Word of the Day
What is Word of the Day?
Word of the Day is a fun vocabulary building activity that exposes students to new big words.
Why do we do Word of the Day?
Word of the Day has multiple purposes within our literacy program. A major goal is to instill in students a love of words. It is fun to know and use big words. Additionally, students who tune in to interesting words will encounter and remember new words in their own reading, thus expanding their vocabulary and increasing their reading comprehension.
Another purpose is to facilitate literary conversations in families. Each night, students are encouraged to share the Word of the Day with their families. Parents are also encouraged to try and use the new words in family conversations.
Students are not expected to know how to spell the Word of the Day. They are not even expected to actually remember the words from week to week. Of course, it would be great if they did, but that is not the main goal of this activity.
An additional purpose of this activity is purely utilitarian – to get students into the habit of bringing their agenda home every night and back to school in the morning. We will not always have important reminders to write in the agendas, but by integrating Word of the Day, the use of the Agenda becomes a daily habit.
How do we do Word of the Day?
Word of the Day is done in three parts.
- At the end of every day, students receive a new word card to glue into their agenda. We will briefly discuss the word meaning and give some examples of how the word is used.
- Students take the word home and share it with their family. Families are encouraged to discuss the word meaning and to use the new words in their family conversations.
- Each morning as students enter the classroom, they will complete a “Word of the Day” worksheet which asks them to write the meaning of the word, some examples of how it can be used, and to list synonyms and antonyms.
Also, students are encouraged to tune into interesting words in their own reading and experiences. Students can complete a “Word of the Day Suggestion Form” to recommend words to be used for Word of the Day.