocabulary and sharing ideas! Not ideal to teach vocabulary though.

12. Word Acrostic to Teach Vocabulary

Vocabulary Activity Resources Required: Whiteboard, whiteboard pen, exercise books/paper, pens
When To Use: anytime, but works well at the beginning of a topic to assess current knowledge (add to it as you go through a topic), as well as at the end as a revision activity.
Instructions:
1. Supply a topic, i.e. Travelling, Education, Health etc and write the word down one side of the whiteboard
2. Students must write one-topic related word which starts with each letter of the word on the whiteboard, i.e.
Trip
Ride
Aeroplane
Voyage
Excursion
Lake
Look
Indicate
Norway
Gallivant
3. Share ideas at end. Award a point for the most original related-word (class can decide), as well as one for the most letters in a word / overall.

It’s a no-prep vocabulary practice activity and really effective in revising vocabulary and sharing ideas!

13. 5 Words Vocabulary Practice Activity

Vocabulary Activity Resources Required: Paper, pens and whiteboard
When To Use: Anytime. But, it works well at the beginning of a topic to assess prior knowledge, in the middle to assess learning, as well as at the end as a vocabulary revision activity.

Instructions:

1. Share a broad topic with learners (clothes, school or travel etc)
2. Explain you have 5 brilliant topic-related written words on your paper and they must try to guess the 5 you have by writing them on their paper.
3. Read out each of your 5 words and students cross out if they have them. Award a point for each correctly guessed and spelled word.
4. Students share their ideas and you can add these to the board under their lexical category for students to note down to add to their previously noted down  topic-related vocabulary.

EXTENSION: Students can put each of their 5 words into a sentence underneath, once they have written 5 words they are happy with.

It’s a virtually no-prep vocabulary activity and extremely effective in revising vocabulary and sharing ideas and checking pronunciation and spelling too.

14. Just 3 Words

Vocabulary Practice Activity Resources Required: Exercise books, A6 strips of paper and pens
When To Use: This vocabulary activity is perfect for testing and practising vocabulary anytime during the year and it combines the skill of writing too.

Instructions:

1.Ask each member of the class to choose a broad topic from what you have learnt recently (i.e. food, clothes, school etc)
2. Put students into pairs and explain that their neighbour must write down three words, directly related to the topic you have chosen in list form.
3. The student must take the list and write a short story, dialogue or essay (45, 90 or 150 words) and they must include those three words and stay topic-related.
4. Once finished, get students to peer assess.

CHALLENGE ELEMENT: Give students a choice of grammatical challenges (use past simple, the third person singular or prepositional verbs) to incorporate too.

It’s a virtually no-prep vocabulary activity and extremely effective in helping students to be creative with a topic and vocabulary, with the help of just 3 words.

15. The Chain Vocabulary Game – Topic Related Word Revision Practice

A simple, no-prep vocabulary practice activity that is ideal for end of topic vocab revision. Remember those long car journeys you had as a kid? Where you had a topic, like: ‘COUNTRIES’ and everyone had to say a word that ended with the last letter of the country the previous person said?

Well, that word game that brings back fond ?! memories can also be used in the language classroom too. It’s no-prep and works well as competitive vocabulary revision practice,

How To Play?

1. Put students into teams (2-4 total)
2. Pick the topic, i.e. ‘Food’
3. One team says a word in Target Language on that topic, i.e. Brot
4. The next team says a word that begins with the last letter, i.e. Tomate
5. Keeping going until one team wins!

It’s a tricky one, so make sure you pick a topic that the students know well. Try and get all students involved by advising that all should at least have one input minimum during the game. You can entice the students a bit further with a little prize for the winning team!

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Try some of these vocabulary activities out in your classroom this week and let me know how you have adapted them. Do you have any other suggestions for additions?

I will be adding to this page regularly and would be happy to let you know when I do. Why not join TheIdealTeacher.com’s exclusive mailing list to keep up-to-date with all of my latest content, including fab teaching ideas and activities? Sign Up Here!

Did you like this my post with all of these brilliant vocabulary activities? If so, check out these fun vocab activities too:

Fun Games for the MFL Classroom
Spontaneous Speaking with Video Clips in the Language Classroom

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Choose one of the words below that you think you can make many true statements. Make those statements one by one, stopping whenever you are not sure if you can do so accurately anymore. You will get one point for each correct statement, but will lose all the points from that round if you say anything wrong and play will pass to the next person or team. If something you say is debatable, you won’t get a point for that thing but you can continue with other statements. Things you can say (in any order):

–       Meanings

–       Parts of speech (of the form here or other forms)

–       Grammar (e.g. countable or uncountable)

–       Differences in British and American English

–       Irregular forms (e.g. irregular plurals such as Latin plurals)

Regular plurals and -ing and –ed forms of verbs will not be accepted, though adjectives with those forms are fine. Prefixes are also very welcome. The forms must make sense as well as be grammatical possible, particularly with adverbs.  

abandon                           academy                          access                accommodate

accompany                      accumulate                      accurate                           achieve

acknowledge                   acquire               adapt                                adequate

adjust                                administrate                     adult                                  advocate

affect                                 aggregate                        aid                                     allocate

alter                                   ambiguous                       amend                analogy

analyse               anticipate                         append               appreciate

approach                          appropriate                      approximate                    arbitrary

assemble                         assess                assign                               assist

assume                            assure                attach                                attain

attitude               attribute                            author                               authority

automate                          available                           aware                               benefit

bias                                  brief                                  bulk                                   capable

capacity                            category                           cease                               challenge

chart                                  cite                                    civil                                    clarify

coherent                           coincide                           collapse                            commence

comment                          commit               communicate                   compatible

compensate                     compile                            complement                     complex

compute                           conceive                           concept                            conclude

concurrent                        confer                               confine                confirm

conflict                conform                            consent               consequent

consist                constitute                          constrain                          construct

consult                consume                          contact                context

contradict                         contrary                            contrast                            contribute

controversy                      convene                            converse                          convert

convince                           coordinate                        correspond                      criteria

cycle                                 data                                  debate                deduce

define                               definite               demonstrate                    deny

derive                               detect                               deviate               differentiate

diminish                            discrete                            discriminate                     displace

dispose                            distinct                distort                               distribute

diverse               document                         domestic                          dominate

economy                          edit                                    eliminate                          emerge

emphasis                         empirical                          enforce               enhance

enormous                         environment                     equate                equivalent

erode                                error                                  establish                           estimate

ethic                                  ethnic                                evaluate                            eventual

evident                evolve                               exceed               exclude

expand               expert                               exploit                               expose

external               facilitate                            federal                final

finance                finite                                  flexible                focus

formula               found                                 function               fund

globe                                hierarchy                          hypothesis                        identify

ideology                           illustrate                            immigrate                         implicate

impose               incidence                         incline                               incorporate

indicate                            individual                          inevitable                          infer

inhibit                                initiate                               injure                                 innovate

insight                               institute               instruct                integrate

intense                interact               internal                interpret

invest                                investigate                       involve                isolate

item                                   justify                                 legal                                  legislate

liberal                                licence                link                                    locate

logic                                  maintain                           manipulate                       margin

mature                mental                 method               migrate

minor                                modify                               motive                               neutral

normal                obtain                               occupy                occur

orient                                parallel                participate                        passive

period                               persist                              phenomenon                    philosophy

precede                            precise               predict                predominant

presume                           principle                           priority                              proceed

process                            professional                     prohibit               promote

proportion                        prospect                           rational               react

recover               refine                                regulate                            relevant

reluctance                        rely                                    remove               reside

resolve                resource                           respond                            restore

restrain               restrict                              retain                                reveal

reverse               revise                                revolution                          rigid

schedule                           scheme                            secure                select

sequence                         sex                                    significant                         similar

simulate                            specify                sphere                stable

statistic               structure                           submit                               subordinate

subsidy               substitute                          successor                        sufficient

sum                                   supplement                      survive                suspend

sustain                symbol                terminate                          text

theme                               theory                                thesis                                tradition

transfer               transit                                uniform               unify

utilise                                valid                                  vary                                   visible

visual

Suggested answers

Please note that this is not the whole Academic Word List, as words with no other parts of speech or only really obvious ones have been removed.

Headwords	Other words in the family.
abandon	abandonment
academy	academia, academic, academically
access	accessibility, accessible, inaccessible
accommodate	accommodating, accommodation
accompany	accompaniment, unaccompanied
accumulate	accumulation
accurate	accuracy, accurately, inaccuracy, inaccurate
achieve	achievable, achievement, achievements
acknowledge	acknowledged, acknowledgement, acknowledgements
acquire	acquisition, acquisitions
adapt	adaptability, adaptable, adaptation, adaptive
adequate	adequacy, adequately, inadequacies, inadequacy, inadequate, inadequately
adjust	adjustment, adjustments, readjustment
administrate	administration, administrative, administrator
adult	adulthood
advocate	advocacy
affect	affected, affective, affectively, unaffected
aggregate	aggregation
aid	unaided
allocate	allocation
alter	alteration, alternate, unalterable, unaltered
ambiguous	ambiguity, unambiguous, unambiguously
amend	amendment
analogy	analogous
analyse	analysis, analyst, analytic, analytical, analytically
anticipate	anticipated, anticipating, anticipation, unanticipated
append	appendix, appendices, appendixes
appreciate	appreciable, appreciably, appreciated, appreciation, unappreciated
approach	approachable, unapproachable
appropriate	appropriacy, appropriately, appropriateness, inappropriacy, inappropriate, inappropriately
approximate	approximately, approximation
arbitrary	arbitrariness, arbitrarily
assemble	assembly
assess	assessment, reassess, reassessment, unassessed
assign	assignment, reassign
assist	assistance, assistant, unassisted
assume	assuming, assumption, assumptions
assure	assurance, assurances, assured, assuredly
attach	attached, attachment, unattached
attain	attainable, attainment, attainments, unattainable
attitude	attitudinal
attribute	attributable, attributed, attributes, attribution
author	authorship
authority	authoritative, authorities
automate	automatic, automated, automates, automating, automatically, automation
available	availability, unavailable
aware	awareness, unaware
benefit	beneficial, beneficiary
bias	biased, unbiased
brief	brevity, briefly
bulk	bulky
capable	capabilities, capability, incapable
capacity	incapacitate, incapacitated
category	categorisation, categorise
cease	ceaseless
challenge	challenger, challenging
chart	uncharted
cite	citation, cited, citing
civil	civility
clarify	clarification, clarified, clarity
coherent	coherence, coherently, incoherent, incoherently
coincide	coincidence, coincidental
collapse	collapsible
commence	commencement, recommence
comment	commentary, commentator
commit	commitment, committed
communicate	communicable, communication, communicative, uncommunicative
compatible	compatibility, incompatibility, incompatible
compensate	compensation, compensatory
compile	compilation, compiled
complement	complementary, complements
complex	complexity
compute	computation, computational, computer, computerised, computing
conceive	conceivable, conceivably, conceived, inconceivable, inconceivably
concept	conception, conceptual, conceptualisation, conceptualise, conceptually
conclude	conclusion, conclusive, conclusively, inconclusive, inconclusively
concurrent	concurrently
confer	conference
confine	unconfined
confirm	confirmation
conflict	conflicted
conform	conformability, conformance, conformation, conformist, conformity, nonconformist
consent	consensus
consequent	consequence, consequently
consist	consistency, consistent, consistently, consisting, inconsistencies, inconsistency, inconsistent
constitute	constituency, constituent, constitution, constitutional, constitutionally, unconstitutional
constrain	constraining, constraint, constraints, unconstrained
construct	construction, constructive, reconstruct, reconstructed, reconstruction
consult	consultancy, consultant, consultation, consultative, consulting
consume	consumer, consuming, consumption
contact	contactable
context	contextual, contextualise
contradict	contradicted, contradicting, contradiction, contradictions, contradictory
contrary	contrarian
contrast	contrastive
contribute	contributing, contribution, contributions, contributor
controversy	controversial, controversially, uncontroversial
convene	convention, convening, conventional, conventionally, conventions, unconventional
converse	conversely
convert	conversion, converted, convertible
convince	convinced, convincing, convincingly, unconvinced
coordinate	coordinated, coordination, coordinator
correspond	correspondence, correspondingly
criteria	criterion
cycle	cyclic, cyclical
data	datum
debate	debatable
deduce	deduction
define	definable, defined, defining, definition, redefine, undefined
definite	definitely, definitive, indefinite, indefinitely
demonstrate	demonstrable, demonstrably, demonstration, demonstrative, demonstratively, demonstrator
deny	deniable, denial, undeniable
derive	derivation, derivative
detect	detectable, detection, detective, detector
deviate	deviation
differentiate	differentiation
diminish	diminished, diminution, undiminished
discrete	discretely, discretion, discretionary, indiscrete, indiscretion
discriminate	discriminating, discrimination
displace	displacement
dispose	disposable, disposal
distinct	distinction, distinctive, distinctively, distinctly, indistinct, indistinctly
distort	distorted, distorting, distortion
distribute	distribution, distributional, distributive, distributor, redistribute, redistribution
diverse	diversely, diversification, diversified, diversify, diversity
document	documentation, documented
domestic	domestically, domesticate, domesticated
dominate	dominance, dominant, dominating, domination
economy	economic, economical, economics, economist, uneconomical
edit	edited, edition, editor, editorial
eliminate	elimination
emerge	emergence, emergent, emerging
emphasis	emphasise, emphatic, emphatically
empirical	empirically, empiricism
enforce	enforced, enforcement
enhance	enhancement
enormous	enormity
environment	environmental, environmentalist
equate	equated, equates, equating, equation, equations
equivalent	equivalence
erode	eroded, erosion
error	erroneous, erroneously
establish	disestablish, disestablishment, established, establishment
estimate	estimated, estimation, overestimate, underestimate
ethic	ethical, ethically, ethics, unethical
ethnic	ethnicity
evaluate	evaluation, evaluative, re-evaluate, re-evaluation
eventual	eventuality, eventually
evident	evidence, evidential, evidently
evolve	evolution, evolving, evolutionary, evolutionist
exceed	excessive
exclude	excluded, exclusion, exclusionary, exclusionist, exclusive, exclusively
expand	expansion, expansionism, expansive
expert	expertise, expertly
exploit	exploitation, exploited, exploits, exploitative
expose	exposed, exposure
external	externalisation, externalise
facilitate	facilitation, facilitator, facility
federal	federation
final	finalise, finality, finally, finals
finance	financial, financially, financier, financing
finite	infinite, infinitely
flexible	flexibility, inflexible, inflexibility
focus	focused, refocus
formula	formulae, formulate, formulation, reformulate, reformulation
found	founder, unfounded
function	functional, functionally, functioning, functionality
fund	funder, funding, funds
globe	global, globally, globalisation
hierarchy	hierarchical
hypothesis	hypotheses, hypothesise, hypothetical, hypothetically
identify	identifiable, identification, identifying, identity, unidentifiable
ideology	ideological, ideologically
illustrate	illustrated, illustration, illustrative
immigrate	immigrant, immigration
implicate	implicated, implication
impose	imposing, imposition
incidence	incident, incidentally
incline	inclination, inclined
incorporate	incorporated, incorporation
indicate	indication, indicative, indicator
individual	individuality, individualism, individualist, individualistic, individually
inevitable	inevitability, inevitably
infer	inference
inhibit	inhibited, inhibiting, inhibition
initiate	initiating, initiation, initiative, initiator
injure	injury, uninjured, injurious
innovate	innovation, innovative, innovator
insight	insightful
institute	institution, institutional, institutionalise, institutionalised, institutionally
instruct	instruction, instructive, instructor
integrate	integrated, integration
intense	intensification, intensified, intensify, intensity, intensive, intensively
interact	interaction, interactive, interactively
internal	internalise, internalised, internally
interpret	interpretation, misinterpret, misinterpretation, reinterpret, reinterpretation
invest	investment, investor, reinvest
investigate	investigation, investigative, investigator
involve	involved, involvement, involving
isolate	isolated, isolating, isolation, isolationism
item	itemisation, itemise, itemised
justify	justifiable, justifiably, justification, justified, unjustified
legal	illegal, illegality, illegally, legality, legally
legislate	legislation, legislative, legislator, legislature
liberal	liberalise, liberalism, liberalisation, liberalisation, liberate, liberated, liberation, liberating, liberator, liberally
licence	licensed, unlicensed
link	linkage, linked
locate	location, relocate, relocation
logic	illogical, illogically, logical, logically, logician
maintain	maintenance
manipulate	manipulated, manipulation, manipulative
margin	marginal, marginally
mature	immature, immaturity, maturation, maturity
mental	mentality, mentally
method	methodical, methodological, methodology
migrate	migrant, migration, migratory
minor	minority, minors
modify	modification, modified, unmodified
motive	motivate, motivated, motivating, motivation, unmotivated
neutral	neutralisation, neutralise, neutrality
normal	abnormal, abnormally, normalisation, normalise, normalised, normality
obtain	obtainable, unobtainable
occupy	occupancy, occupant, occupation, occupational, occupied, occupier
occur	occurrence, reoccur, reoccurrence
orient	orientate, orientated, orientation, oriented, reorient, reorientation
parallel	unparalleled
participate	participant, participation, participatory
passive	passively, passivity
period	periodic, periodical, periodically
persist	persistence, persistent, persistently, persisting
phenomenon	phenomena, phenomenal
philosophy	philosopher, philosophical, philosophically, philosophise, philosophising
precede	preceded, precedence, precedent, preceding, unprecedented
precise	imprecise, precisely, precision
predict	predictability, predictable, predictably, prediction, unpredictable
predominant	predominance, predominantly, predominate, predominating
presume	presumably, presumed, presumption, presumptuous
principle	principled, unprincipled
priority	prioritisation, prioritise,
proceed	procedural, procedure, proceedings, proceeds
process	processed, processes, processing
professional	professionally, professionalism
prohibit	prohibited, prohibition, prohibitive
promote	promoter, promotion
proportion	disproportionate, proportional, proportionally, proportionate, proportionately
prospect	prospective
rational	irrational, rationalisation, rationalise, rationalism, rationality, rationally
react	reaction, reactionary, reactive, reactivate, reactivation, reactor
recover	recoverable, recovery
refine	refined, refinement
regulate	deregulated, deregulation, regulation, regulator, regulatory, unregulated
relevant	irrelevance, irrelevant, relevance
reluctance	reluctant, reluctantly
rely	reliability, reliable, reliably, reliance, reliant, unreliable
remove	removable, removal
reside	residence, resident, residential
resolve	resolution, resolved, unresolved
resource	resourceful, resourcing, unresourceful, under-resourced
respond	respondent, response, responsive, responsiveness, unresponsive
restore	restoration, restored, restorative
restrain	restrained, restraining, restraint, unrestrained
restrict	restricted, restricting, restriction, restrictive, unrestricted, unrestrictive
retain	retainer, retention, retentive
reveal	revealing, revelation
reverse	reversal, reversible, irreversible
revise	revised, revision
revolution	revolutionary, revolutionaries, revolutionise, revolutionising
rigid	rigidity, rigidly
schedule	reschedule, scheduled, scheduling, unscheduled
scheme	schematic, schematically, scheming
secure	insecure, insecurities, insecurity, securely, securities, security
select	selected, selection, selective, selectively
sequence	sequential, sequentially
sex	sexism, sexual, sexuality
significant	insignificant, insignificantly, significance, significantly, signify
similar	dissimilar, similarity, similarly
simulate	simulated, simulation
specify	specifiable, specified, unspecified, specific, specification, specificity
sphere	spherical
stable	instability, stabilisation, stabilise, stabilising, stability, unstable
statistic	statistician, statistical, statistically, statistics
structure	restructure, restructuring, structural, structurally, structured, unstructured
submit	submission, submissive
subordinate	subordination, insubordination
subsidy	subsidiary, subsidise, subsidised
substitute	substitution
successor	succession, successive, successively
sufficient	sufficiency, insufficient, insufficiently, sufficiently
sum	summation
supplement	supplementary
survive	survival, survivor
suspend	suspended, suspension
sustain	sustainable, sustainability, sustained, sustenance, unsustainable
symbol	symbolic, symbolically, symbolise, symbolism
terminate	terminal, termination
text	textual
theme	thematic, thematically
theory	theoretical, theoretically, theorist
thesis	theses
tradition	traditional, traditionalist, traditionally
transfer	transferable, transference
transit	transition, transitional, transitory
uniform	uniformity, uniformly
unify	unification, unified, unifying
utilise	utilisation, utiliser, utility, utilities
valid	invalidate, invalidity, validate, validation, validity, validly
vary	invariable, variability, variable, variably, variance, variant, variation, varied
visible	visibility, visibly, invisible, invisibility
visual	visualise, visualisation, visually

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PDF version for easy saving and printing: Academic Word List word formation challenge game

Many more AWL games/ worksheets here.

The best way to teach vocabulary is to get our students to use vocabulary. These five free downloadable vocabulary activities from Read it. Write it. Learn it. will help your students master their vocab list in no time!

1. Allow students to choose their own vocabulary words with Word Up! Bookmarks.

The best vocabulary words are chosen by students. Start by giving each student a copy of the Word Up! bookmark (I recommend photocopying on cardstock). Instruct students to copy down words they are unsure of or powerful words from their nightly reading. Encourage students to use context clues within the text to define their words. Model the process with them and practice in class. If students cannot unlock the meaning of words using the context clues, show them how to use print and online dictionaries for help.

2. Set up a Word-Master Class Challenge.

Once students start collecting vocabulary words, encourage them to use the words in their speech and writing. Use this downloadable to create a word wall and choose a word of the day. Then, enjoy the vocabulary magic that follows! The student who uses the word of the day most often during a class period wins the prestigious title of Word Master.

3. Teach definitions with a QR code project.

QR codes are fun and interactive, and any student with a smart device can access the content linked to the code. Use this downloadable to guide your students through the process of creating student videos that define word-wall words. Students will then email you their videos, and you can use the provided link to create a printable QR code to add to your word wall. Students simply scan the code to view the video definition of each word on your wall.

4. Encourage students to use powerful vocabulary in their writing.

Give students this printable chart to help them apply vocabulary from your word wall into their own writing. Students simply choose three words per week, challenge themselves to use the word in the proper context as often as they can, and then share their favorite line in the last column of the chart.

To extend this activity even further and deepen students’ understanding of the words, ask students to complete the Words With Power one-pager included in this download. This activity will allow students to share favorite lines from their personal writing, displaying the line along with the literal definition, figurative and connotative meanings, and visual representations of the word.

5. Play the Word Up! Game.

Engage students in learning their vocabulary words with the Word Up! Game. This super fun game is similar to the game Heads Up. Students write all of their word-wall or vocabulary words on the provided task cards. After shuffling the cards, one student chooses a card without looking and holds it up to their forehead. The rest of the students provide clues that will help the student guess the word. Students will have a blast and learn new vocabulary at the same time!

Learning vocabulary can be engaging and fun with the right tools. The key to making vocabulary stick is encouraging students to actually use the words we want them to learn. For more engaging and motivating vocabulary activities, check out the Read it. Write it. Learn it. store.

FAQ: Vocabulary Games

Here are answers to common questions about vocabulary games and activities.

What are vocabulary games?

Vocabulary games are word and language games you can play with students, coworkers, or family and friends. These games challenge players to hunt for words or definitions, brainstorm terms, deduce phrases based on clues, or create words under certain conditions. Language games are a great way to teach new vocabulary and help students practice recognizing and using new words. These activities are also known as “vocabulary building games” and “vocab games”, and are similar to “word games” and “letter games”.

What are some fun word games for groups?

Some fun word games for groups include Pictionary, Tree or Bob Ross, and word scrambles.

What are some online vocabulary games?

By using virtual meeting software like Zoom, you can play any word game online. Some good virtual vocabulary games include Scrabble, Scattergories, and online crossword puzzles.

What are good ESL word games?

The best ESL word games are easy to understand and play yet expand the vocabularies of participants. Good ESL word games include word association, word searches, and hangman.

What are fun ways to teach vocabulary?

Word games are one of the most fun and easy ways to teach vocabulary. While some kids get frustrated with straightforward reading or language exercises, word games disguise vocabulary lessons as a fun challenge. Plus, playing language games together is a great teamwork exercise.

This morning in the Rising Stars booth at BETT 2015 I saw Julia Skinner give a nice presentation on the 100 Word Challenge. The 100 Word Challenge is a blog that provides two good services to teachers and students. First, the 100 Word Challenge offers writing prompts that students respond to on their classroom blogs. Second, 100 Word Challenge provides publicity for students’ blog posts.

It is rather easy to get started on the 100 Word Challenge. To participate you simply visit the blog for the weekly writing prompt. Give the prompt to your students and have them write 100 word posts on your classroom blog (if you have never created a classroom blog, check out my guide to blogging). After your students have written their posts you should submit to 100 Word Challenge the URLs of your students’ posts. Submitting the posts to 100 Word Challenge your students will be sharing with an audience that they might not have reached if they only posted on your classroom blog. For complete directions for teachers visit the How to Enter page on 100 Word Challenge.

Applications for Education
100 Word Challenge addresses two problems that I often hear teachers talk about regarding blogging. First, 100 Word Challenge provides an answer to the problem of «what should I write about.» Second, 100 Word Challenge can help your students find an audience and comments for their blog posts. Students’ interest in blogging wanes when they don’t think that anyone outside of their normal circles is reading their posts. By sharing with a wider audience through 100 Word Challenge your students may see more views and comments on their posts.