I asked my students this week how they best reviewed their vocabulary words. One of my students, grabbed some cardstock paper and started to draw, freehand, a jigsaw puzzle. When I asked what he was going to do, he noted that he was going to draw a picture on one side of each puzzle piece, and put the word on the other side. He liked to draw individual pictures that related to the vocabulary words then link them together to form a larger picture. He could then quiz himself by looking at the picture and recalling the coordinating word or looking at the word and recalling the coordinating picture.  

I really love this idea of creating and then reassembling a jigsaw puzzle to review one’s words (thanks Jake!). I am going to print out copies of the downloadable jigsaw template onto cardstock and then have each student pick one of the following options:

• Write one vocabulary word on each puzzle piece and draw a coordinating picture on the other side. Then link the pictures together so that the jigsaw puzzle has another larger image that ties together all the smaller pictures. Once you cut the pieces out from the cardstock, review the words as you recreate the finished puzzle.

• Write coordinating vocabulary words on neighboring pieces. For example, if you have the word “expunge” and the word “extirpate” (both mean to get rid of something) –put those two words next to each other. Then, on the other side of “expunge”, perhaps write “truculent” because someone who is “truculent” (angry) often “expunges” items. Once you cut the pieces out from the cardstock, review the words and their related meanings as you recreate the finished puzzle.

• Write your vocabulary words on separate puzzle pieces and then draw a lovely pictures that weaves around all of the words. On the back of each puzzle piece, write the definition of the word. Once you cut the pieces out from the cardstock, review the words as you recreate the finished puzzle.

Students love puzzles, especially spatial and kinesthetic who might not always be able to have a physical activity to do while studying words. Hopefully this is a unique enough twist for students to learn to piece words and meaning together!

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