Educational Insights EI-1750 manual Using the Word of the Week Program, Tips, Word List

GRAD ES 3–4

Build students’ writing, speaking, and test-taking vocabularies week-by-week with this fun vocabulary development program with a twist – appealing, large-format cartoons that students will laugh about and remember!

Using the Word of the Week Program

Designate a set time at the beginning of the week for introducing each Word of the Week. Separate the target word, its definition, and the cartoon along the perforated edges. (Note: The words, definitions, and cartoons are all numbered to make keeping them together easy.) Display them in the pockets, leaving room at the bottom for student-written sentences. Discuss each word, including its part of speech, definition, and use in the cartoon. Have each student write a sentence using the target word in class or as a homework assignment. Focus on the word, using some of the tips below, for a week. When you are done, store the materials in the handy storage pocket on the back.

Tips

Here are some ways to review the target Word of the Week:

•Post and discuss a new student-written sentence each day.

•Keep a tally on the board each time the word is used appropriately during the school day.

•Have students bring in and share newspaperheadlinesor sentences they have copied from books or magazines in which the target word is used.

•Add the target word to your weekly spelling test as extra credit.

•Create a word wall by writing each new word on a sentence strip and posting it. This attention-getting visual display will remind students to use their new vocabulary words in their everyday speech and writing. Students can also add synonyms below the words as they think of them during the week.

•Have students copy the word and its definition onto opposite sides of an index card. By the end of the year,students will have a library of vocabulary flash cards.

Using the Reproducible Pages

We have included a quiz or activity for each group of ten words. The quizzes can be used for both pre- and post test assessment. In addition, we have included a Make-Your-Own Cartoon page. Having students create their own cartoons for the target words in the program is an excellent way of checking and reinforcing their understanding of word meanings. You may also have students choose words from their reading to illustrate. Display the cartoons or make copies and bind them into a book for your classroom library, or submit them to the school newsletter.

Here are some tips to inspire your budding cartoonists:

•Make it autobiographical.

•Use historical or storybook characters in unexpected situations.

•Give people ridiculous super powers or give animals abilities they wouldn’t normally have.

EI-1750

Grades 3-4

Ages 8-9

Word List

The 40 words in the program are introduced in the following order:

strive	hurl
immense	irate
abode	dingy
ponder	tranquil
wallop	pact
culprit	drowsy
blunder	flawless
eerie	prank
heed	throng
utter	plead
attire	thorough
superb	jostle
sliver	timid
baffle	amble
taunt	bedlam
murmur	jaunt
hasty	scrumptious
shriek	flaunt
jovial	slumber
lug	feign

Answer Key

Quiz 1

1.c, 2. c, 3. d, 4. a, 5. b,

6.d, 7. a, 8. d, 9. b, 10. a

Quiz 2

1.c, 2. d, 3. f, 4. h, 5. g,

6.e, 7. j, 8. b, 9. a, 10. i

Quiz 3

1.throng, 2. hurl, 3. flawless, 4. prank,

5.irate, 6. dingy, 7. tranquil, 8. plead,

9.drowsy, 10. pact

Quiz 4

Across: 2. slumber, 5. amble, 7. feign,

8.timid, 9. thorough

Down: 1. jostle, 2. scrumptious,

3.jaunt, 4. flaunt, 6. bedlam

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© Illustrations copyright by Marc Tyler Nobleman.

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