vocabulary instruction

As a Gen Xer, I grew up studying vocabulary words for every subject. From reciting vocabulary for spelling and meaning, I spent my share of time cramming vocabulary and concepts. Cramming doesn’t work well, as you’ll see below. Students cram for vocabulary quizzes and forget the words in days. It’s a common struggle. But what if lessons could leave words etched in their minds? In this blog, you will explore seven strategies to assist you in making your K-12 vocabulary lessons unforgettable.

Cramming and K-12 Vocabulary Lessons

It’s no secret that cramming does not work well. That’s because of how our brains work. A high-effect size instructional strategy, Spaced vs Massed Practice, has us space out over time the intervals when we study information. This ensures that significant learning occurs. Combined with retrieval practice, you can make long-term memory connections for new information. Flashcards, practice problems, and writing prompts can improve learning.

As you can see, Knisha extends her time to learn something well over multiple days, even weeks, in shorter segments of time. In this way, her brain retains the information over the long-term. Let’s take a look at a few different strategies you can rely on for vocabulary knowledge.

1. Leverage the Frayer Model

The Frayer Model breaks vocabulary into four parts: definition, traits, examples, and opposites. This structure boosts understanding and memory by engaging the mind in multiple ways. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction describes it in this way:

A FRAYER MODEL is a graphic organizer that helps students determine or clarify the meaning of vocabulary words encountered while listening, reading, and viewing texts. It is used before reading to activate background knowledge, during reading to monitor vocabulary, or after reading to assess vocabulary. This strategy supports students’ acquisition of new words and using resource materials by providing students with a structure to examine words for their definitions, characteristics, examples, and non-examples. Word learning requires multiple exposures to the word within meaningful contexts (source)

Grade-Level Applications:

• K–2: Provide pre-filled templates with images. For example, for “habitat,” use pictures of a forest, desert, or ocean.
• 3–5: Have students write sentences using the vocabulary word in context, such as “ecosystem.”
• 6–12: Challenge students to apply the Frayer Model to complex terms like “democracy” or “photosynthesis” with their own research.

Bonus Resource: Access the Frayer Model Template.

2. Create a Digital Word Wall

Did you know you can turn static bulletin boards into interactive word walls? You can do this with several different digital tools. One of my favorites to use, although it will cost you, is Padlet. Alternatives include Google Slides, Canva, or digital whiteboards. Let students collaborate and create. Here’s one example of a Padlet Ultimate Word Wall:

Grade-Level Applications:

• K–2: Add visuals and simple definitions (e.g., a picture of a “cat” for the word “domestic”).
• 3–5: Allow students to add synonyms, antonyms, or fun facts to the word wall.
• 6–12: Incorporate links to articles, videos, or real-world applications of the word (e.g., “sustainability” linked to climate change videos).

3. Incorporate Games Like “Vocabulary Bingo”

Turn vocabulary into a game with Bingo or other formats. Make learning a thrill.

Grade-Level Applications:

• K–2: Use pictures or simple sentences as clues (e.g., “Which word starts with ‘A’ and has wings?”).
• 3–5: Match definitions or synonyms to vocabulary words, such as pairing “ancient” with “old.”
• 6–12: Use more complex clues (e.g., in biology: “This is the term for an organism that produces its own food.” Answer: “autotroph”).

Here’s a vocabulary bingo (get a copy via Canva) infographic (see answers in this Google Doc):

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4. Host a Word Poetry Slam

While some balk at using vocabulary words as the source for poetry, I find it exciting and thrilling. This makes for a fun activity in class where teams compete to create the best poem. A poetry slam challenges students to craft impromptu, creative poems using vocabulary words. For those students that need to write them down, you can incorporate a short pause to allow them to write the vocabulary-based poem on a personal whiteboard or piece of paper. It’s a fun way to blend creativity with learning.

You can also ask students to do their best to create their own, like this one about the Alamo:

A.L.A.M.O.

Amid the twilight, a mission stands,
Legends echo through the shifting sands.
Allegiance sworn, their hearts held fast,
Memories etched of a fateful past.
One star rises, their courage vast.

You can also take that poem into Padlet’s I Can’t Draw and see what results. This example has a Mandalorian feel and can make a connection in the student’s mind you may not have imagined.

Grade-Level Applications:

• K–2: Create simple rhymes (e.g., “A dog is my best friend / Its love will never end”).
• 3–5: Write haikus using vocabulary words like “nature” or “journey.”
• 6–12: Challenge students to incorporate words into longer poems or raps (e.g., “Democracy thrives / when equality strives\”).

Be sure to share your Word Poetry Slam creation via this Padlet, Word Poetry Slam.

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5. Turn Words into Stop-Motion Animation

Use stop-motion videos to show vocabulary in action. Stop-motion brings objects to life. Frame by frame, animators photograph tiny movements. Clay figures, paper cutouts, toys can serve. Each shift is precise, each position deliberate. Played in sequence, the stills burst into motion. It’s magic made tangible. Think of Wallace and Gromit or The Nightmare Before Christmas. For the art-challenged pupil (like I was), consider using an AI tool to generate image sequences.

Try this prompt:

"As a creative AI skilled in visual storytelling and educational design, your task is to create a series of five sequential images illustrating a specific vocabulary word. The images should visually convey the meaning of the word when animated together. Follow these guidelines:

Vocabulary Word: [Insert Word Here]

Prompts:
Image 1: Setting the Scene
"A vibrant cartoon depiction of a peaceful Texan frontier landscape with settlers working and a small mission in the distance, labeled 'Mission San Antonio de Valero.'" Style: Cartoonish, Age-appropriate: Middle school students, Dimensions: 1024x1024, Consistent background elements.

Image 2: Fortifying the Alamo
"A cartoon illustration of the Alamo being fortified, with soldiers building barricades, stacking supplies, and raising a flag, labeled 'Fortifying The Alamo.'" Style: Cartoonish, Age-appropriate: Middle school students, Dimensions: 1024x1024, Consistent background elements.

Image 3: The Siege Begins
"A dramatic cartoon scene showing the Alamo under siege, with cannons firing, defenders on the walls, and a fiery sunset sky, labeled 'The Siege Begins.'" Style: Cartoonish, Age-appropriate: Middle school students, Dimensions: 1024x1024, Consistent background elements.

Image 4: The Battle
"A climactic cartoon battle scene, with defenders bravely fighting as smoke and chaos engulf the Alamo, featuring cannon fire and soldiers in action, labeled 'Battle of The Alamo.'" Style: Cartoonish, Age-appropriate: Middle school students, Dimensions: 1024x1024, Consistent background elements.

Image 5: Remembering
"A reflective cartoon image of the Alamo ruins in the aftermath, with a Texan flag waving proudly and the text 'Remember The Alamo' shown prominently." Style: Cartoonish, Age-appropriate: Middle school students, Dimensions: 1024x1024, Consistent background elements.

Output Details: Provide each image as a high-quality 1024x1024 PNG file suitable for animation. Ensure consistent colors, characters, and backgrounds across the series for visual coherence.

If you encounter ambiguity in the instructions, assume creative freedom and document your decisions in a brief explanation accompanying the images."

I decided to stick with the Alamo. ChatGPT created the images, then I asked it to make them into an animated GIF. Here’s the result using ChatGPT. If you wanted to slow the animation down, you could use a GIFmaker tool like ScreenToGIF (Free), or drop these into Canva.

Grade-Level Applications:

• K–2: Animate simple actions like a puppet “running” to show the word “fast.”
• 3–5: Create sequences showing words like “cycle” by animating the water cycle.
• 6–12: Explain complex terms like “metamorphosis” using detailed animations.

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6. Run a Vocabulary Escape Room

Engage students with puzzles that challenge them to solve riddles or match definitions to unlock “doors.”

Grade-Level Applications:

• K–2: Use picture-based puzzles (e.g., matching an image of a “house” with “home”).
• 3–5: Build puzzles requiring matching terms to definitions or sentences (e.g., “evaporation” matched with “water turning into vapor”).
• 6–12: Incorporate interdisciplinary clues like combining historical terms in a history-themed escape room.

7. Link Words to Real-World Contexts

A final strategy might be to relate vocabulary terms to students’ every day lives. This can make new terms more real, more relevant and meaningful to them. For example, if the word is “Community,” you might ask “Who lives in your neighborhood or apartment complex? Do you share any activities or interests with them?” Then continue the conversation. This can be an edgy conversation in some locales, so you’ll have to gauge whether that’s the right approach to take.

Grade-Level Applications:

• K–2: Relate terms to everyday life (e.g., “breakfast” as part of a daily routine).
• 3–5: Connect vocabulary to classroom experiments (e.g., “density” during a science lab).
• 6–12: Tie words like “globalization” or “ecosystem” to news articles or documentaries.

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Why These K-12 Vocabulary Lessons and Strategies Work

These strategies spark creativity and connect to real-world learning. They use methods like summarizing and digital tools. They make lessons stick, helping students understand instead of memorize. Which one will you try first?