Free Homeschool Vocabulary Lesson Plans: Basketball Terms

Vocabulary Recognition by Interactive Play and Written Word

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

Image (c) Lyn Lomasi; All Rights Reserved

My homeschooling philosophy always has been about being sure the kids learn, as well as have fun during the educational process. To keep the kids with an open mind to learning, I often mix their interests in with the lessons. If you've got a kid who loves basketball, but is not quite as into vocabulary as you'd like, try this free vocabulary lesson plan on beginning basketball terms. It works just as well on a child who does like vocabulary, but also likes basketball.

Objective

In this free homeschool lesson plan, the child will learn the definitions of popular basketball terms. The purpose of this lesson is to practice important language skills, as well as broaden the scope of learning with non-traditional vocabulary words. This also is a great lesson for kids who are interested in playing basketball, as it teaches them the terms they will need to now.

Summary

To teach this lesson, you will need a basketball and basket, paper and pencil, a print-out of this lesson, a separate printout of just the terms for the homeschool student. The terms can be crossed off as they are used. The child will be using a separate sheet of paper for each set of terms. To print only the terms from this article, first visit the print page by clicking on the print option icon. Next, highlight the terms, click "file," then "print," and then tick of "selection" and click "print" or "ok" in the print options box that pops up.

The child should read aloud the term and look up the definition. Have the child repeat the definition aloud. Next, you and the child can act out the term together, using the basketball. If you don't have a basketball net at home, try a nearby park or school playground and look up the terms in advance. For terms that are in reference to an object, rather than a part of game play, show the object.

The child should then study the terms on his or her own and be tested the following week. For fun, the test can include writing out the definition, as well as acting out the term where applicable. These terms should be broken up into groups of about 10 - 15 per week.

List of Beginning Basketball Terms

air ball, assist, backboard, backcourt, bangshot, basket, block, center, conversion, court, crossover, dribble, defense, double team, dribble, dunk, fake, field goal, floor, forward, foul, free-throw, frontcourt, guards, half-court, inbounds, jump ball, keyhole, layup, live ball, loose ball, match-ups, MVP, NBA, NCAA, offense, officials, open, out of bounds, outside shooting, OT (overtime), pass, period, possession, rebound, receiver, release, rookie, roster, shot clock, sidelines, slam dunk, three-point shot, throw-in, timeout, tip-off, transition, traveling, triple double, turnover, upset, violation, weakside

Mixing a child's interests, such as basketball, with education can create a receptive learning environment.

Extra Basketball Vocabulary Resources

Basketball Glossary from First Base Sports
Basketball Glossary from Basketball Plays and Tips


*I originally published a version of this via Yahoo Contributor Network