| Are you feeling trapped in the house this winter? | | | | Find where your name, as well as the names of |
| Looking for a solution for the mid winter blahs? | | | | your friends and neighbors, would fall alphabetically |
| Break up the boredom by opening up a few | | | | in the encyclopedia. What entries would be before |
| reference books and playing a few games. | | | | and after it? Do any seem funny or fitting to the |
| Reference books can be as dry as toast made in | | | | person’s name? |
| the Sahara and as boring as watching paint dry on | | | | Apples to Apples, The Encyclopedia Version |
| a rock, but with gentle competition, your family | | | | 4+ players |
| can practice using reference materials and still | | | | This game is played much like Apples to Apples. |
| have fun! | | | | Using your green adjective cards from your |
| Here are several games to play as individuals, | | | | Apples to Apples game (or a lengthy list of |
| teams, or a family using a dictionary, a set of | | | | adjectives), each player opens a volume from his |
| encyclopedias (the old-fashioned kind, not the | | | | encyclopedia set, say, the G book. Each player |
| computer kind), an atlas, and a phone book (like | | | | chooses an entry from the volume that best |
| the Yellow Pages). These games will not only | | | | describes the adjective (or green card) given by |
| break up the long winter day but also reinforce | | | | the judge (for instance, “clumsy”). The |
| skills that might have been overlooked during the | | | | judge then chooses which entry is the best fit for |
| course of the year. Most of these games are | | | | that adjective (or the most humorous, if you play |
| suited for fourth graders and older, but younger | | | | like my kids do). |
| readers can still benefit with assistance from a | | | | Thesaurus |
| parent or older sibling. | | | | A thesaurus, a collection of antonyms and |
| Dictionary | | | | synonyms, requires dictionary skills. These games |
| Dictionary skills include alphabetizing, using guide | | | | can familiarize a student with how to use a |
| words, and recognizing parts of speech. These | | | | thesaurus and build vocabulary, all while having a |
| games reinforce those concepts while adding a bit | | | | bit of fun. |
| of fun. Nearly any dictionary will work for these | | | | ABC Opposites |
| games, but the more complete the dictionary, the | | | | 2+ players |
| more fun the game and the more the student will | | | | With a thesaurus for each player, write down a |
| learn. Picture dictionaries are not recommended. | | | | pair of antonyms for every letter of the alphabet |
| Guide Word Trap | | | | (for example, antecedent and after, bulky and |
| 2+ players | | | | bantam, cheerful and complaining). Once the lists |
| Guide words are the words at the top inside and | | | | are completed, or after a set amount of time, |
| outside corners of each page in the dictionary. | | | | compare lists. Any duplicate answers between the |
| One player opens to any place in the dictionary | | | | players are omitted and only original answers |
| and reads the two guide words aloud. The other | | | | count as a point. The player with the most points |
| players must say or write a word that they think | | | | wins. Recommended for sixth grade and older. |
| should come between the two guide words. For | | | | Who Has the Most? |
| example, the guide words might be | | | | 1+ players |
| “candle” and “carry.” Players who | | | | Choose one of these simple words: big, happy, |
| say words like “carpenter” or | | | | pretty, fast, smart. Each player predicts which |
| “cantaloupe” are correct and get a point | | | | word has the most synonyms, antonyms, or |
| because those words are alphabetically correct. | | | | both. Look each word up in the thesaurus to find |
| Points can be acquired with each correct word. | | | | out. Can you find other words that have more? |
| Players should take turns finding the guide words, | | | | Brainstorm for your own words and find their |
| looking through the dictionary for hard words to | | | | entries too. Recommended for lower grades. |
| try to stump the other player. | | | | Describe Yourself |
| Word Drills | | | | 1+ players |
| 3+ players Each player needs his own dictionary. | | | | Think of ten words that describe yourself, such |
| One player says a word (either from another | | | | as short, funny, cheerful, compassionate, and |
| dictionary or off the top of his head). Players wait | | | | cute. Then with the thesaurus find multi-syllable |
| with their dictionaries closed until given the signal | | | | synonyms of each of these words (for the given |
| to go. When the signal is given, players try to find | | | | words, for example, diminutive, whimsical, |
| the word as fast as possible. Points are given to | | | | effervescent, commiserative, and pulchritudinous). |
| the fastest finders, and players take turns coming | | | | Try describing others in your family, your pets, or |
| up with the word to look up. | | | | your friends. |
| The Biggest Entry | | | | Phone Book |
| 1+ players | | | | A phone book also requires dictionary skills. Even |
| Ordinary words like walk, play, or read have | | | | though this isn’t an academic pursuit, learning |
| multiple definitions. As a group, or even individually, | | | | to use a phone book is a necessary life skill, |
| brainstorm for simple words that have many | | | | especially during an emergency. The following |
| meanings. With a ruler, measure from the top of | | | | games require commercial telephone listings |
| the first line of the definition to the bottom of the | | | | (Yellow Pages)—the bigger, the better. |
| last line to find out which of these words has the | | | | Fairy Tale Fix-It |
| longest entry, using centimeters, not inches. | | | | 1+ players |
| Record which words have the longest entries, or | | | | Consider your favorite fairy tale, such as |
| even estimate their length before measuring. | | | | “The Three Bears.” What businesses |
| Words to consider: plane, house, bear, set, rock, | | | | might the Three Bears consult in order to avoid |
| run, stand, cup, pitch, sink. | | | | the whole Goldilocks fiasco? A home security |
| Syllable Score | | | | company? A furniture repairman? A caterer who |
| 2+ players | | | | might provide a breakfast that is “just |
| Students take turns rolling three dice to come up | | | | right”? Search the phone book for businesses |
| with a three-digit number, which becomes a page | | | | that might help the poor bear family and discuss |
| number. For example, player 1 rolls a 1, a 3, and a | | | | their ads, the words they use to market their |
| 5—135. He turns to page 135 in the dictionary | | | | business, and their location. Try this same |
| and finds the word on that page with the most | | | | exercise with “Cinderella,” “Little Red |
| syllables. The number of syllables in the word is | | | | Riding Hood,” “The Three Pigs,” and |
| the number of points he receives for that turn. In | | | | any other stories in your memory. |
| my dictionary, the longest word on page 135 is | | | | It’s a Dirty Job |
| bouleversement, which has 5 syllables. I would get | | | | 1+ players |
| 5 points. The next player rolls the dice, turns to | | | | Each player creates the columns “Jobs I |
| that page (1, 3, and 5 could be page 531, 351, or | | | | Would Want” and “Jobs I Would Not” |
| 153), and finds another long word, hopefully one | | | | on a piece of paper. Search through the Yellow |
| longer than five syllables. As the students take | | | | Pages for 10 jobs to list in each column. To make |
| turns, they collect points. Whoever gets to 25 | | | | this a competition, compare lists with other |
| points first is the winner. | | | | players, eliminating duplicates and assigning a point |
| Encyclopedia | | | | per original job. For an even greater challenge, find |
| Encyclopedia skills are similar to dictionary skills, | | | | 26 jobs you do or don’t like, one for every |
| because alphabetization and guide words are used. | | | | letter of the alphabet. |
| However, other skills, such as finding the main | | | | Opposites |
| idea, timeline, and summarizing can also be | | | | 1+ players |
| reinforced with these games. These games | | | | Your community is full of businesses that have |
| require a full set of books, such as World Book or | | | | opposing or contradictory jobs or services. Flip |
| Encyclopedia Britannica, but it doesn’t matter | | | | through the phone book for examples of this, |
| how recently they were published. | | | | such as obstetricians and funeral directors, |
| Six Degrees of Biography | | | | construction and demolition, swimming pool |
| 1+ players | | | | supplier and snow removal, wedding chapels and |
| Each player selects a famous person such as | | | | divorce lawyers. Brainstorm for more examples |
| Queen Elizabeth I and searches that person’s | | | | and count them up. With more than one player, |
| entry for the name of another famous person, | | | | compare the number of pairs each player can |
| such as William Shakespeare. The student then | | | | identify to determine the winner. |
| goes to the second person’s entry to find | | | | Try these reference book games on a snowy |
| another famous name. The student continues with | | | | afternoon. You might break up a dull routine, learn |
| this process until he finds the name he started | | | | a great word or two, and perhaps even have a |
| with. Many famous people in history are | | | | little fun! |
| connected to each other. The point of this | | | | Kathy Grubb lives in Boston, Massachusetts, with |
| exercise is that within six entries, the original | | | | her supportive husband and her five enthusiastic |
| entry should be found. No fair looking up people | | | | children. Before she was married, she was a public |
| who were partners, spouses, or known adver- | | | | school teacher and a professional writer. She also |
| saries. Your six “degrees” may look like | | | | had no idea just how much work it takes to be a |
| this: Elizabeth I, King Henry VIII, Thomas | | | | mother, much less one with two fifth graders, |
| Cromwell, Pope Clement VII, Martin Luther, and | | | | one second grader, and two toddlers. |
| so on. This can be a time-consuming project and | | | | Copyright 2008. |
| is recommended for upper grades. | | | | Originally appeared in The Old Schoolhouse |
| Where Am I? | | | | Magazine, Winter 07/8. |
| 1+ players | | | | |