10 Daily Vocabulary Routines that work for Junior High Students

1. Word of the Day

  • Introduce one new word daily.

  • Include: definition, part of speech, example sentence, and a fun synonym/antonym.

  • Have students use it in their own sentence or journal.

2. Vocabulary Journals

  • Students keep a dedicated notebook.

  • Each entry includes the word, definition (in their own words), a picture or symbol, and a sentence.

  • Review weekly with peer sharing or a quiz.

3. Context Clue Challenge

  • Provide a short paragraph with a target word.

  • Students infer the word’s meaning from context before seeing the definition.

  • Great for test prep and critical reading skills.

4. Vocabulary Dice Game

Assign each number (1–6) a task:

  1. Define it

  2. Use it in a sentence

  3. Act it out

  4. Draw it

  5. Give a synonym

  6. Give an antonym

    Students roll and complete the task for a new or review word.

5. Peer Teaching

  • Assign each student a word.

  • They prepare a short “mini-lesson” to teach the class: definition, sentence, and a fun fact or example.

  • Builds ownership and retention.

6. Turn & Talk Vocabulary

  • Students pair up and use 1–3 target words in a brief conversation.

  • Provide a topic or scenario (e.g., "Describe your weekend using at least two vocabulary words").

7. Visual Vocabulary

  • Have students illustrate vocabulary words with cartoons, comics, or diagrams.

  • Can be compiled into a class vocabulary wall or digital slideshow.

8. Quick Writes

  • Give a writing prompt where students must include 2–3 vocabulary words.

  • Example: “Write a mystery scene using the words ominous, stealthy, and disguise.”

9. Synonym/Antonym Match

  • Use index cards or a matching game.

  • Students pair vocabulary words with appropriate synonyms and antonyms.

  • Add movement by placing cards around the room for a walk-and-match activity.

10. Word Detective

  • While reading class texts, assign students to be “word detectives.”

  • They highlight or list unfamiliar words, try to define them from context, and share with the class.

  • Encourages authentic vocabulary acquisition.

Brains are such malleable little things, but sometimes getting knowledge to stick is like trying to hold on to a pull up bar someone coated in WD-40. So for all of us with students that struggle to retain vocabulary, here are some ideas.

And remember, if you need some word searches to keep them occupied, there’s a free pack of 20 Holiday themed ones in the free stuff section.

And if you need a planned out weekly vocabulary set for every week of the school year, just click on the grade level button you want and hit the links there! Each year’s book has word lists, flash cards, sentence challenges, crossword puzzles, word searches, matching tests, and four cumulative 9 weeks tests!