This activity enables children ages 5-8 to increase vocabulary, and to develop the skill of using simple definitions to describe objects in the categories of occupations, nature, and places. The definitions were developed to match the kind of wording typically used in an academic setting. Sentence structures contain embedded phrases to facilitate use of complex sentence structures in a predictable format for multiple practice trials.

The cards should be printed back to back to resemble cards used in a game. Laminate and cut out on the lines.

Choose the words and definitions you want the student(s) to practice. Lay out the cards with the pictures and text face down. Two cards are turned over. The pictures are labeled by the student(s) and the definition is read by the adult or the student. If they match, the student uses a sentence to define or describe the picture, then keeps the cards. If they do not match, the cards are turned back over, and the next student takes a turn. When all the cards are gone, the student with the most cards wins.

Define & Describe Memory by Kathy Grover is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.