Bamboozle, higgledy-piggledy, pandemonium! The English language is full of wonderful words. Expand your students’ vocabulary and discover some new favourite words yourself as you peruse the books below.
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The Word Collector
by Peter Reynolds
Review: Whilst not strictly non-fiction (!) this book serves as a wonderful way to spark children’s curiosity about words. It tells the story of Jerome who collects words wherever he goes. For hardback editions, take off the dust cover to reveal all the words Jerome has collected on the cover; a real treat. N.B. This book is also available in Spanish.
Suggested Reading Age: 4 – 8 years. I have used this with older students, however, who have all loved it!
Nonfiction Nuggets Teaching Tip: Ask students to collect words that appeal to them and write these on slips of paper. Put them in a shoebox or jar. Share them with a friend. To extend this further students could: write the definitions of the word on the back, write the word in a sentence, create a sketch to show what the word means, use different coloured paper to denote the part of speech, e.g. red for a verb, blue for a noun, etc.
What a Wonderful Word
by Nicole Edwards
Review: This delightful book of untranslatable words from around the world includes words that describe natural phenomena, daily events or feelings. Each word is beautifully illustrated, comes with an explanation of its meaning and an associated anecdote. Discover words such as the Italian “abbiocco” which describes the feeling of drowsiness from eating a big meal or “mencolek” the Indonesian for tapping someone on the opposite shoulder from behind to trick them! For those who want to try saying these aloud, there is a phonetic pronunciation guide at the end of the book.
Suggested Reading Age: 9 – 12 years. I have this on my coffee table and it is well-loved by adults, too!
Nonfiction Nuggets Teaching Tip: Ask students to carry out some research to see if they can discover other words only found in certain languages. Invite students to create their own words to describe a feeling, action or natural phenomenon. This could be extended by asking students to explain the root, prefix, suffix of the word, etc. Students could then create artwork in a style of their choosing to represent the word.
Word of the Day
by Merriam Webster
Review: Trusted language publisher Merriam-Webster has compiled this stunning book comprising a word for each day of the year. Illustrated with bright, eye-catching colours and amusing images, each word is defined in simple language, has a pronunciation guide and indicates the relevant part of speech. The accompanying anecdote or fun fact is a must for trivia lovers. Each word is used in a story at the end of every month. As a bonus, these stories are also available as free audio downloads.
Suggested Reading Age: 8 – 12 years. In my opinion, this book would also appeal to older readers.
Nonfiction Nuggets Teaching Tip: Students create an individual or class Word of the Day book. These can be swapped or shared with others and added to over a period of time. Inspired by the book, students can have a go at writing a story including all of their new words!
The Lost Words
by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris
Review: This stunning book is a work of art in itself. Comprising twenty words linked to the natural world that were removed from the Oxford Junior Dictionary, these “lost words” are vividly brought back to life through beautiful art and poetry. A finalist for the Wainwright Prize, this book highlights the beauty of the world around us and serves as a reminder of the importance of words in our lives. Its large size format allows the artwork to truly shine.
Suggested Reading Age: Children to adults.
Nonfiction Nuggets Teaching Tip: Students create their own compendium of words that are falling out of use. Alternatively, they could create a book of words or phrases that are only used by their family members or in the area where they live. On a different note, this book could be used as a source of inspiration to encourage students to make a nature journal of their own.
The Illustrated Compendium of Weirdly Specific Words
by Tyler Vendetti and Rebecca Pry
Review: The title of this book alone is sure to pique the interest of the most reluctant language learner, not to mention hardcore word lovers. It is perfect for dipping into, allowing readers to discover some weird, wacky and repulsive words! Presented in alphabetical order with clear explanations, the bright and inviting illustrations serve to make this an informative, entertaining and compulsive read.
Suggested Reading Age: Teenage to adult. I am sure that this would also appeal to younger readers if read aloud.
Nonfiction Nuggets Teaching Tip: The more obscure the better – set up a challenge to see who can find the most obscure/specific words and present them in an original way, for example, interpretive dance, rap, free verse, etc.
Happy Reading!
NONFICTION NUGGETS TEACHING TIPS
Click below to receive all of the teaching tips mentioned in a handy PDF booklet.
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