Vocabulary Development

The words in these lists are the focus of vocabulary development throughout this theme's oral language, listening comprehension, and small-group activities. The list includes a wide variety of academic and content area words as well as everyday conversational words that children add to their vocabularies through interactions with families, teachers, and peers.

Theme Vocabulary

Core Words

  • across
  • build/built
  • builder(s)
  • construct
  • construction
  • hammer
  • hammers (v.)
  • machine
  • make
  • material(s)
  • over
  • rolls (v.)
  • saws (v.)
  • tool(s)
  • under
  • wood

Basic Words

  • apartment
  • bridge
  • dig
  • door(s)
  • dumps
  • house(s)
  • road
  • roof
  • scissors
  • windows

Challenge Words

  • brick(s)
  • clear (v.)
  • concrete
  • excavator
  • ices
  • leather
  • repair
  • skyscraper
  • spatula
  • under construction

Story/Poetry Vocabulary

  • buttons (v.)
  • carves
  • measure(s)
  • needle
  • raise
  • shoemaker
  • stack
  • strong
  • stream
  • woods

Basic Words

  • clocks
  • floors
  • glues
  • hangs
  • home(s)
  • nest
  • pigs

Challenge Words

  • judges
  • just in the nick of time
  • levels
  • pours
  • price
  • tattered
  • quick as a wink
  • twice the price

Math Vocabulary

Measurement Words

  • big, bigger, biggest
  • long, longer, longest
  • short, shorter, shortest
  • small, smaller, smallest
  • tall, taller, tallest
  • area
  • part
  • whole

Order Words

  • after
  • before
  • first
  • last
  • next
  • second
  • third

Science Vocabulary

Oral Language Card 36

  • build
  • construction
  • machine
  • make
  • tool

Oral Language Card 37

  • hammer
  • handsaw
  • measure
  • shovel
  • tape measure
  • tool
  • wheelbarrow

Oral Language Card 40

  • build
  • material
  • nest

Oral Language Card 41

  • machine
  • pulley
  • ramp
  • wheel

Social Studies Vocabulary

Oral Language Card 38

  • hammer
  • saw
  • screwdriver
  • tool
  • wrench

Oral Language Card 39

  • boat
  • bridge
  • car
  • over
  • under

Oral Language Card 42

  • bedroom
  • dining room
  • kitchen
  • living room
  • room
Core Words
Teach and reinforce these words with all children.
Basic Words
Three-year-olds, English language learners, and children with limited vocabulary experience may need reinforcement of these words.
Challenge Words
Introduce these words as children's interests indicate.