Want to guarantee that students are learning rich vocabulary all day, everyday--and, by doing this, improving their reading and writing? In this lively, research-based book, based on successful classroom practice, the authors offer dozens of strategies, mini-lessons, units , and activities that increase students' exposure to and appreciation of sophisticated language. A sampling of the vocabulary-focused strategies and tools include: * Using daily read alouds and think alouds during shared reading to gather powerful language from literature * Organizing literature circles with one student serving as the "word hunter” * Engaging in whole class and small group lively games such as gift of words bingo and ricochet * Using mentor texts as models for writing class books * Appointing all students to be "word catchers” and "word coaches” for each other * Establishing a classroom community where it is considered normal to ask about word meanings and experimenting with language * Collecting and displaying words in the "Bank of Powerful Language” * Offering rubrics for word learning assessment In addition, the authors offer lively ways to enhance word consciousness by linking reading and writing through step-by-step units on poetry, memoir, stories, and research writing. For use with Grades 4-8.