Vocabulary Refresh
Beyond the Basic Boring Stuff
A huge part of state testing is understanding the question.
And that traces back to vocabulary.
In my last post, I shared how to use AI to identify and categorize the high-leverage words that show up on your state test.
Today, I’m sharing a simple 5-day vocabulary routine. Use one strategy or use them all. Practice and retrieval matter.
We know experience builds durable memory pathways.
The goal is not copying definitions. It’s helping students retrieve meaning when it counts.
This removes the redundancy entirely.
Make It Fun
I hated vocabulary until 7th grade.
Before that, it was write the word five times, copy the definition, take a test, get it signed. Miss too many and you stayed in from recess. Sometimes it worked. Mostly it didn’t stick.
Then everything changed.
We got our word list with definitions, and every day we did something different. It was active. It was challenging. It was fun.
And it worked.
Try this 5-Day vocabulary routine
🟢 Meet Up Monday
Movement + Inference + Retrieval
📝 Get a Word
Create groups of 2–3 and secretly assign one vocabulary word to each group.
✍️ Write Clues
Each group member writes a different short clue describing the word without using it.
✂️ Mix & Redistribute
Collect, shuffle, and give one clue strip to each student.
🚶 Find Your Team
Students circulate and find classmates whose clues point to the same word.
🤝 Solve & Share
Teams identify the word, write a definition, and explain how their clues connect.
Keep the clue strips to replay later in the week.
🌮 Taco Tuesday
Layer Meaning for Deeper Understanding
📝 Build the Taco
Give each student (or group) one vocabulary word.
Students create five “layers”:
🌮 Definition – Clear and test-ready
🥬 Synonym – Similar meaning
🧀 Example – Real-world or content example
🌶 Non-Example – What it is not
🥑 Use It – Write a sentence in context
Students trade tacos and check for clarity and completeness.
🟡 What’s My Word Wednesday
Questioning + Inference + Listening
📝 Prepare Words
Write vocabulary words on sticky notes, including both new and past terms.
📌 Assign
Place one word on each student’s back without letting them see it (I often used painter’s tape).
🚶 Ask & Gather Clues
Students circulate and ask one question per classmate to gather information.
Example questions:
Is it a person, place, or thing?
Is it positive or negative?
Can you give me a synonym?
How is it used?
🤔 Guess the Word
Students guess their word before revealing it.
Rotate and repeat with new words.
🎯 Switch It Thursday
Rewrite + Refine + Think Like the Test
📝 Write a Sentence
Give students a vocabulary word.
Students write one strong sentence using it correctly in context.
If they can’t, ask them to record the word, reference their notes, complete the task.
You could also give them starter stems.
🔄 Switch
Students trade sentences with a partner.
🔍 Upgrade It
The partner must:
Improve the sentence by adding context
Or replace the word with a precise synonym
Or add a second sentence that clarifies meaning
✏️ Explain the Choice
Students explain why the change improves clarity or precision.
🔥 Rapid Fire Friday
Speed + Retrieval + Application
👥 Form the Lines
Students form two lines facing each other.
🎤 Rapid Prompt
The teacher asks a question that incorporates a vocabulary word.
Example:
“If you linger after the bell rings, what are you doing?”
⏱ Respond Fast
Students have 5–10 seconds to respond to the partner in front of them using the word accurately in context.
🔄 Rotate
One line shifts down one person so students face a new partner.
Repeat with a new word and new prompt.
🎯 Level Up
Increase difficulty by asking students to:
Use the word in a different context
Give a synonym first, then explain
Create a quick scenario using the word
Feel free to try any of these in your classroom. It is always interesting to see which ones your students respond to, what they can truly recall, and what you learn about how well they actually know the words.
If one stands out, let me know in the comments or restack it for your subscribers.
Thanks for reading, and have a great week.
Debbie