A logophile is a lover of words (http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/logophile). That is definitely me and it is not coincidence that I love to read also. Vocabulary and reading certainly go together and help strengthen each other. So what are some ways to strengthen vocabulary? Here are a few ideas:
Discovery Streaming includes vocabulary development as part of its English Language Arts subject area (Reading). A few samples:
- for younger grades, check out Word Girl or the Whaddaya Know Quiz show series
- for middle grades, try the Alien Word Mine series or try Perfect: Vocabulary for ways to help them improve their vocabulary
- for high school, the offerings include plenty of SAT vocabulary preparation resources.
Some posts with recommended apps are:
- http://www.classroom20.com/forum/topics/5-free-vocabulary-building-apps-worth-checking-out
- http://www.readingrockets.org/teaching/reading101/vocabulary/literacyapps_vocabulary/
- http://www.writeshop.com/blog/2012/09/17/5-top-vocabulary-building-apps/
- http://www.android4schools.com/2012/09/25/word-learner-a-nice-android-app-for-building-your-vocabulary/
- http://www.iear.org/iear/tag/vocabulary
Ebooks for vocabulary include plenty of dictionaries and thesauruses, but here are a few more suggestions:
- The Weighty Word book by Paul M. Levitt, etal
- Grammar Girl’s 101 Troublesome Words You’ll Master in No Time by Mignon Fogarty
- The SAT Word Slam: Rhyme Your Way to a Better Vocabulary and Higher SAT and ACT Scores by Jodi Fodor
- Barron’s Painless Vocabulary by Michael Greenberg
Finally, what vocabulary games are on my iPad?
- 7 Little Words — use the tiles to find the words that fit the definitions
- Word Monsters — use the letters in the grid to finish the common words and phrases
- Rhymie Stymie — find the rhyming word pair to fit the definition given
Logophiles, share the love with your students!
Betsy, I’m guessing that my WordWithFriends game would improve dramatically after using your resources! Thanks for sharing!!
7 Little Words Update: there is a 7 Little Words for Kids coming out soon. There is also an option for puzzles for the classroom. Go to http://www.sevenlittlewords.com for more information.
For users of Spelling City: ” there is an app for that”. It let’s you login and create lists.