Word of the Week Routine to Enhance Vocabulary + FREE Worksheet

Vocabulary acquisition is essential to improving students reading and writing skills. The question is, how can we expose students to more sophisticated language and make sure it sticks? Word of the week is one of the ways.

Some Benefits of Word of the Week

As teachers, we know that unfortunately not all students come into our classroom with an adequate level of vocabulary knowledge. This can hinder their ability to communicate through their writing and speaking as well as impact their reading comprehension.

The more exposure to vocabulary we can give to students, the better.

Word of the Week can help students feel confident using more elaborate words in their oral and written communication. It also helps them become part of their personal vocabulary word bank.

The breakdown of the activities gives students the opportunity to really master the words as well as other words related to it through synonyms and antonyms.

The simplicity of Word of the Week and the impact it can make on students’ vocabulary is also a great benefit. Teachers love that it only takes a few minutes to incorporate daily and that students really enjoy the activities.

How to Implement Word of the Week in the Classroom

After reading about the benefits of implementing Robert J. Marzano’s Six-Step Process to help students master new vocabulary words, I introduced the Word of the Week. It was an addition to the other vocabulary acquisition opportunities we had going on in our classroom.

I developed a list of 36 words for my 4th graders and another list for my fifth graders. I chose commonly used words found throughout grade level text that were challenging to many of my students. Then, I created an organizer to help my students routinely implement the first 3 steps of Marzano’s process with ease. That included: 1. provide a description, 2. provide an example, and 3. construct a picture of the term. 

This process is weaved into our classroom morning routine. It has been a great way to help increase students’ vocabulary acquisition, and has quickly become one of our favorite (and most competitive) vocabulary activities.  

To help the routine run smoothly and efficiently, we follow the schedule below: 

• Monday: Students write down the word of the week, the part of speech, and its definition. (This covers step 1 of Marzano’s Six-Step Process.

• Tuesday: They look up and discuss synonyms and antonyms. Having them find synonyms and antonyms helps them expand their vocabulary even further.
• Wednesday: I share with them the use of the word in a sentence. Then, they write their own sentence. As they write their sentence, I walk around and read them. I provide scaffolding for those students who need it. A couple of the best sentences get chosen to be posted up in the classroom on an index card. (This covers step 2.)

• Thursday: Students illustrate their sentences.  According to Marzano, “this third step in the process  is crucial – having students represent their understanding of a new term by drawing a picture, pictograph, or symbolic representation. When students do this step well, achievement soars.”
• Friday: Students rate their understanding. This helps me get an idea of who is feeling confident and who still needs extra exposure. Students also share their worksheet with a partner. Giving students a chance to share is a form of best practice. We know that students tend to do their best work when they know they will be sharing their work with someone other than the teacher.

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