Precise word choices
Choose a word that preserves the exact action or meaning.
For parents and teachers
Playing Precise word choices
Read the cards and match each one to its partner. Find six pairs, with no timer. Think about the meaning before choosing.
What this game practises
Year 6 readers and writers choose words for precision as well as variety. Precise word choices focuses on differences in action, duration and purpose. Glanced is not simply a more impressive replacement for looked: it contributes the idea of a brief look. Discuss what a reader would lose if the chosen word were replaced by a broader expression without considering its meaning. Compare strolled with rushed in an account of someone approaching a meeting. Both describe movement, but their pace and possible implications differ. Explain which detail the sentence actually supports before choosing. Then replace a vague verb in a short piece of writing and check whether the more precise word preserves the intended meaning rather than introducing an unsupported idea.
Progress and trying again
The normal game controls let children finish, save stars on this device and play again. A previous best result is kept when a later attempt scores less. Matching games count incorrect pairs; ordering games score the first check of each round; sorting games give another chance after a mistake. Take time to talk about a choice rather than racing.
Return to the learning collection for curriculum guidance, examples and activities to try away from the screen.