Presenting vocabulary to children

Below are some simple but effective ideas for presenting vocabulary to children. I have used them throughout my career and revisit them pretty much every week. I hope they are as useful to you too

Flashcard drill

Drill words using flashcards (for added fun change the intonation and use a silly voice to keep children interested)

Ask questions to check understanding

When satisfied with pronunciation and understanding remove a card

Drill again

Children say the word then guess which card has been omitted

Repeat with a child acting as teacher.

Slow Reveal

Put children in four teams

Slowly reveal the flashcards

Children guess the word

When a correct guess is offered drill the word then give that team the card

The team with the most cards is the winner

Sounds

Play sounds using IWB

Children say the name of the sound

Drill

Say the word, children make the sounds

Mime

Mime the word

Children say the name of the mime

Drill

Say the word, children mime

Invisible Flashcards

Show 9 or so flash cards on the board.

Drill the 9 words. Always point to the flash card you are drilling.

Gradually remove the pictures but continue to drill and point to the place where the picture was.

When the first picture is removed and you point to the blank space, nod your head to encourage children to say the word of the removed picture.

Children should remember and continue as if the pictures were still there. They seem to be amazed that they can remember the pictures.

Depending on the age group put the pictures back on the board, asking the children where they go, or I ask students to come up and write the word in the correct place on the grid.

A What?

Children sit in a circle.

You show a flash card to a child and say "This is a hamster."

The child looks at the flash card and asks you "a what?"

The teacher replies "a hamster" and passes the flash card on.

The first child passes the flash card on to a second child and says "this is a hamster".

Child no. 2 asks child no. 1 "a what?" and child no. 1 asks the teacher "a what?" the teacher replies to child no. 1 "a hamster" and child no. 1 replies to child no. 2 "a hamster" and so it goes on until the flash card travels full circle.

When the group has mastered it, 2 flash cards can go around the circle in opposite directions. They will cross over mid circle.

Write it down / Shout it out

Teachers prepares a list of words in different lexical sets

Teacher puts learners in groups

Teachers shouts out the set and sets a 2 minute time limit

Learners write down all the words they can think of in that set

Award points for each word they have that is the same as the teachers