Word of the Day - Adding Vocabulary into Your Daily Routine

word of the day

I started using a daily vocabulary word when I worked in pull-out in grades 2-5. I worked with accelerated readers in the computer lab and they struggled when presented with new words in their reading passages.




I wanted to find an easy way to provide them with a new word and definition each day, while also reinforcing the concept of using context clues to solve words independently.

vocabulary for grades 3-5


In the beginning, I displayed the word on our reading strategies bulletin board and we would talk about it before they began our workshop.

daily vocabulary

After awhile, I wanted to make it more impactful, so I added in a notebooking component. I would have only the word written on the board, and during the transition between Writers and Readers Workshop,  they would record it in their notebook and discuss what it meant with their peers.


daily vocabulary activity

Then, I would uncover the poster and we would discuss it as a class. They would share out their predictions and then record the definition in their notebook. Some students would copy the context sentence I used, and others would challenge themselves to use it in a new sentence.

daily vocabulary posters

The year I taught 5th grade, I decided to go digital with the word of the day. We recently had projectors and Apple TV's donated to us, and I wanted to utilize them to save time - plus it saved me having to print and display the word each day!

When it appears on the screen, the word is covered in the context sentence and the definition is covered as well.

Interactive Word of the Day

I would give them several minutes to read the context sentence and predict what the word might be. At first I had a lot of random guesses, but with time, they began to predict more accurately. 

Interactive Word of the Day

Once they were ready to move on, the animation takes away the the word on the center of the slide and from the context sentence. 

It does not fade away until you click, allowing your class to discuss the sentence as long as attention holds.

After they have reread the context sentence, they would then predict what the definition might be. I found they were much more successful at solving the definition when they were only presented with an image and a context sentence.

Interactive Word of the Day

The last click reveals the entire slide, allowing them with an opportunity to record the word and definition in their notebooks.

word of the day activity
Interactive Word of the Day
Interactive Word of the Day posters

If you are interested in seeing more about these resources, please click the pictures below!



Do you incorporate vocabulary into your daily routine? Let me know how below!

Looking for social and academic vocabulary? Check out my social skills post!

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