1-page, Section-by-Section Vocabulary Printables

The structural and moral spine of this section--Mr. Browne's precepts, including 'choose kind.' The text defines it directly and it carries strong Tier 2 value; essential for a target-grade student to follow what the class is doing.

A true idiom defined word-for-word in the text (August Googled it) and woven through the section as Dad's fear and a chapter title. Rich, self-teaching, and genuinely puzzling to a target-grade student; one of the strongest items here.

August defines this word himself ('a word I just learned') and models it in a sentence, so the excerpt does the teaching. Strong Tier 2 value and genuinely unfamiliar to most target-grade students; an ideal self-glossing quiz word.

A meaningful abstract Tier-2 word in August's reflective essay; the surrounding lines ('the things we do outlast our mortality') make the sense clear. Worth real learning for a target-grade student and likely to recur in academic reading.

The clinical word the doctors use for August's differences--uncommon and valuable in academic reading, and the context ('something wrong... small anomalies') supports it. A strong quiz word despite, really because of, its medical setting.

Comprehension-central: Julian's Darth Sidious taunt turns on this word, and missing it means missing the section's cruelest moment. The excerpt makes the meaning plain. Many will know the word, but its role here earns the slot.

A vivid Tier-2 word for extreme fear a target-grade student will use; the excerpt drops them right into August's shoes on his terrifying first day of school. A memorable, emotionally resonant image that easily earns its slot.

A high-value Tier-2 word a target-grade student meets often; Julian's tone models it clearly and opens up the idea of voice--how a speaker can mean the opposite of what they say. Good nuance to explore beyond the bare definition.

A strong, useful Tier-2 word a target-grade student will actually use; Julian's behavior in the scene gives 'obnoxious' a clear, memorable referent. Solid difficulty and everyday academic value make it an easy keep.

Common as a health word, but the figurative turn--'like my face was contagious'--carries real feeling and teaches the word's reach beyond disease. Strong Tier 2 value and a vivid excerpt; 'germ they could catch' makes the meaning plain.

monument: Strong Tier 2 value and a memorable October-precept passage, but the figurative sense is fairly accessible; just edged out by harder words.

ditch: Comprehension-important--the betrayal that pivots Part One--but a common word with little academic value; kept as a close call.

unsuspecting: A solid, balanced Tier-2 word, but without the comprehension weight or excerpt strength of the chosen ten.

extraordinary: Nice 'ordinary/extraordinary' contrast, but well known to most target-grade students and overlapping the 'ordinary' helper.

the apple doesn't fall far from the tree: A rich proverb the text flags as puzzling, but narrow academic value and a slighter moment than the chosen idiom.

prehistoric: Vivid craft in 'prehistoric swamp thing,' but low comprehension stakes and a fairly familiar word; surfaced as a close call.

hysterical: Useful Tier-2 word with two senses here, but lower comprehension importance and a less essential moment than the picks.

hindsight: An uncommon, useful Tier-2 word, but a very short excerpt with little context and low stakes for following the scene.

The iconic opening of Via's narrative—her family as a solar system orbiting August. A slightly elevated word a target-grade student can stretch to, carried by a memorable image; the excerpt doubles as a vivid review of a pivotal passage.

Central to the genetics chapters that explain August's face; a target-grade student cannot follow the inheritance discussion without it. Rare and genuinely difficult, with solid Tier 2 value in science reading.

A pervasive Tier 2 word a target-grade student meets often in academic reading. The excerpt teaches the Meaning plainly—eye sockets too shallow to hold the eyes—making an abstract word concrete.

Key comprehension word for the book's explanation of how August's condition arose; the genetics chapter turns on inherited 'mutations.' Strong Tier 2 science value with clear context.

High-value Tier 2 adverb; Auggie carefully getting every hair in place makes the careful, detail-by-detail Meaning concrete and poignant for a target-grade student.

Strong Tier 2 word in a vivid figurative use—'the catastrophe of his face'—during an emotionally charged moment of Via's reflection; the excerpt teaches both the literal and figurative senses.

Strong Tier 2 word for selfless, admirable behavior. Via's insistence that she isn't being 'noble' actually highlights her quiet self-sacrifice, giving a target-grade student a thematic, memorable context.

Strong Tier 2 descriptive word; Via's 'exotic mix' of a Russian-Polish-Brazilian family gives a target-grade student a vivid, positive use—far-flung and colorful rather than merely strange.

Strong Tier 2 emotion word; Dad's open frustration with Mom's worrying gives a target-grade student a clear, relatable context for the out-of-patience Meaning.

Useful Tier 2 verb meaning to judge or estimate from clues; the excerpt—Via reading Auggie's face for his moods—shows the Meaning in action, and the word recurs across academic reading.

vividly: Strong Tier 2 word with a vivid excerpt; edged out by words carrying more comprehension weight.

immerses: Solid Tier 2 word for becoming fully absorbed; just below the line behind higher-comprehension picks.

indifferently: Solid Tier 2 manner word; Via's flat 'I know, I know' models it, but it narrowly missed.

crumpling: Vivid high-craft image of Mom's grief; strong excerpt but narrower Tier 2 reach than the picks.

disproportionately: Useful academic word built on 'proportion,' but limited connotation kept it just under the line.

pored over: Idiom worth teaching—literal 'pour' could mislead—but narrower value than the selected words.

quivered: Emotional craft moment, but lower Tier 2 value and comprehension weight than the chosen words.

flabbergasted: Vivid 'shocked speechless,' but the context nearly gives the meaning and its Tier 2 reach is narrow.

The book's central virtue, named outright when Mr. Tushman lists what he hoped August's classmates would learn. A pervasive Tier 2 word in a memorable, thematically pivotal excerpt, rich enough that a target-grade student gains real depth. The strongest teaching word in the section.

A high-value Tier 2 word at the heart of the kitchen scene, where Mom scolds the boys and Jamie even asks 'What's sympathetic?' so the text teaches it for you. Strong excerpt, clear emotional stakes, and a word students meet often in academic reading.

Rich, somewhat uncommon Tier 2 word from the parent's letter ('young, impressionable minds'). Carries real connotation worth exploring and will recur in academic reading; most target-grade students won't yet command it. A strong, grade-appropriate pick.

Strong Tier 2 word that lands on Jack's own arc: he calls himself a hypocrite for judging others, then admits he avoided August. Good comprehension value and a word students meet across reading; the chapter illustrates the meaning cleanly.

Formal, genuinely rare Tier 2 word ('the same stringent application standards') few target-grade students will know. High difficulty plus real academic reach make it worth a slot, even though the excerpt is a workmanlike line from the complaint letter.

Admitted on the old-quiz second look: a strong, formal academic word meaning 'justified.' In the admission-debate letters ('extreme measures aren't warranted here'), few target-grade students will know this verb sense, and it recurs across argumentative reading. Earns a slot over the more transparent 'confrontation.'

Solid academic Tier 2 word; Mr. Tushman admits a 'slight break in protocol,' a departure from normal procedure. Uncommon enough to teach and likely to recur in students' reading; the excerpt makes the proper-procedure sense clear.

Useful academic Tier 2 phrase ('In retrospect') that names the move of looking back and reconsidering, a thinking skill worth its own slot. Uncommon for a target-grade student and frequent in later academic writing; clear if slightly plain excerpt.

Figurative Tier 2 word teaching a spatial-to-social metaphor: 'on the fringe of popularity.' Rich connotation, notable craft, and an uncommon sense for a target-grade student. Stronger than the field's plainer common words.

Vivid Tier 2 verb in a memorable excerpt: the sister 'glaring at me like she was going to kill me,' where the simile makes the fierce, angry staring unmistakable. Strong excerpt and notable craft earn it the slot over flatter common words.

confrontation: Solid Tier 2 word with clear comprehension value: Mr. Tushman senses what 'sparked the confrontation with Julian,' the fight. Recurs in academic reading; chosen over 'flattering' for its slightly higher stakes in following the story.

flattering: Useful Tier 2 word, but a common-enough meaning; edged out by 'confrontation' for the last quiz slot.

expelled: High comprehension value (the expulsion threat drives the detention scene), but most students already know it.

enlisted: Nice figurative sense (recruited, not military), but moderate Tier 2 reach kept it just below the line.

inkling: Uncommon, vivid word for a faint idea; lost out to higher-value Tier 2 academic words.

shepherd: Good figurative verb (to guide), but its everyday Tier 2 value sits below the section's stronger picks.

neutral: Handy academic word ('staying neutral'), but well-known enough that there is less to teach.

hysterically: Vivid adverb at the section's warm ending, but limited Tier 2 reach left it short of a slot.

kinetic: Rare science term Jack singles out, but a weak excerpt and low comprehension importance kept it out.

A rich, genuinely uncommon word few target-grade students will know, and the list 'moody and taciturn and secretive' gives strong context. The strongest teaching word in the section—high academic value and a memorable, character-revealing line.

Teaches the older 'punishment' sense, meaningfully different from the everyday grammar sense that also appears here. 'What did that little kid ever do to deserve his sentence?' is a strong, thematically central line; the double meaning rewards a close look.

Important for comprehension—August's 'syndrome' is the condition behind the whole book—and a useful academic word students meet in science reading. Defined gently in context without giving everything away; strong vocabulary-growth value.

A strong, genuinely uncommon Tier 2 word; 'her room is immaculate' makes the spotless, tidy meaning clear. High academic value and real difficulty, so most target-grade students have something to learn here.

A vivid, uncommon Tier 2 word; 'already manic about the whole thing' captures the frantic, over-the-top energy. Genuine difficulty and broad academic usefulness make it a strong quiz word.

Anchors the section's central metaphor—'doesn't that make the universe a giant lottery?'—the heart of Justin's reflection on luck and fate. The word is familiar, but the figurative use carries real comprehension and discussion value.

Central to this section (a chapter is named for it) and to comprehension—August keeps asking what it means. The text defines it, so context gives some away, but the recurring motif and importance to the story earn the slot.

A useful drama and academic word many target-grade students won't know precisely; 'long monologues where it's just me talking' shows the one-person-speech meaning. Solid difficulty and vocabulary-growth value despite the in-text hint.

A solid, genuinely uncommon academic word with broad usefulness; 'everybody else's artifact' at the science fair shows the made-object meaning. The excerpt is incidental, but the vocabulary-growth value carries it onto the quiz.

A memorable idiom worth teaching—the literal grapevine would mislead—and good practice with figurative language. 'Heard through the grapevine' means learned by rumor; clear and uncommon enough to earn a slot.

overprotective: Thematically central and recurring with a memorable excerpt, but the word itself is easy to decode and teaches little new vocabulary.

fragile: Strong, thematically peak excerpt and a useful word, but common enough that most target-grade students already know it.

interject: A strong academic verb that would make a fine quiz word, but its excerpt is incidental and weak—edged out by stronger passages.

recite: A useful academic verb, but plain in usage here and a bit easier than the words chosen ahead of it.

neutral: Strong Tier 2 value, but used in an easy, slightly nonstandard noun role that gives a target-grade student less to learn.

ovation: Strong, often-quoted excerpt, but the text spells out 'standing ovation' and the word is fairly familiar, lowering its quiz value.

compass: Vivid 'eyes as compass needles' metaphor, but the word itself is basic—the value is the passage, not the vocabulary.

drizzle: Memorable metaphor for shrugging off stares, but a basic word the context all but defines; little vocabulary to teach.

whimper: Recurs at the section's emotional climax, but moderate academic value and a fairly familiar meaning kept it just below the line.

gravelly: A vivid sensory word that recurs, but narrow academic value and a clear in-text cue make it a texture word more than a quiz word.

A high-value academic verb tied to the book's central theme—what Tushman wants to 'impart' is the meaning of kindness. Strong, clear excerpt, and uncommon enough at this grade that students learn both the word and the novel's heart.

A word students meet often in academic reading; learning Dad threw out the cherished helmet is 'a major revelation' to August—a startling discovery. Clear excerpt, rich shades of meaning, uncommon enough at this grade to be worth teaching.

Vivid, uncommon word the text then explains—'at the cusp ... the edge between childhood and everything after.' The gloss right beside it makes it teachable, and it captures the graduation's turning-point feel. A memorable word worth owning.

Rich, uncommon word for sustained, thoughtful pondering—Tushman has been 'ruminating upon' his themes all year. Strong excerpt, useful in academic writing, and unfamiliar to most target-grade students; clear vocabulary growth.

Strong academic word paired with 'notable'—students 'exemplary in certain areas,' outstanding models worth honoring. Uncommon at this grade, rich in connotation, and recurs across school and academic reading; a clearly teachable choice.

An academic word students meet repeatedly in school life—the 'commencement addresses' are the graduation speeches. Uncommon in this sense at the target grade, useful well beyond this book, and clearly anchored by the ceremony around it.

A high-value word in its true 'pitiful' sense, not the casual put-down students know—Miranda calls it 'pathetic' that she felt safer in someone else's home. Strong, resonant excerpt and rich connotation make the precise meaning worth teaching.

Figurative Tier-2 word in a vivid escalating line—'A monumental shift. A seismic shift. Maybe even a cosmic shift.' Context illustrates it, but the earthquake-sized 'huge change' sense is uncommon and worth owning; strong, memorable excerpt.

Uncommon and often-misused—'infamous' means famous in a bad way, not just very famous; Tushman jokes he's 'infamous for my ... verbosity.' Rich connotation and a light, memorable excerpt make the distinction worth teaching at this grade.

Rich, uncommon emotion word—'sweaty actors stand euphoric' captures the elated high of the curtain call. Strong sensory excerpt and meaningful shades beyond plain 'happy'; unfamiliar to most target-grade students, with clear payoff.

bittersweet: Rich, accessible word and a strong excerpt—Miranda's mixed regret—but edged out by higher-value academic words.

restrain: Solid, useful Tier-2 verb, but a plainer excerpt and less distinctive than the selected words; a near miss.

marvelous: Sits in the iconic 'kinder than is necessary' line, but it's a common word and the gloss isn't text-specific; just missed.

incantation: Rich, uncommon word from the Narnia passage, but narrow in academic use and a more incidental excerpt.

devour: Useful, vivid Tier-2 verb, but fairly familiar at this grade and in an incidental eating-the-sandwich moment.

mangled: Vivid word with good shades of meaning, but a minor moment and lower comprehension stakes than the chosen words.

reimburse: Useful real-world Tier-2 word, but a plain, low-nuance excerpt kept it below the line.

extraordinary: Thematically central with a strong excerpt, but a fairly familiar word most target-grade students already know.

live down: Teachable idiom—'never live down' an embarrassment—but narrow in academic reading; just below the line.

ice out: Teachable idiom for coldly excluding someone, comprehension-relevant, but narrow in value; a close call.