Teach How to Use a Thesaurus

Teaching kids how to use a thesaurus is an excellent way to improve their writing skills. A thesaurus is a reference tool that helps students find synonyms and antonyms for words, allowing them to expand their vocabulary and express their ideas more precisely. Here are some tips on how to teach kids to use a thesaurus to improve their writing:

1. Introduce the Thesaurus – Begin by explaining what a thesaurus is and how it can be used to improve writing.
2. Show Examples – Show students how to use both printed and online thesauruses.
3. Discuss Synonyms and Antonyms: – Explain the difference between synonyms (words with similar meanings) and antonyms (words with opposite meanings).
4. Find Synonyms – Provide students with a list of words and ask them to use the thesaurus to find synonyms. Have them practise using the new words in sentences.
5. Find Antonyms – Similarly, provide students with a list of words and ask them to find antonyms using the thesaurus. Encourage them to use the antonyms in sentences as well.

Using a Thesaurus Poster and Worksheets

This resource consists of two parts. We have included:

1. Thesaurus Anchor Charts – This is a printable poster or reference guide for your students to use when determining the purpose of the different parts of a thesaurus entry. Parts noted are guide words, entry words, abbreviations, parts of speech and synonyms.
2. Differentiated Thesaurus Worksheets – These require students to locate specific words in a thesaurus and complete related activities. We’ve included options for low, middle and upper-level vocabulary terms.

Download Your Thesaurus Poster and Worksheets

Use the drop-down menu to choose the file you prefer. We’ve also included multiple files for your convenience:

1. Thesaurus Posters PDF (Colour and Low Colour)
2. Thesaurus Poster and Worksheets PDF (Black and White)
3. Worksheets Google Slides

More Synonyms Resources for Your Students

Here are more resources created by our experienced team to use when teaching synonyms to your students.

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