Building a Stronger Vocabulary
Aligned to L.6.6 — Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
What this lesson teaches
Grow the academic words (used across subjects, like 'analyze' or 'summarize') and domain-specific words (tied to one field, like 'photosynthesis') that let you read and write at grade level — and actually use them.
Worked examples
Example 1
Instead of 'the story's lesson,' a stronger sentence uses the academic term: 'the story's theme is resilience.' Learning and using the precise word — theme, not just lesson — makes your writing sharper and more exact.
Example 2
Instead of 'the writer's way of putting things,' the academic word is 'diction' — and using it correctly saves you a whole clause.
Example 3
A new word used wrongly costs more than the old word used plainly. Check it in a sentence before you put it in an essay.
Practice questions
- Collect two new academic words from your reading and write their meanings.
- Use each in a sentence about something you're studying.
- Replace a plain word in your writing with a more precise academic or subject word.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Ampliar tu Vocabulario
Amplía las palabras académicas (que se usan en varias materias, como 'analizar' o 'resumir') y las palabras propias de un campo (ligadas a una materia, como 'fotosíntesis') que te permiten leer y escribir a tu nivel — y úsalas de verdad.
Ejemplo 1: En vez de 'la enseñanza del cuento', una oración más fuerte usa el término académico: 'el tema del cuento es la resiliencia'. Aprender y usar la palabra precisa — tema, no solo enseñanza — hace tu escritura más nítida y exacta.
Ejemplo 2: En vez de 'la forma en que el autor dice las cosas', la palabra académica es 'dicción' — y usarla bien te ahorra una oración entera.
Ejemplo 3: Una palabra nueva usada mal cuesta más que la palabra vieja usada con claridad. Pruébala en una oración antes de ponerla en un ensayo.
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