There’s a lot to be said about using word games to anchor words in the brain while having fun at the same time. A load of positive feedback can work wonders.
Students love the competition, the stickers, the stars, and the candy. Teacher/student-made games, easily made from the internet provide a lot of practices: crossword puzzles work on spelling and meaning; word searches work on spelling and word recognition; bingo can work on meaning and/or spelling, or word recognition; and then, of course, there’s Jeopardy.
Vocabulary building can be a fun time. Students not only increase their vocabulary and become avid scientists, but they become proud owners of a lot of brand new words that can be used to impress and to get those 100%’s.
