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App review by Sol Joye, Common Sense Education | Updated May 2013
Word Raider: Escape

Word Raider: Escape

Good enough vocabulary game runs risk of becoming rote

Learning rating
Editorial review by Common Sense Education
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Grades
1–3 This grade range is based on learning appropriateness and doesn't take into account privacy. It's determined by Common Sense Education, not the product's publisher.
Subjects & Skills
English Language Arts
Platforms:  Linux, Mac, Windows
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Pros: Simple to use and set up, with straightforward and useful class management tools.

Cons: Actual gameplay is repetitive and basic, and emphasis on speaking means large classrooms can get noisy and distracting.

Bottom Line: It's a decent vocabulary game that ultimately relies on too many aging edu-game design tricks to grab students for long.

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

Word Raider will be most successful with small groups of younger students or ELL students in a quiet setting, or as individual work either at home or one-on-one with a student and teacher. It may be challenging to use Word Raider in a large class setting where many students will be speaking into microphones at one time. In addition, without close monitoring by a teacher, students will be tempted to exert minimal effort and simply click through the game. In a best-case scenario, each student's power log would be assessed by the teacher before the student advances. This, however, can be hard when the whole class is playing at once.

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Standards:

Editor's Note: As of July 1, 2015, Word Raider: Escape is no longer available.

In Word Raider, players solve puzzles and navigate through levels set in a ruined temple reminiscent of the opening of Raiders of the Lost Ark. As players explore, they gain repeated exposure to frequently used academic words by listening to and reading vocabulary. They then use those words to complete a variety of matching activities. When activities are complete, students can store their work -- including the words and sentences they've typed, as well as their recorded speech -- into a "power up log." This log can later be evaluated by the teacher. Although power-ups lead to higher scores, students might be tempted to skip the log as the game progresses.

Since Word Raider focuses on Tier 2 Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) vocabulary, it's most advantageous for younger learners and English Language Learners (ELL) who are struggling to learn basic academic language. Students learn and apply vocabulary through a series of levels, and continued use means struggling students get good reinforcement. However, play tends to get repetitive and risks disengagement. More frequest use of the power-up tool and more varied gameplay would encourage student investment.

Overall Rating
Engagement Would it motivate students and hold their interest? Is it visually appealing? Would it inspire teachers to try something new or change their instruction?

While initially engaging, Word Raider eventually feels one-dimensional and repetitious.

Pedagogy Does the tool help teachers promote a more student-centered experience? Will students gain conceptual understanding or think critically? Does it deepen teachers’ pedagogical thinking?

Time is divided between game activities -- simple side-scrolling jump-and-climb puzzles -- and learning activities, including a variety of assessment types ranging from multiple-choice questions to speaking prompts. 

Support Can students and teachers get assistance when they need it? Is it created with people of different abilities and backgrounds in mind? Is learning reinforced and extended beyond the digital experience?

A basic guide is available on the website, and basic help is available during play. A solid teacher dashboard helps with tracking and assessment.

Common Sense reviewer
Sol Joye Classroom teacher
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Key Standards Supported

Reading Foundational Skills

  • RF.1.4a

    Read on-level text with purpose and understanding.

  • RF.1.4b

    Read on-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.

  • RF.1.4c

    Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.

  • RF.1.2

    Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).

  • RF.1.2a

    Distinguish long from short vowel sounds in spoken single-syllable words.

  • RF.1.2b

    Orally produce single-syllable words by blending sounds (phonemes), including consonant blends.

  • RF.1.1

    Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print.

  • RF.2.4a

    Read on-level text with purpose and understanding.

  • RF.2.4b

    Read on-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.

  • RF.2.4c

    Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.

  • RF.2.3

    Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

  • RF.2.3a

    Distinguish long and short vowels when reading regularly spelled one-syllable words.

  • RF.2.3b

    Know spelling-sound correspondences for additional common vowel teams.

  • RF.3.4a

    Read on-level text with purpose and understanding.

  • RF.3.4b

    Read on-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings

  • RF.3.4c

    Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.

  • RF.3.3

    Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

Speaking & Listening

  • SL.1.1c

    Ask questions to clear up any confusion about the topics and texts under discussion.

  • SL.1.3

    Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to gather additional information or clarify something that is not understood.

  • SL.2.1c

    Ask for clarification and further explanation as needed about the topics and texts under discussion.

  • SL.2.3

    Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to clarify comprehension, gather additional information, or deepen understanding of a topic or issue.

  • SL.3.1c

    Ask questions to check understanding of information presented, stay on topic, and link their comments to the remarks of others.

  • SL.3.3

    Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate elaboration and detail.

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