A highly effective vocabulary building program that gets kids excited about learning and using new words.

1. College Words A great way to add vocabulary to your day!

2. How it’s done in a nutshell: Select a high use or content rich word Display the word prominently Find a synonym for the word or a brief phrase that means the same thing Add a gesture Use the word as often as you can throughout the day.

4. For example: I choose the word vapid Say it with me. “Heard the word?” “Never heard the word?” “Heard the word and can tell you what it means.” Explain the meaning of the word: lack of liveliness or spirit, dull or tedious.

5. Add some fun! Give class points whenever someone uses, hears, reads, or writes the word Class points can add up to something special

6. Assign a student to be the word keeper of the word Give them a half sheet form to create a visual remembrance definition synonym picture sentence Hang a collection of them on a wall or keep in a binder in the classroom library

8. Helpful Hints Search for words in students grade level literature Select words that you think students will use When you think of or see a word, keep an ongoing list in a handy place Write the synonym near the word Use the word during transitions to increase usage.

9. Famous Quotes “I left my Valentine Party note on the banister this morning.” – Keyaujae “I heard the word adjacent in a commercial last night, and I knew exactly what they meant!” – Alec “Corridor! It’s on the test! I know what it means!” – Kyle, during the Gates MacGinitie test.

10. Credits This program incorporates some of the ideas from: Stephanie Harvey came up with the “Word Keeper” slogan for a similar program Guided Language Acquisition Design (GLAD)