Words are, in my not-so humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. – Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows
Let’s face it, gifted kids and high flyers love big vocabulary words. They’re natural sesquipedalians (yep, that’s a big word lover!) in the best way possible. Whether they’re cracking up over lollygag, proudly declaring themselves perspicacious, or wondering if gobbledygook is an actual language, one thing’s clear: big, unusual, and funny-sounding words cast a unique kind of magic over curious young minds.
As a teacher of gifted and high-ability students, I’ve seen it firsthand. There’s a natural fascination with words that tickle the tongue, dazzle the ear, or sound just plain silly. When we harness students’ fascination with language, we’re not just entertaining, we’re growing thinkers, readers, and writers. And here’s the best part: this love of language is more than cute. It’s an open door to deep vocabulary development, stronger thinking skills, and joyful learning.
So many vocab routines feel dry. Word lists. Definitions. Quizzes. Rinse and repeat. But what if vocabulary could feel… electric? When we introduce kids to playful, powerful, and peculiar words in fun, engaging ways, something shifts.
In this blog post, we will explore the reasons behind children’s love for big, funny-sounding, and unusual words. We’ll also explore practical strategies for teachers to integrate these complex words into their curriculum and enrich vocabulary development for their students. By introducing our kiddos to big, interesting, and funny words, we can nurture their linguistic growth and instill in them a lifelong love for language.
Why Kids Love Big Vocabulary Words (And You Should Too)
Words like gobbledygook, pulchritudinous, and obfuscate light up a child’s imagination. Why?
They’re Novel and Unexpected
Kids are wired for novelty, and big words feel like mini discoveries. Words like blatherskite or collywobbles break the mold of everyday vocabulary.
They’re Fun To Say
Try saying sesquipedalian three times fast. Better yet, have your students try it. It’s a workout! Gifted kids love the rhythm, sound, and challenge of big vocabulary words, which are like verbal acrobatics. They delight in tongue-twisters, rhymes, and alliteration. Words with unusual sound patterns feel fun to say, and that phonetic play boosts oral language development.
They Make Kids Feel Smart
There’s a confidence boost that comes with mastering “big kid” words. Gifted kids often enjoy feeling clever, and pulling out a big vocabulary word in conversation lights them up.
Your understanding of what you read and hear is, to a very large degree, determined by you vocabulary, so improve your vocabulary daily – Zig Ziglar
Why Big Vocabulary Words Belong in Every Classroom
Integrating big, funny-sounding, and unusual words into your lessons isn’t just entertaining; it’s effective. Here’s why.
They Fuel Creativity and Storytelling
These words aren’t just about definition; they open up new imaginative ways of thinking and writing. The more unusual the word, the more creative the student response.
They Grow Vocabularies
Big vocabulary words often pack big meaning. When students learn expressive, precise, or nuanced vocabulary, they build a more comprehensive toolkit for effective communication. These new words help them say what they mean more clearly and impressively!
Big Vocabulary Words Are Just Plain Fun
Let’s not underestimate the role of humor. Big vocabulary words that make kids laugh stick in their memory, and they come back for more. Words like flibbertigibbet, fussbucket, or hornswoggle are just plain funny! The sound, rhythm, or sheer goofiness of a word adds playfulness to language learning, making it memorable and enjoyable.
Want a Fun, Print-and-Go Way to Reinforce Vocabulary?
Grab your FREE poster set: 9 Strategies to Help Kids Remember New Words. This printable set includes:
- 9 individual strategy posters (in color + B&W)
- 1 summary poster with all strategies
- Perfect for word walls, notebooks, or centers!
Strategies for Teaching Big Vocabulary Words in a Fun, Deep Way
Here are some ways to create a vocabulary-rich classroom environment that engages and challenges kids.
Picture Books Make Big Vocabulary Words Come Alive
One of the easiest—and most joyful—ways to teach big vocabulary words is through read-alouds. Picture books that celebrate language not only build background knowledge, but they also give students context and emotion around words, making them more memorable.
Here are some of my absolute favorite picture books for teaching vocabulary:
Miss Alaineus: A Vocabulary Disaster by Debra Frasier
A hilarious (and relatable!) story about a vocabulary misunderstanding that turns into a school-wide celebration of words. Perfect for launching your own Vocabulary Parade or creative word project.
The Weighty Word Book & Weighty Words Too by Paul Levitt
These books use clever short stories to define big vocabulary words in a way that actually sticks. Each story illustrates the word and helps students guess the meaning through narrative clues. So smart. So fun.
Max’s Words by Kate Banks
This one is a beautiful introduction to word collecting and story-building. Max doesn’t collect stamps or coins; he collects words, particularly big vocabulary words! It’s a powerful way to show students that vocabulary can be personal, creative, and empowering.
The Word Collector by Peter H. Reynolds
You can’t go wrong with a Peter Reynolds book, and this one is a celebration of finding, loving, and sharing new words. It’s a classroom staple and a wonderful conversation starter about what makes a word worth collecting.
The Boy Who Loved Words by Roni Schotter
If you teach gifted learners or language lovers, this book gets them. It’s about a boy who literally collects big vocabulary words he hears throughout the day and finds ways to use them for good. A gentle, inspiring read for word nerds of all ages.
How to Bring Big Vocabulary Words Into Your Classroom With Weighty Words: A Vocabulary Adventure.
A Picture’s Worth 1000 Words
This Weighty Words unit is designed to spark curiosity and take kids far beyond basic vocabulary drills. Today’s students are highly visual learners, which is why the 75 illustrated posters at the heart of this resource are so powerful. They’re not just wall decor, they’re memory tools.
Simply offering a definition and a sentence isn’t enough to help students truly understand and retain a big vocabulary word. We want kids to own these words—to use them confidently in conversation, writing, and thinking. That’s why each poster includes a kid-friendly definition, a vivid example sentence, and a captivating full-color illustration that brings the word to life and makes it stick.
Whether you have a budding logophile (a lover of words) or a proud sesquipedalian (someone who enjoys using big vocabulary words), this resource makes even the most formidable words feel fun, memorable, and exciting.
Plus, in a world of screens and short attention spans, we know that kids today are highly visual learners. That’s why each vocabulary poster includes a carefully chosen, engaging illustration that brings the meaning of the word to life. These aren’t just word posters; they’re mini anchor charts that help students make lasting mental connections through visuals and context.
For each of the 75 words, you get a full page poster in both color and black and white, a 1/4 page poster in both color and black and white, and a word map.
Go Deeper with Graphic Organizers That Build Conceptual Understanding
Most vocabulary organizers are pretty predictable: write the word, define it, use it in a sentence, maybe sketch a quick picture. That’s a start, but it barely scratches the surface of what students can do when we push them to think more deeply.
That’s why each word in the Weighty Words unit comes with its own flexible, thoughtfully designed organizer that stretches student thinking far beyond surface-level work.
Each word map includes:
- A phonetic spelling of the word
- A place to identify the Part of speech, and supply a synonym and an antonym for the word
- A student-created sentence
- A critical thinking prompt that asks students to consider how the word applies in real-world reading, writing, or speaking
- A personal memory trick, where students reflect on how they learn best and choose a way to remember the word
- An original analogy, which asks them to make a meaningful connection using the word
Why analogies?
Here’s where the magic happens. When a student completes an analogy like:
“”ulchritudinous is to butterfly as _______ is to _______,””
They’re doing far more than just memorizing. They are demonstrating true conceptual understanding by categorizing ideas, recognizing patterns, and identifying relationships in language. That’s advanced cognition in action.
And what about memory strategies?
Most vocabulary worksheets ask kids to draw a picture, but that’s just one way to make a word stick. In this unit, students use the How to Remember a Word poster as a menu of nine strategies to help them remember a word. They might:
- Create a silly sentence
- Act it out
- Use word parts
- Sketch it
- Find a rhyme
- Or connect it to something personal
- Group the work with similar words
- Create an opposite clue to remember the word
- Make a connection to how the word sounds
The goal is to foster metacognitive awareness and give students ownership over how they learn best. These aren’t your average word maps; they’re thinking tools. And they’re designed to help students move from recognizing a word… to remembering it… to using it with confidence.
Why It All Matters
When we invite kids into the wonderful world of big vocabulary words, we’re not just teaching definitions—we’re helping them see language as a playground. And that curiosity? It becomes the engine for academic growth, self-expression, and lifelong learning.
Teaching vocabulary doesn’t have to feel like another checkbox. When we tap into kids’ natural love for wacky, wild, and wonderful words, we’re opening the door to:
✔️ Greater expressive power
✔️ Stronger reading and writing
✔️ Confidence and pride
✔️ Higher-level thinking
✔️ A lifelong love of language
So go ahead: toss out a few tongue-twisters, celebrate an ulchritudinous idea, or let your students debate the meaning of gobbledygook. Because when vocabulary feels magical, kids lean in, and learning takes off.
Want to Get Started?
Boost your students’ vocabulary with this engaging and flexible resource featuring 75 advanced, unusual, and fun-to-say vocabulary words — perfect for upper elementary learners in grades 3–5! Whether you’re implementing a Word of the Day or Word of the Week routine, this set has everything you need to enrich your ELA instruction and spark excitement around language.
And as a freebie to get you started, you can download my How I’ll Remember This Word Strategy Posters. They’re perfect for helping students take charge of their learning.
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