I’ve always been a collector. First it was rocks, then Hot Wheels cars, then words and names. I usually copy new-to-me words on the last blank page of the book I find them in, but that doesn’t work for borrowed books.

To increase my kids’ literacy over the summer, I created these vocabulary bookmarks that can be folded or left unfolded and printed on white, colored, or patterned paper. I was inspired by some bookmarks I found online, but I couldn’t find exactly what I wanted, so I made my own, and now I’m sharing them with you, free for personal or classroom use.

Each page fits two bookmarks. If you wanted to get creative with your copying, you can copy them front and back in landscape mode (or short-side bound). Then you’d get 4 per sheet.

For one-side copies, cut the pages in half to separate the bookmarks and then fold them along the dotted line, text out. You’ll get a bookmark that is regular sized, with page numbers and vocabulary words on the front and definitions on the back. Fold or unfold your bookmark to hide or reveal the definitions.

I grabbed a pink one for myself and have added a couple of words from Ada Limón’s The Carrying:

• chert—the geological name for flint rock
• toyon—a Californian shrub

Download the PDF by clicking here >>Willard’s Vocabulary Bookmarks<< or on either of the images above.

What kinds of words have you collected this summer? Let me know in the comments or find me on Twitter or Instagram @larathelark