We know that strong vocabulary instruction is key to helping students access complex texts—but it doesn’t have to be dull or repetitive. In this episode, I’m sharing creative ways to make vocabulary instruction more engaging in the middle school ELA classroom. From games and student-created skits to letting students help choose which words to study, these strategies bring movement, voice, and fun into your lessons.

By combining purposeful instruction with playful activities, vocabulary becomes more than memorization—it becomes something students enjoy. These ideas are low-prep, high-impact, and easy to adapt for any unit. If you’re looking to make vocabulary more meaningful (and a little more fun), this episode is full of ideas to try right away.

Read more in the show notes. 

Related Resources:

• Vocabulary Activities for Any Unit
• Academic Word Walls
• Word of the Week
• 6th Grade Context Based Vocabulary Activities – Full Year
• 7th Grade Context Based Vocabulary Activities – Full Year
• 8th Grade Context Based Vocabulary Activities – Full Year

Related blog posts: 

• Get Creative with Vocabulary Review
• Vocabulary Instruction: The Key to Comprehension 
• Vocabulary instruction that works
• 5 Ways to Gamify your Vocabulary Instruction

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