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Word of the Day Vocabulary Routine
A five-minute daily routine that grows vocabulary using the Word of the Day card, a class word wall and quick retrieval.
- Time10 minutes
- GradesGrades K-2, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8
- SubjectLiteracy
- ThemeLiteracy
- ThemeBack to school
Learning outcomes
- Learn the meaning, part of speech and use of a new word
- Use a new word in speech and writing
- Recall earlier words with retrieval practice
What you need
- The Word of the Day page on a projector
- A word wall or vocabulary notebook
Puzzle tools used
All tools are free, with no sign-up, and every sheet can be printed with an answer key.
Step by step
- Open Word of the Day at the start of class and read the word aloud, then press Listen so students hear the pronunciation.
- Read the definition and example sentence. Ask students to say what they think the word means before you reveal it.
- Students turn to a partner and use the word in a sentence about their own day.
- Add the word to the word wall. Friday: use Missing Letters with custom words from the week and a Word Scramble for a quick review quiz.
Differentiation
Support
Pre-teach a picture or gesture for each word and accept one-word answers at first.
Extend
Challenge students to find the word out in the wild during the week and report where they saw or heard it.
Discussion questions
- Can you think of another word that means almost the same?
- Where might you hear this word?
- How do you say the word in another language?
What to look for
Students use the word correctly in speech, not just in a copied sentence, and recall earlier words.
Frequently asked questions
Is it available in other languages?
Yes. The Word of the Day supports 12 languages, which is useful for multilingual classes.
Does the word change daily?
Yes. A new word appears every day, and there is a button to browse more words.
More class activities
Mystery Word Scramble Warm-Up
A quick starter where students unscramble theme words and use them to guess the lesson topic.
Back to schoolBack-to-School Word Search Circle
A relaxed first-week activity that builds community while students find school words and share their favourites.
LiteracyPicture-Word Matching for Emergent Readers
Support early readers and English learners by matching pictures to words, with games on screen and printed pairs.