Build vocabulary with spooky new words this Halloween

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Students need to know between 75,000 and 120,000 words to succeed, which is why building vocabulary is really important. “A student’s vocabulary — the words he or she can understand when reading and listening and use when writing and speaking are critical to success in school. This is the reason vocabulary is an essential element of effective reading programs as described in up-to-date research documents,” according to Francie Alexander, Vice President and Chief Academic Officer for Scholastic Education.

jack-bigLists of vocabulary words can get tedious, though, but it’s important for kids to keep learning new words, and it’s even better when parents learn along with them. That’s one reasons I love doing Word of the Day with my daughter – I learn some new words, too! And if you can do ones that are fun and seasonally appropriate, that ups the fun and interest level.

You can build vocabulary with spooky new words this Halloween thanks to Dictionary.com, which is celebrating all week long with a special Word of the Day (WOTD) series that highlights a different “halloword” every day leading up to Halloween! They started yesterday and gave me a sneak peek of the words to come. Check them out:

Sunday, 10/25: tremulous – characterized by trembling, as from fear, nervousness, or weakness
Monday, 10/26: taphephobia – an abnormal fear of being buried alive
Tuesday, 10/27: lycanthrope – a werewolf or alien spirit in the physical form of a bloodthirsty wolf
Wednesday, 10/28: Jotunheim – the outer world, or realm of giants
Thursday, 10/29: barghest – a legendary dog-like goblin believed to portend death or misfortune
Friday, 10/30: epicedium – a funeral song; dirge
Saturday, 10/31: ignis fatuus – something deluding or misleading

For even more Halloween-themed fun, Dictionary.com explains the origins of the jack-o’-lantern in this blog post, which also offers more info on the WOTD on Halloween and how it relates to Jack O Lanterns

To really learn the word, challenge yourself and your kids to find ways to use it in a sentence a couple times each day.  While I think there are a few decorations in my neighborhood that look like lycanthropes, I’m not tremulous because I know they’re not real. I admit that I’m feeling like “Jotunheim” is a bit of a challenge, but it’s a good season to be a bit scared, right?

I think “ignis fatuus” is my favorite. Which ones do you like?

Here’s to collecting new words as well as candy this Halloween!

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Halloween trivia: Fun facts about some favorite traditions

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