This class is about having fun with words. We will kick them like footballs, throw them like baseballs, and shoot them like basketballs. We will roll them on our tongues like fine wine to savor their flavor and say them out loud to listen to their music. We will increase our ability to express ourselves beautifully and precisely with words.

Each unit is based on a foundation of interactive word games and challenges. The students and I will be asking and answering word questions and showing off new sentences with our words, verbally and in writing. We will be writing sentences and paragraphs using the new words to reinforce spelling and retention.

Each unit will feature a new word list, but the general structure will be the same. Three units will focus on homonyms, homographs, and homophones. The class structure goes as follows:

Review with show and tell – students tell how they used new words during the week
Introduction of the new words – Like animals on parade
Selection of word games (matching, fill in the blank, Huggermugger, word scrambles, word finds, and more)
Sentence writing using the new words
Unit 1: Introduction to New Vocabulary List; Word Circus
Unit 2: Review, Introduction to New Vocabulary List, Word Circus
Unit 3: Review, Introduction to Homonyms, Word Circus
Unit 4: Review, Introduction to New Vocabulary List, Word Circus
Unit 5: Review, Introduction to Homophones, Word Circus
Unit 6: Review, Introduction to New Vocabulary List, Word Circus
Unit 7: Review, Introduction to Homographs, Word Circus
Unit 8: Semester Review; Verbal Show and Tell; Written Show and Tell

The class goal is to introduce students to the joy of words and the freedom of expression they bring. By the end of class students will be using new words naturally, choosing them for their particular nuances.