Powerful Words

The Pen is mightier than the sword

Words are fun!Lots of jokes are based upon word play…

The man who recently fell into an upholstery machine is now fully

recovered.

Activity

Give students:Water, Play dough, a choice of 3 items from their desk.

Have them brainstorm words that relate.

Water Tray: pour, splash, drip, wet, full, empty, overflowing…

Playdough: stretch, break, squash, mould, join, cut, press…

Words are fun!

I couldn't quite remember how to throw a boomerang, but I knew eventually it

would come back to me.

It’s a crack up!

Joke web site:

Children love to collect or make up jokes.

Encourage their understanding of words by asking them to explain why it’s funny.

‘Articulate’

• Take a noun from the pile on the table.

• Describe it to your partner without naming it. Use descriptive language to help your partner visualise what you are describing.

• Can your partner guess what it is?

Synonym Race

• You have thirty seconds.

• Think of as many alternative words as you can for…

look

Talking verbs

1. Working in pairs, make a list of alternative words for ‘said’.

2. Write your words onto your paper.

3. Think of a simple sentence that someone might say, e.g. ‘Where have I put my glasses?’

4. Take it in turns to choose a word from the list and say the sentence accordingly. Can the other person guess which word was chosen?

From: Jumpstart! Literacy by Pie Corbett

The POWER of words!

Quite often, synonyms can be ordered by how powerful they are, e.g.

big huge colossal

Order the cards according to how powerful you think the words are.

Shades of meaning1. Start with a feelings word from

the list.

2. Choose a colour card.

3. Brainstorm synonyms for your feelings word.

4. Write the synonyms onto the colour card in order of strength.

Words are fun!

He didn't tell his mother that he had eaten the glue.

His lips were sealed.

Crazy DefinitionsAbundanceThink of definitions for these:

Armies

Earwig

Elastic band

Fish Fingers

Gladiator

Hippies

Labrador

Microwave

The things you have up your sleevies

A piece of false hair worn over the ears

A group who play rubber instruments

What fish have 5 of on each hand

How the monster felt after lunch

The things you hang your leggies on

Large cat-flap for dogs

Very small greeting

Lots of dancing cakes

Words are fun!Two hats were hanging on a hat

rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, 'You stay

here, I'll go on a head.'

Choose a picture

• Discuss• Brainstorm• Write Words

that describe.• Display• Discuss again• Add more

words

Super settings

coolrocky

lapping

fresh

lush

clear

As fresh as a mountain stream

smooth

The sea was a shimmering plate of glass.

Words are fun!What did the triangle say

to the circle?

You're so pointless!

Fast poem

1. One noun:

2. Two adjectives:

3. Three adverbs:

4. Four verbs:

SpaghettiSpaghetti

Thin and soft,Thin and soft,

Silently, slowly, easily,Silently, slowly, easily,

Slipping, sliding, Slipping, sliding, slithering, disappearing.slithering, disappearing.

Words are fun!Are Santa's helpers

subordinate clauses?

Resources• Primary Framework for literacy

www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primaryframeworks/

• Jokes found at www.kidsjokes.co.uk• Jumpstart! Literacy by Pie Corbett

ISBN 1-84312-102-6• The Usbourne Illustrated Thesaurus

ISBN 0-7460-23529