Teaching children ‘wide synonyms’ with stories and free resources

Study Zone Institute January 10, 2024 Free Resources

Teaching children how to express themselves through language is one of the most valuable gifts an educator or parent can provide. When a child begins to write stories, they often rely on a limited set of familiar words to describe the world around them. One such word that frequently appears in student writing is wide. While it is a perfectly functional word, overusing it can make a story feel repetitive and flat. By introducing synonyms for wide, we help children paint more vivid pictures in the minds of their readers. This article introduces a unique storytelling method to make vocabulary lessons stick, provides free resources and practical examples for the word wide, explores the importance of teaching synonyms, and much more.

10 Wide synonyms

broad
roomy
ample
outspread
spacious
sweeping
loose
extensive
inclusive

Adding these wide synonyms to your vocabulary helps you to speak articulately and express yourself impressively in writing. Start learning wide synonyms now.

Using Synonym Stories to enhance learning

One of the most effective ways to teach vocabulary is through the context of a narrative. This is where the book Synonym Stories: Words Belong Together from the Study Zone Big Kid Books series, becomes an essential tool for parents and educators. Traditional methods of teaching vocabulary often involve isolated word lists which can be difficult for children to remember. This book takes a different approach by pooling synonyms together within short, engaging stories.

Each chapter of Synonym Stories is flooded with words that have similar meanings. Instead of seeing the word wide once in a list, a child might read a story about a journey across a vast canyon, a broad river, and an expansive plain. By seeing these words grouped together in a meaningful sequence, the reader begins to understand the relationship between the words. They see how the synonyms are interchangeable in some contexts but unique in others. This immersion technique allows children to expand their vocabulary quickly because the words are tied to characters, actions, and imagery.

Synonym Stories: Words Belong Together - stop using boring words and start being expressive.

How to teach with Synonym Stories

When using Synonym Stories in the classroom or at home, start by reading a chapter aloud. Ask the children to listen for words that mean the same thing as wide. After the story is finished, have a discussion about why the author might have chosen vast instead of wide for a particular sentence.

Teachers can also encourage students to write their own short paragraphs using at least three synonyms found in the chapter. For example, if the story is about a giant, the student could write about the giant’s broad feet, his spacious cave, and the vast forest where he lives. This active application of the new words ensures that the vocabulary moves from the child’s passive memory into their active usage.

Classroom activities for the word wide

Beyond reading stories, hands-on activities can reinforce the concept of synonyms. One simple activity is the word ladder. Start with the word wide at the bottom of the ladder and have students write increasingly intense synonyms as they move up the rungs. Broad might be on the first rung, while vast or infinite might be at the very top.

Another effective method is the visual replacement game. Show the students a picture of a very large space, such as the Grand Canyon. Ask them to describe it without using the word wide. As they suggest words like gaping, immense, or boundless, write them on the board. This helps students visualise the connection between the image and the sophisticated vocabulary they are learning.

Free resources for teachers and parents

To support the learning process, we are offering a free poster and a worksheet designed specifically for the word wide and its synonyms. These resources provide a visual and practical way for children to practise what they have learned.

Wide synonyms poster

The free poster is a visual aid that can be hung in a classroom or a study area at home. It features the word wide at top with its most common synonyms like broad, vast, and spacious below. Having this visual reminder helps children remember to reach for a more descriptive word when they are stuck during a writing assignment.

Wide synonyms worksheet

The free worksheet contains an exercise that challenge students to write the synonyms that they have learned on the poster. A teacher or parent can give them a short creative writing prompt that encourages them to use the synonyms they have discovered. By completing the worksheet, students solidify their understanding and gain experience in choosing the right word for the right situation. These tools are designed to be simple, clear, and easy to use for children of all ages.

Examples of wide in sentences for students

To help children understand how to use the word wide and its synonyms, it is helpful to provide clear examples. Teachers and parents can use these sentences to demonstrate how a simple change in word choice transforms a sentence.

The front door of the old house was very wide to allow for large furniture. In this case, wide describes a physical measurement.

The view from the top of the mountain was so wide that we could see three different states. Here, wide suggests a panoramic perspective.

He opened his eyes wide when he saw the surprise birthday cake on the table. This uses the word to describe an emotional reaction.

The library offers a wide range of books for people who love mystery stories. In this sentence, wide refers to a large variety rather than a physical distance.

Introducing synonyms for wide

Once a child is comfortable with the primary meaning of the word, you can introduce synonyms. Each of these words carries a specific flavor that can enhance a student’s writing.

Broad is often used to describe physical surfaces or general ideas. You might talk about the broad shoulders of an athlete or the broad daylight of a sunny afternoon.

Vast is a powerful synonym that implies an immense or almost limitless space. It is perfect for describing deserts, oceans, or outer space. A vast desert sounds much more intimidating than a wide desert.

Expansive suggests something that is spreading out over a large area. It is a great word for describing landscapes or even someone’s friendly personality.

Spacious is the ideal word when talking about interiors. A room is rarely described as wide if you want to say it has plenty of room to move around. Instead, you would call it a spacious living room.

Extensive is often used when discussing the scale or amount of something. A student might have an extensive collection of trading cards or a scientist might perform extensive research.

Why teaching synonyms matters at any age

Vocabulary development is not just about memorising lists of words for a test. It is about building a bridge between a child’s internal thoughts and their ability to communicate those thoughts to others. Synonyms are words that have the same or very similar meanings. When a child learns that one idea can be expressed in multiple ways, their cognitive flexibility increases.

For younger children, learning synonyms helps them understand the nuances of language. They begin to see that while two words might mean the same thing, they carry different weights or emotions. For older students, a diverse vocabulary is essential for academic success and creative writing. It allows them to avoid redundancy and choose the precise word that fits a specific context. Whether a child is five or fifteen, expanding their synonym bank improves their reading comprehension and gives them the confidence to speak and write with authority.

‘Synonym Stories: Words Belong Together’ – the best way to build a big vocabulary

The versatility of the word wide

The word wide is a foundational adjective in the English language. It describes physical distance from side to side, but it also describes abstract concepts like variety or scale. Because it is so common, it is the perfect candidate for a vocabulary makeover. In a typical classroom setting, a student might write a sentence like the river was wide or the man had a wide smile. While these are correct, they lack the descriptive power needed to engage a reader.

By teaching synonyms for wide, we teach children to look closer at what they are describing. Is the space vast like an ocean? Is it broad like the shoulders of a giant? Is it expansive like a field of sunflowers? Each synonym offers a slightly different visual. When a student chooses a synonym, they are making a conscious decision about the tone of their story.

The role of parents in vocabulary building

Parents play a crucial role in a child’s language development. You do not need to be a professional teacher to help your child expand their vocabulary. Simply incorporating synonyms into your daily conversations can make a big difference. If your child comments on a wide park, you can respond by saying, yes, it is a very expansive green space, isn’t it?

Reading together is also vital. When you come across the word wide in a picture book or a novel, stop and ask your child if they know another word that could fit there. This habit of analysing language makes children more mindful of their own word choices. Using the Synonym Stories book as a bedtime reading routine can turn a simple story into a powerful learning experience that feels like fun rather than work.

Integrating synonyms into story writing

The ultimate goal of teaching synonyms is to improve a student’s ability to tell a story. In creative writing, the goal is to show rather than just tell. Using specific synonyms is a shortcut to better storytelling.

Instead of writing, the ocean was wide, a student could write, the vast blue horizon stretched out forever. The second sentence is much more evocative. It gives the reader a sense of the scale and the colour of the scene. When children learn that they have a variety of words at their disposal, they stop viewing writing as a chore and start viewing it as a way to build a world. They learn that their words have power and that choosing the right one can make their story stand out.

Conclusion

Teaching synonyms is an essential part of language arts that benefits children in every stage of their education. By focusing on a common word like wide, we provide a clear entry point into the world of descriptive language. Through the use of example sentences, interactive activities, and the immersive storytelling found in Synonym Stories: Words Belong Together, children can quickly and easily expand their vocabulary.

The transition from using simple words to more complex synonyms marks a significant milestone in a child’s academic journey. It represents a deeper understanding of communication and a greater command over the English language. With the help of our free poster and worksheet, parents and teachers can provide the support students need to become expressive and confident writers. Language is a vast and wonderful landscape, and teaching children the right words to describe it is the first step in helping them explore it.

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Teaching children ‘wide synonyms’ with stories and free resources

10 Wide synonyms

Using Synonym Stories to enhance learning

How to teach with Synonym Stories

Classroom activities for the word wide

Free resources for teachers and parents

Examples of wide in sentences for students

Introducing synonyms for wide

Why teaching synonyms matters at any age

The versatility of the word wide

The role of parents in vocabulary building

Integrating synonyms into story writing

Conclusion

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