BEEF UP VOCABULARY WITH DICTIONARY GAMES As the cornerstone of standardized testing, not to mention an essential element in conversation, vocabulary is vital to your child’s education. What’s more, it’s “the single best predictor of success in all school subject areas,” according to Camille L.Z. Blachowicz, co-author of “Teaching Vocabulary in All Classrooms.” But if learning new words seems like a chore for your child, perhaps the vocabulary worksheet routine needs revamping. With these fun options, your child just might not know he’s learning. Interactive Web Sites Children are increasingly Web-savvy, so it’s no wonder they flock to the fun (and often educational) sites on the Internet. Here are a few that will nurture their linguistic skills, too: http://www.wordcentral.com—Merriam-Webster’s colorful site allows students to navigate through a virtual school hallway. Stop in the music room and compose a poem or head to the cafeteria for the latest buzzwords. http://www.funbrain.com—This site provides resources for parents and teachers, as well as games such as Word Confusion, which challenges kids to distinguish between similar words. http://pbskids.org/lions/games/wordplay.html—This site features the cast of characters from the PBS show, “Between the Lions,” and includes Word Play—a game in which words do literally that! Watch the word ‘grin’ curl up into one and the word ‘vanish’ disappear. http://www.funschool.com/index.html—Games are sorted by difficulty from preschool to sixth grade, so your child can find one suited to his ability. And just because they may seem like they know it all, doesn’t mean that there isn’t room to grow. High school students, especially those nearing the SATs and ACTs, could benefit from upper-level vocabulary sites such as this one: http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/web_games_vocab.htm—Brush up on the difference between ‘imminent’ and ‘eminent’ at this site. Board Games Even with the barrage of interactive games, nothing beats the board variety. Stay true to the classics such as Scrabble, which stands the test of time in nearly every game closet, and check out these newer standouts: Sentence Game for Juniors (Ages 5-9) Winner of a National Parenting Publications Award in 1997, this game challenges children (and their parents) in the art of sentence formation. Children can match tiles to the words on the board or flip the board to create their own sentences. Apples to Apples Jr. (Ages 7+) The recipient of more than five honors, including the Mensa Select Award, this seemingly simple card game has tremendous vocabulary-expanding value. With variations, as well as a short learning curve, this game is ideal for a wide range of ages. Bethump´d with Words Discovery Edition (Ages 9+) Children can try their hand at six levels of linguistic fun with categories from Idioms to Synonyms. Recommended by the National Association for Gifted Children, this game not only tests vocabulary, but also knowledge of common expressions and modern lingo. Teens should check out the original Bethump´d with Words. Homemade Fun Lest we forget, vocabulary-enhancing tools need not come in a box or be accessed via the Internet. Some of the most valuable—and fun—word-building activities don’t require anything more than a pen. Introduce your children to Hangman or encourage the whole family to work on the Sunday crossword puzzle together. And be sure to take advantage of any word-building opportunities that may arise. Next time your child asks you what a word means, respond with the familiar refrain: “Look it up!” By Christine Tyler K-3 Worksheet 1) The word easy means: silly not smart funny simple and trouble-free 2) The word enjoy means: to avoid happy to like excited 3) The word shore means: the land near water positive hilltop valley 4) The word clap means: to stomp your feet to hit your hands together to spin around to shout loudly 5) The word blur means: something hard to see bluish crazy a shooting star 6) The word ache means: creak bend dull pain sour 7) The word forget means: to go without to fall to guess to not remember 8) The word necessary means: wanted lost needed borrowed 9) The word afternoon means: nighttime naptime the part of the day between noon and sunset breakfast time 10) The word terrible means: shy very bad tiny tough Answers 1) simple and trouble-free 2) to like 3) the land near water 4) to hit your hands together 5) something hard to see 6) pain 7) to not remember 8) needed 9) the part of the day between noon and sunset 10) very bad 4-8 Worksheet 1) The word lose means: not tight to wander to misplace to undo 2) The word accelerate means: to move faster to continue to improve your performance to laugh at to bypass 3) The word abnormal means: surreal unearthly unusual genius 4) The word desert means: dry, warm land last course sloping landscape a sweet, after-dinner treat 5) The word appropriate means: perfect suitable smart efficient 6) The word novice means: cowardly beginner fierce expert 7) The word subtle means: unimportant very small difficult to perceive extremely shy, quiet 8) The word toil means: opposite of to overheat to destroy strenuous labor 9) The word quaint means: brief and to-the-point friendly, compassionate bizarre, perplexing charming, old-fashioned 10) The word devious means: malicious not straightforward lacking random Answers 1) to misplace 2) to move faster 3) unusual 4) dry, warm land 5) suitable 6) beginner 7) difficult to perceive 8) strenuous labor 9) charming, old-fashioned 10) not straightforward High School Worksheet 1) The word ephemeral means: bubbly thin, wiry momentary, fleeting transparently pale 2) The word mundane means: draining, exhausting ordinary, common unusual, bizarre rough, rugged 3) The word censure means: to leave behind antenna rule to criticize harshly 4) The word reclusive means: far away withdrawn, hermit-like cruel reckless, careless 5) The word ostentatious means: showy, flamboyant outgoing ridiculous, absurd not accepted 6) The word surreptitious means: surprising spontaneous secret, stealthy savory 7) The word reverence means: profound respect deep love penance, atonement solitude 8) The word aesthetic means: skilled at sports pertaining to beauty artsy, creative very old, ancient 9) The word prudent means: religious, pious wise, careful, cautious nosy, prying valued, costly 10) The word deleterious means: terrifying scrumptious harmful splendid Answers 1) momentary, fleeting 2) ordinary, common 3) to criticize harshly 4) withdrawn, hermit-like 5) showy, flamboyant 6) secret, stealthy 7) profound respect 8) pertaining to beauty 9) wise, careful, cautious 10) harmful