Vocabulary games build essential GRE verbal knowledge.
The Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) assess general and subject-specific skills in students interested in graduate education programs; the exam includes a verbal assessment that evaluates writing and reading skills. The GRE verbal assessment is heavily vocabulary-based; test takers are expected to identify the correct definitions of several words and use them in the correct context. Vocabulary games reinforce vocabulary knowledge, as well as develop strategies for defining unfamiliar words.
Vocabulary Relay
Independent organizations compose GRE vocabulary lists based on the vocabulary used in previous years' tests. The most basic vocabulary skill for the GRE is providing definitions for words. Practice word-definition associations through a vocabulary relay. Several test takers form two teams of at least three people each. One participant serves as a judge; the judge should have a list with all the words and definitions. Each team member holds a bag of vocabulary terms written on slips of paper. The teams sit in a line. When the judge says go, a timer starts and the first team member in one line pulls a word from their bag, recites the word and then provides a definition. If the definition is accurate, the next player can retrieve a word from the bag and continue the game. If the definition is incorrect, the player must provide another definition; if the player doesn't know the word, the team can take a five-second penalty and another team member can provide a definition. The game continues until each team member has pulled all the words from the bag. The judge records the team's time, including penalties; the second team then takes their turn. The team with the fastest time wins.
Vocabulary Bingo
The GRE verbal exam includes analogies and a section of synonyms. Practice word associations and synonyms with GRE vocabulary bingo. Create several bingo cards with different arrangements of GRE vocabulary synonyms. Write the corresponding vocabulary terms on individual slips of paper and place them in a large container. Distribute the cards to the participants. Pull one word from the container at a time; if the participants have the word's synonym on their bingo cards, they mark the spot by writing the vocabulary word in the box. Continue reading vocabulary terms until a player reaches five in a row. Check the score to determine if the player has correctly identified synonyms. Discuss any disputes with all the players.
Analogy Matching Game
Many test takers struggle with GRE analogies. Practice analogies with a simple matching game. Make a master list of several analogies; a sample GRE analogy is light bulb is to glass as roll is to dough. For each analogy, select one word pair to serve as the cards. Write one of the words in the pair on an index card and the other word on a separate index card. After writing out several pairs of cards, arrange them face up in a random order on a table or taped on a wall. To play the game, read the first half of the analogy to a player; for instance, you would recite glass is to light bulb. The player must look at all the cards on the table and select the corresponding cards to complete the analogy. Provide only a few options for beginners and gradually increase the number of available word cards. Another variation is to read the first part of the second word pair; for instance, read, "Glass is to light bulb as roll is to..." The player only needs to identify the last piece of the word pair. If a player selects the wrong word pair but provides a rationalization that makes sense, use your judgment to decide if the alternate solution is acceptable or not.
Tags: team member, word pair, light bulb, test takers, vocabulary terms, word from, bingo cards