How do you get kids, especially younger ones, aware of the importance of word learning? Through stories, of course. And there's no better place to start than with Debra Frasier's award-winning classic Miss Alaineus: A Vocabulary Disaster.

In Miss Alaineus, elementary school student Sage makes a very public and very embarrassing blunder, mistaking the word miscellaneous for what she assumes is the name of a famous woman: Miss Alaineus. Humiliated, Sage finds a way to take control of her classmates' laughter by designing a Miss Alaineus costume for her school's vocabulary parade.

It's a charming story, but what makes the book special from a vocabulary-learning perspective is the way it lends itself so readily to several kinds of project-based learning. Teachers, here's how you can use it to make word learning come to life in your classroom, Miss Alaineus-style. (All resources are included in the book, except for our custom-made vocabulary list below.)

Plan a vocabulary parade for your school.

Miss Alaineus has inspired many schools to design their own vocabulary parades (including this one at William Maxwell Elementary in Tuscaloosa, TN). Frasier's website includes a free parade kit and lots of pictures of fantastic costumes her book has inspired.

Introduce gamified Miss Alaineus word learning.

For anyone looking to add gamified learning to the Miss Alaineus experience, try learning this free, interactive Miss Alaineus vocabulary list.

Words from "Miss Alaineus, A Vocabulary Disaster" by Debra Frasier

We annotated our list with Frasier's simple definitions and sentence examples drawn straight from her story. The list is interactive. Kids can learn the words on it using Vocabulary.com. 

Complete the Miss Alaineus word search.

The book's front and end pages serve as word search game using bolded words presented in the text.

Replicate Sage's extra credit alphabet vocabulary assignment.

Frasier includes a write-up of the assignment and models it in a parallel, vocab-focused, annotated telling of the story. 

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