Vocabulary practice doesn't have to be boring for ELL students!
Community Review for Bitsboard
My Take
Overall, I believe that Bitsboard is a useful tool for certain students. My ELL students are able to use visual and auditory prompts to help them work independently on vocabulary, while still being engaged and challenged. I struggle to find independent technology for non-English speaking students, but the voice recording option within the program is just what I have been looking for. I was able to add my voice, saying the vocabulary word for the students. There are over twenty-five games for students to choose from. The set up for Bitsboard was a bit challenging. Creating accounts for individual students requires an email. Younger students may not have access to an email account, but using a local student account is possible. The drawback of using a local student account is that you will not be able to track individual student progress. Building boards was simple, but time consuming.
How I Use It
I use the Bitsboard App in my K-4 ELL classroom daily. I have many students in different grades, and at different English proficiency levels. Bitsboard has been a wonderful resource for students to work on independently. I have created multiple boards with a variety of vocabulary - everything from school items, people, or transportation to animals, food, and household items. Students are able to learn, practice, and assess themselves on the vocabulary presented - all on their own. Students also are able to play some of the games with a partner, when applicable. I have also used Bitsboard classes created by other people. There are a wide range of classes and boards to choose from - including sight words, spelling words, foreign languages, and sentence structure. The uses for Bitsboard are endless.