Activities to Teach Students to Use Thesaurus Entries
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As a teacher, you know that using a thesaurus can enhance student writing by helping them to find synonyms, expand their vocabulary, and make their prose more polished and professional. However, teaching students to use a thesaurus can be a challenge, especially for younger learners or those who struggle with language skills. Here are some activities that can help your students master the art of thesaurus usage:
Word swaps
Have students choose a paragraph from a piece of their own writing and exchange it with a partner. Then, have them identify five words in their partner’s paragraph and swap them for similar words from the thesaurus. Afterwards, have the students share their revised paragraphs with the class. This activity can be modified by choosing a specific paragraph from a class text or by using a shared writing prompt.
Synonym charades
Divide the class into teams and give each team a bundle of index cards with different words on them. Students take turns choosing a word and acting it out, trying to get their team to guess the word. Once revealed, the team must find a synonym for the word and use it in a sentence. If teammates struggle to name a synonym, they can consult a thesaurus. This activity can be adjusted to for various skill levels by changing the complexity of the words or by offering more or less help with finding synonyms.
Thesaurus treasure hunt
Hide a thesaurus somewhere in the classroom and give students 10–15 minutes to find it. Once they locate it, have students look up a specific word and write down three synonyms from the entry. They can then exchange their lists with a partner and try to incorporate the synonyms into a sentence. You can make the activity more challenging by asking students to identify synonyms for less common or more complex words.
Story starter swap
Give each student a notecard with a story starter. Then, have them swap cards with a partner and use a thesaurus to find and circle at least two synonyms for one of the words in the starter. Once they have identified some possible substitutions, have them use one of them in their own unique story opening. This activity can be expanded into a longer creative writing unit by challenging students to build entire paragraphs or stories using thesaurus-inspired vocabulary.
Using a thesaurus can be an intimidating task for some students, but with the right tools and activities, they can quickly learn to appreciate the value of synonym hunting and vocabulary expansion. By engaging students with fun and interactive techniques like these, you can help instill a love of language and a desire to improve writing skills that will benefit them for years to come.