Fun Games that incorporate Core Tier 2 ELA Assessment Vocabulary

Fun game ideas that incorporate Core Tier 2 ELA assessment vocabulary like compare/contrast and cause/effect academic vocabulary for kids:

Here is a list of NO Excuses-Must-Know HIGH-FREQUENCY Core Tier 2 academic vocabulary words for ELA assessments, organized by grade level: THIS IS A PARTIAL LIST!

**Kindergarten:**

- Describe - Explain - Identify - Locate - Match - Name - Select

- Show

**1st Grade:** 

- Classify - Compare - Contrast - Demonstrate - Estimate - Organize

- Recognize - Sort

**2nd Grade:**

- Analyze - Clarify - Define - Distinguish - Explain - Predict - Retell

- Summarize 

**3rd Grade:** 

- Categorize - Conclude - Describe - Interpret - Outline - Relate - Sequence - Support

**4th Grade:**

- Apply - Compare/contrast  - Explain - Infer - Paraphrase - Prove

- Trace - Verify

**5th Grade:**

- Cite - Critique - Debate - Examine - Hypothesize - Persuade - Recommend - Validate

**6th Grade:** 

- Appraise - Defend - Extrapolate - Generalize - Investigate - Refute

- Specify - Synthesize

Here are some game ideas to build knowledge of Tier 2 vocabulary words:

**Kindergarten**

- Describe & Explain Charades - Act out a word and have students describe and explain what it is

- Match Mania - Match vocabulary words to pictures/definitions

- Identify the Picture - Hold up a picture and have students identify it

- Show Me - Demonstrate an action and have students show you the same action

**1st Grade** 

- Sort it Out - Have students sort vocabulary words into categories

- Guess My Word - Give clues for a vocab word and have students guess 

- Compare & Contrast - Compare two vocabulary words and identify how they are alike and different

- Demonstration Station - Have students demonstrate vocabulary words through acting

**2nd Grade**

- Vocabularize - Students summarize a story using as many vocab words as possible

- Define It - Give students a vocabulary word and have them write a definition 

- Distinguish Describing - Students distinguish between describing words like little/tiny, mad/furious

**3rd Grade**

- Vocab Hopscotch - Write vocab words in chalk and have students hop between them giving definitions

- Categorize It - Sort vocab words into categories like "verbs", "adjectives"

- Outline Origins - Research the origin and history of vocabulary words 

**4th Grade**

- Apply It - Give real world examples of using vocab words properly

- Infer It - Make inferences using vocabulary words as clues

- Paraphrase Paragraphs - Students paraphrase passages using vocab words

**5th Grade** 

- Debate Club - Hold debates using vocabulary words to support claims

- Vocab Pictionary - Students draw vocab words for others to guess

- Validate Sources - Have students explain if sources are valid using vocab words

**6th Grade**

- Vocab Charades - Act out vocab words for students to guess

- Refute Reasons - Provide an argument and have students refute it

- Research Origins - Research and present on the origins of vocabulary words

Let me know if you need any clarification or have additional ideas!

Compare and Contrast Bingo:

Create bingo cards with pictures or words that represent the vocabulary words.

Have students draw a card and then say aloud the definition of the word. If a student has the word on their card, they get to mark it off. The first student to mark off five in a row wins.

Charades:
Have students act out the vocabulary words without saying any words. The other students have to guess what word is being acted out.

Taboo:
Have students create teams and take turns giving clues to their teammates about the vocabulary words.

They cannot say the word itself or any of its synonyms or antonyms. The first team to guess all of their words wins.

Cause and Effect

Chain Reaction:
Write the vocabulary words on pieces of paper and attach them to a chain. Have students take turns pulling a piece of paper off the chain and saying aloud a sentence that describes the cause and effect relationship between the word on the paper and another word on the chain.

Mad Libs:

Give students a Mad Libs story with blanks for different parts of speech.

Have students fill in the blanks with the vocabulary words. Then, read the story aloud to see how the words fit together.

Sequence:
Write the vocabulary words on pieces of paper and put them in a sequence. Have students take turns reading the words aloud and putting them in the correct order.**Compare/Contrast**

- What's Different? Give students two similar pictures and have them list out all the ways the pictures are different. See who can find the most differences.

- Match Up. Make pairs of cards with items that go together (shoe/sock, day/night, etc). Shuffle the cards and have students match the pairs by comparing and contrasting the items.

- Venn Diagram Sort. Provide students with a Venn diagram and a collection of objects. Have them sort the objects into the diagram by comparing and contrasting their attributes.

**Cause/Effect**

- Domino Chain. Make dominos with cause and effect scenarios (rain/umbrella, study/good grade). Have students set up the dominos and then knock them down to visualize the cause/effect relationships.

- Why? Give students an effect and have them explain possible causes. "Why does the girl have a stomach ache?" "Why is the grass wet?" Let them use their creativity!

- Act It Out. Have students randomly select cause/effect scenarios and act them out for the class to guess. Encourage exaggerated, silly acting!

The key is to make it interactive and hands-on. Let me know if you need any other ideas!