Review: Improving Word Choice on Teachers Pay Teachers

The Improving Word Choice packet on Teachers Pay Teachers is a free download for use in the classroom and at home. The download is a good resource for writers who need or want a quick reference guide to find alternatives to commonly used words. The packet contains a cover sheet and then two pages full of suggested synonyms for “said,” “very,” “fine/good/nice,” and “bad.”

The lists of alternatives go to great depth, making this a good resource for writers who need to incorporate more words in their creative writing, as well as writers who are not inclined to turn to a bound thesaurus (or who don’t know that alternatives to the right-click synonym option in Microsoft Word exist). The packet is intended for use in classrooms for sixth through twelfth grades, but realistically it could serve writers beginning at that age and going through adulthood. There was even a word I hadn’t seen since my own high school days and couldn’t confidently define, and “words” are what I do for a living!

The two word list pages could be copied front and back and then laminated to make a handy, durable single-page mini-thesaurus. Teachers could use this word list to augment vocabulary lessons, add a new twist to a writing assignment (such as including a minimum number of words from the list in an essay or story), or include it in a lesson about using the dictionary, thesaurus, and other reference materials.

You can download your own copy of Improving Word Choice here.

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