During the time of my emerging elementary years, I recall having to look up vocabulary words as one of my daily assignments.  There will always be new vocabulary words on the board to research.  I had to learn how to spell it, explain the meaning of the word, and use it in a sentence.  I studied every single word because my teacher will randomly pick any word from the list and ask me questions. I had to prepare myself all the time for this impromptu moments.  This activity built -up my vocabulary skills, learned the meaning, learned how to spell it, and learned how to use it in a sentence.  We also reviewed previously learned vocabulary words as well as learned new ones daily.  I also recall my teacher always reading us a story daily, but I hated it when she does not finish reading the entire book and continues on the next day.