4 Corners Vocabulary Charts (FCVCs) are explored as a multipurpose vehicle for processing academic language in a 5th-grade
classroom. FCVCs typically display a vocabulary word, an illustration of the word, synonyms associated with the word, a sentence using a given vocabulary word, and a definition of the term
in students’ words. The use of personal dictionary entries in the
form of FCVCs created on 3-by-5–inch index cards allowed for
the implementation of 4 key classroom activities—namely, a “fill
in the square” review activity and 3 games: Heads Up, a modified
version of Connect 4, and Bingo. FCVCs are identified as optimal
tools for the instruction of English learners because of the high
level of vocabulary processing required for their creation and
their functionality as key elements of engaging vocabulary games.