The note
How schools teach it now
'Synonym' (a word with the same or similar meaning) and 'antonym' (opposite) are Year 6 terms. Teachers stress 'closest' meaning: few words mean exactly the same, so children compare shades of meaning, such as warm, hot and scorching.
5-minute kitchen-table activity
Pick a word from a cereal box or advert, like 'delicious' or 'huge'. Race to list three synonyms each in a minute, then line them up from weakest to strongest (big, huge, enormous). Talk about which one the advert writer would choose, and why.
Worked example
Which word is closest in meaning to 'famished' in this sentence? The explorers were famished after their long trek. (hungry, tired, full, lost, angry)
- Read the whole sentence: they have walked a long way.
- 'Famished' means extremely hungry.
- 'full' is the opposite, a common trap; 'tired' fits the trek but not the word.
Answer: hungry
Common mistakes to watch for
- Picking the opposite, which is often included as a trap.
- Choosing a word that fits the situation rather than the word's meaning.
- Not trying the chosen option in place of the bold word.
Encouragement
- Try saying
- “Swap your word into the sentence. Does it still mean the same?”
- Rather than
- “You should know what that word means by now.”