Another might say giant doesn’t belong because it’s a noun (as in the Jolly Green Giant), and the other words are adjectives.Īnd that’s okay! Even if those kids didn’t make the synonym connection, they are still practicing the important skill of analyzing words. For example, instead of selecting the word quiet as the word that doesn’t belong, a child might choose enormous because it’s longer than the others (or even better, because it’s the only one with more than 2 syllables). Typically, you’ll have some kids who choose a different word than the more obvious choice.
Have them share with a partner what word they chose and why, and choose a few students to share with the whole group.
Once they’re ready with their answers and reasons, facilitate a discussion. You could have them write their answer on a sticky note, on white boards, or just come up with it mentally. Explain that there can be more than one correct answer, as long as they give a valid reason. Tell the kids that you want to tell them to choose a word that doesn’t belong with the others, and they have to give a reason WHY. Four of the words should be synonyms of varying degrees, and one should be a word that is not a synonym with the other four. Give your students 5 words (you could just write them on the board, have them projected onto a screen, etc.). One activity off the top of my head that lends itself well to this skill is Which word doesn’t belong? Rather than flat out tell students, “We’re going to be learning about shades of meaning today” you could do a quick little engaging exercise that just starts to get the wheels turning. Anticipatory ActivityĪn anticipatory activity can be a good way to introduce shades of meaning, just like it is for many concepts. As if that isn’t enough of a bonus already, it’s a big ticket to improvement in reading comprehension and vocabulary development too.Īnd luckily, this skill can be a lot of fun to teach! Here are 5 activities to add to your shades of meaning idea bank: 1. When kids have the understanding that synonyms can be closely related and differ in intensity, it helps them make stronger word choices in their writing. Any teacher who has seen words like “nice” and “good” one too many times in student writing can vouch for the importance of teaching shades of meaning.
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