Vocabulary Tic-Tac-Toe

From FreeReading

Lesson Type:	Build Mastery
Grade:	2, 3
Group Size:	Pair, Small Group, Large Group, Whole Class
Length:	10 minutes
Goal:	Given a vocabulary word, students will use their knowledge of it to use it correctly in a sentence.

Materials: Chalk or marker, board or chart paper

What to Do

Prepare

Draw a tic-tac-toe board on the board or chart paper. Write one vocabulary word in each box.

Assign students to two teams. Assign one team to be X’s and the other to be O’s.

Model/Instruct

1. Review the vocabulary words you have chosen for this lesson.

Today, we will learn more about the vocabulary words we have learned by playing Vocabulary Tic-Tac-Toe.

2. Choose a student to help you model this game.

When it is your team’s turn, you will choose one of the words on the board. You will talk with your teammates and come up with a sentence using the word.

Tell the student a word and ask that he or she use it in a sentence.

If you use the word correctly in a sentence, you will get to replace the word with either an X or an O, depending on your team. Then it’s the other team’s turn.

We will continue until the board is full of X’s and O’s or one team gets three in a row. The first team to get three X’s or O’s in a row wins!

Practice

3. Have students play Vocabulary Tic-Tac-Toe.

Now, it is your turn to play Vocabulary Tic-Tac-Toe. Remember to discuss how to use your word in a sentence with all of your teammates.

4. Monitor students’ performance as they play the game.

Adjust

For Advanced Students:

Have these students give a definition of the word in addition to using it in a sentence.

For Struggling Students:

If students have a hard time using a word in a sentence, you may wish to give them clues (for instance, provide a synonym or indicate whether the word is a noun, verb, or adjective).

For ELL Students: