App review by Stacy Zeiger, Common Sense Education | Updated March 2014
Vocabulary.com
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  • Download from App Store

Vocabulary.com

Surprisingly addictive quiz game adapts as students play

Get it now
  • Download from App Store
Learning rating
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Grades
7–12
Subjects & Skills
English Language Arts, Character & SEL, Critical Thinking, College & Career Prep
Price:  $2.99
Platforms:  iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch
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Take a look inside

4 images
Create an account or log in with Facebook.
Basic questions ask players to define words.
Other questions encourage players to look at words in different ways.
Tracks players progress and words they've mastered.

Pros: Game design motivates teens to keep defining words and improve their scores, tracking their progress as they play.

Cons: Lacks entertaining elements, such as zany sound effects or animations, choosing a more academic feel that may put off some students.

Bottom Line: Teens can learn new words in a variety of contexts as they play a surprisingly addictive game.

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

Use Vocabulary.com to encourage your students to build vocabulary skills in a non-threatening, possibly even fun, way. The words in the game make it ideal for use as part of an SAT-prep program or a high school English course. By searching the word lists, you can help students practice relevant vocabulary. For example, a social studies teacher may use a word list that focuses on vocabulary used in the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution or a computer skills teacher may focus on words used in Minecraft. You might also encourage students to play the game for homework to help build their general vocabulary skills and compare their progress with the progress of other students in the class. You could even opt to reward top students for their performance or for making large gains in their skills over a given period of time.

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Standards:

After creating an account, teens jump right in to playing the vocabulary game. As they play, they encounter a variety of questions. Some ask them to choose the definition for an unfamiliar word, while others present them with a definition and ask them to choose the word it applies to. As they get further into the game, they read short passages and must use the context of the passages to help determine which word best fits into the blank. The game covers a wide range of words, from simpler words such as vale and veterinarian, to more complex words such as viand and solecism. Each correct answer builds points and the game also tracks how well players learn individual words as they continue with the game. This tracking and the game's adaptive format introduces new words based on a player's level, helping to keep it challenging, but not overwhelming. 

While teens may not use many of the words they learn while playing the game, they'll build general vocabulary skills. As they discover new words, they'll learn about common word patterns, improve the ability to use context clues, and gain confidence in their vocabulary skills. Many of the words they learn may also appear on college acceptance exams such as the SAT and ACT, so playing the game regularly has the potential to help improve their scores. In fact, specific word lists allow students to focus on key SAT words, words from specific novels, or even subject-specific words.

The app would be stronger if there were ways for kids to make their own connections to word meanings. The ability to curate word lists, add images, or create their own sentences using the words would make for deeper learning.

Overall Rating
Engagement

Quiz-style game may take time to hook teens.

Pedagogy

Words are presented in a variety of contexts and game tracks understanding of individual words. Adaptive design tailors questions to students' comprehension level as they play.

Support

Students can monitor their progress, and they receive encouragement to improve their scores.

Common Sense reviewer
Stacy Zeiger Homeschooling parent
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Key Standards Supported

Language

  • L.7.4

    Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

  • L.7.4a

    Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

  • L.7.4c

    Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech.

  • L.7.4d

    Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).

  • L.7.6

    Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

  • L.8.4

    Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

  • L.8.4a

    Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

  • L.8.4c

    Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech.

  • L.8.4d

    Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).

  • L.8.6

    Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

  • L.9-10.4

    Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9–10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

  • L.9-10.4a

    Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

  • L.9-10.4c

    Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, or its etymology.

  • L.9-10.4d

    Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).

  • L.9-10.6

    Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

  • L.11-12.4

    Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 11–12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

  • L.11-12.4a

    Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

  • L.11-12.4c

    Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, its etymology, or its standard usage.

  • L.11-12.4d

    Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).

  • L.11-12.6

    Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

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