Synonyms are word twins: words with almost the same meaning (big / large / huge). Antonyms are word opposites (hot / cold, begin / end).

Why writers care: 1) Synonyms rescue boring, repeated words: said, said, said becomes whispered, announced, groaned. 2) Antonyms build contrast, just like last week: unlike the TIDY kitchen, the garage was MESSY. 3) You already use antonyms as opposite context clues (Week 11!).

Model the rescue: write "The nice dog did a nice trick for the nice lady." Think aloud: nice, nice, nice, my reader is asleep! Rescue each one with a twin: "The gentle dog did a clever trick for the friendly lady." Same story, alive now.

Watch for the classic error: thinking synonyms are EXACTLY equal. Big and gigantic are twins, not clones: a big sandwich is normal, a gigantic sandwich is a cartoon. Plant that seed; shades of meaning grows in Grade 4.