Following up on the American Association of School Librarians' selection of Vocabulary.com as a "Best Website for Teaching and Learning 2014," the association released a review of Vocabulary.com, in which it recommends our site for differentiated learning and suggests several concrete ways teachers can make use of our tool.
Here's an excerpt of the review, which can be seen in its entirety here.
Vocabulary.com, one of AASL’s 2014 Best Websites, combines proprietary technology and an advanced digital dictionary in this game-like learning resource. One of the factors that makes this website stand out from other digital vocabulary sites is its technology – Adaptive Vocabulary Instruction (AVI). AVI’s algorithm monitors students’ responses to provide words and exercises on a student’s learning level, thus avoiding spending time on words too easy or too hard. This adaptive technology supports differentiated instruction in the classroom allowing all students to learn.…
There are lots of ways teachers can use Vocabulary.com in the classroom.
- Teachers can create word lists from a designated text for a pre-reading activity using the copy and paste feature in the Vocabulary Lists section.
- Students can curate personalized word lists based on their individual reading and interests. These words can be used in journal assignments, creative writing exercises, and class discussions.
- The site’s use of contextualized word items can help ESL students strengthen their understanding of words, better relate to words and actively use them.
Thanks, AASL!