Teaching Vocabulary Doesn't Have to Be Scary
Teaching vocabulary doesn’t have to be scary! Conquer your fears and boost your curriculum with these free vocabulary resources.
There’s a monster lurking in the dark corners of your English language arts curriculum. Hiding in the shadows between grammar and literature, the creature waits for the perfect moment to strike. Its name? Vocabulary.
But teaching vocabulary doesn’t have to be scary! With the right resources, you can help students tackle unfamiliar words, recognize common roots and affixes, use context clues, and build vocabulary they’ll carry into their reading and writing.
We’ve gathered some of our favorite free vocabulary resources to help. Explore lesson plans, classroom posters, and more, all ready to download from the English Teacher’s Free Library.
Lesson Plans
Whether you need a complete vocabulary lesson or a quick activity to fill a few minutes of class, these free lesson plans are easy to work into your existing instruction.
Vocabulary in Context: Inside the World of Wizards Lesson Plan
With this free lesson plan, harness the magical world of the Harry Potter series to build your students’ understanding of context clues, word roots, and author’s purpose.
Vocabulary in Context: Wilderness Survival Lesson Plan
Inspired by the workbook of the same name, this free lesson plan introduces ten new vocabulary words and provides several context-based activities designed to help students retain the words they learn.
Merriam-Webster's Vocabulary Activity
Perfect for a simple warm-up activity, supplemental lesson, or an extra credit assignment, this free lesson plan will introduce your students to 36 new words recently added to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
10th Grade Vocabulary Lesson Plan
Intended for 10th graders, but certainly adaptable for any high school class, this free lesson plan will help students develop the skills needed to understand words in context, build connections to existing vocabulary, and learn about connotative meanings.
Posters
Keep important vocabulary concepts within sight all year long with printable posters designed for easy classroom reference.
Common Prefixes and Suffixes Poster
Perfect for an everyday classroom resource, this printable poster presents more than 40 different Latin and Greek roots, prefixes, and suffixes that your students will encounter in their studies.
Top 10 Greek Roots Poster
Chrono, geo, graph, lith: These are just a few of the Greek roots featured on this downloadable poster.
Top 10 Latin Roots Poster
Did you know that nearly all of our English law and logic words come from Latin? This free poster covers 10 of the most common Latin roots.
Sound Off! Vocabulary Roots Poster
Help your students recall two important word roots (son and phon) with this free poster based on Growing Your Vocabulary: Level 4.
Power Trip! Vocabulary Roots Poster
Remind your students of four different “powerful” word roots (dom, dyn, vict, and vinc) with this free printable classroom poster inspired by Growing Your Vocabulary: Level 5.
Laws and Justice Vocabulary Roots Poster
To aid your students in their word root study, download and print this free classroom poster inspired by Growing Your Vocabulary: Level 6. Your students will have the meanings of leg, jus, and jur memorized in no time!
Close Encounters With Vocabulary
Spark intrigue with this downloadable poster showcasing some of the vocabulary words your students will encounter within the pages of Vocabulary in Context: Mysteries, Curiosities & Wonders.
Vocabulary Teaching eBook
Guide to Teaching: Vocabulary
Not sure how to approach vocabulary instruction? This helpful guide provides a look into the variety of indirect and explicit vocabulary teaching techniques. Plus, get the facts on Prestwick House’s vocabulary resources, including Vocabulary Power Plus, Vocabulary From Latin and Greek Roots, and Vocabulary for the College Bound.
Building strong vocabulary takes time, but finding resources to support your instruction shouldn’t be frightening. With ready-to-use lessons, activities, posters, and teaching tips, you can give students more opportunities to encounter new words and develop strategies for understanding them.
These vocabulary resources are only the beginning. Visit the English Teacher’s Free Library to find even more free materials for literature, grammar and writing, and other areas of the ELA classroom.
