Key Information
Focus
When To Use This Strategy
Appropriate Group Size
Why use word hunts?
- It helps to enhance students’ vocabulary growth.
- It teaches students to focus on spelling patterns and root words.
- It helps students learn how words are used in different contexts.
How to use a word hunt
- Introduce the book or topic to be read and provide students with written material (i.e., newspapers, magazines, dictionaries, books, and/or news articles on the Internet).
- Model word hunting by using a portion of text copied onto chart paper, overhead transparencies, or a familiar book
- Ask the students to read and reread a text to find words that fit a particular pattern.
Collect resources
Language Arts
Have students use the book The Cat in the Hat or another Dr. Seuss book to find all the words that end with a particular vowel pattern word.
Math
Have students hunt for number words within assigned word problems and write them down on a dry erase board.
Science
Word hunts can be used as students study a topic such as animal habitats. Write out different habitats across the top of the board. Students can search the text to find the names of animals that correspond to each habitat. Ask students to work together to write them on the board.
Social Studies
Ask students to use the word hunt strategy to find target vocabulary words from their social studies reading and use them to write short sentences in a journal.
Differentiated instruction
For second language learners, students of varying reading skill, and younger learners
- Have students write down words they find that fit the desired patterns in journals or on charts.
- Ask student to form small groups and read the words they find aloud.
- Have students check to see what new words they can add to their journals or charts.
- Ask students to find words that they can group together in categories.
- Record the words on chart paper for a whole-class display.
See the research that supports this strategy
Barger, J. (2006). Building word consciousness. The Reading Teacher. 60(3), 279-281.
Bear, D. R., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., Johnston, F. (2004). Words their way: Word study for phonics, vocabulary, and spelling instruction. (3rd ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.