Purchase | Book Overview | Table of Contents | Reproducibles | About the Authors

Vocabulary Games for the Classroom By Lindsay Carleton and Robert J. Marzano

Tweet

Book Overview

Strong vocabulary is a vital foundation needed all academic subject areas. Unfortunately, learning vocabulary is not always enjoyable or easy for students. With Vocabulary Games for the Classroom, however, Lindsay Carleton and Robert J. Marzano have devised a way to make this important instruction something both students and teachers look forward to. Vocabulary Games for the Classroom provides K–12 teachers with 13 games designed to build academic vocabulary. While these games are certainly fun, and teachers should capitalize on the energy and excitement they generate, they should also be seen as one part of a systematic approach to direct vocabulary instruction.

This resource includes hundreds of hand-picked vocabulary terms compiled from Dr. Marzano’s work with schools, districts, and states. These vocabulary lists include terms for four different content areas—language arts, math, science, and social studies—across all grade levels. If a teacher’s school or district has already established lists of academic terms for core content areas at each grade level, they can use the lists provided here as a supplement. Teachers should also feel free to make adaptations and additions to both the games and the provided vocabulary lists in order to enhance student knowledge of new terminology.

The structure of Vocabulary Games for the Classroom is simple, straightforward, and easy to use. Each game begins with a brief description that includes details about which grade levels it was designed for, which subject areas it works best with, and whether the students should already be familiar with the vocabulary used or not. Next, the necessary materials are listed to help teachers prepare for the game ahead of time. Instructions to set up the game are then provided; this section includes any preparation that would need to be completed in advance. Following the set up, the game’s directions are explained clearly and concisely so that the reader can visualize the game in his or her classroom. Finally, the vocabulary terms used for the game are discussed; in some cases vocabulary lists are provided, in others, the vocabulary list would be tailored to the classroom or pulled from the extensive appendix. Many games also include sample questions and exercises that can be used straight from the book.

With this resource, readers will be able to make vocabulary instruction in their classroom not only fun, but also successful.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Word Harvest
Chapter 2: Name It!
Chapter 3: Puzzle Stories
Chapter 4: Two of a Kind
Chapter 5: Opposites Attract
Chapter 6: Magic Letter, Magic Word
Chapter 7: Definition Shmefinition
Chapter 8: Which One Doesn’t Belong
Chapter 9: Who Am I?
Chapter 10: Where Am I?
Chapter 11: Create a Category
Chapter 12: What Is the Question?
Chapter 13: Classroom Feud
Appendix

Reproducibles

About the Authors

	Lindsay Carleton received a master of fine arts from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she was a fiction editor for the Iowa Review and a creative writing instructor.
	Robert J. Marzano View Biography