Get children engaged in learning by playing a game. Write out a variety of vocabulary words. Break the children up into several small groups. Play the game just as you would play charades, so children have to act out the vocabulary word they have chosen. Pick a leader who will choose a word off the vocabulary list and act it out. That leader can call on a child to identify the vocabulary word he is acting out. The child who was called on must identify the word, define it and use it in a sentence. If he does that correctly, he gets to be the next person to act out a word.
Sight words are words that most adults recognize instantly. Sight-word recognition is important because it allows children to read more fluently. Create sight-word flashcards by writing down or printing key sight words on index cards. Have your elementary children practice going through the sight words every day until they recognize each one. When this happens, take them out of the flash card pile and focus on new ones. Increase the difficulty level by writing the sight-word definitions on the back for students to learn. Sight words vary by grade level. Examples for pre-k and kindergarten levels would be "and," "am" and "big." Sight words for first- and second-graders include "from," "give" and "going."
Crossword puzzles are an engaging game that offer children a chance to practice English, spelling and vocabulary words. They can be challenging and are good to use for virtually any skill level. Use a crossword puzzle generator online to create a puzzle that has the vocabulary words and definitions you are using in the classroom. You can also use a premade crossword puzzle format found in books such as "Fun Beginning Puzzles for Kids" by Noah Ealy.
Give students extra credit if they complete a word report. Word reports consist of students hearing or seeing a vocabulary word outside of school. To get the extra credit, the student must write down the vocabulary word she heard, what it means and where she heard or saw it.