In a piece in The New York Times Magazine's recent education issue with the provocative headline "Why Flunking Exams is Actually a Good Thing," science reporter Benedict Carey delves into the science of pretesting (or using testing as a way to study and learn), an idea that suggests that failing to answer a test question correctly is one of the best ways to stimulate our brains to learn. Continue reading...
Vocabulary.com celebrated the first-place finish of Houston's Chavez High School in the 2014-2015 Vocabulary Bowl with a special ceremony on Friday, May 15. Students, teachers, and staff were presented with the Vocabulary Bowl trophy, medals for the top 100 students, and a special proclamation from the Texas State Senate commemorating the students' impressive achievement. Continue reading...
No matter what generation you were born in, your destiny is to hear incessant blather about generations, as journalists are obsessed by the topic, particularly when it comes to making the younger generation seem like unholy mutants born to usher in the end of days. Allan Metcalf's new word book—From Skedaddle to Selfie: Words of the Generations—is a timely read for era-obsessed readers with a taste for history and, of course, words. Continue reading...
Vocabulary.com was built from the ground up to align with the recommended best practices for effective vocabulary instruction. Here's a summary of key findings from the leading research, along with how we've applied those ideas to the way Vocabulary.com teaches words. Continue reading...
The title of this month's column is a direct quote from one of my students. Please imagine it being delivered in an accusatory tone. What caused such a lament? You see, I had the audacity to suggest that learning new words was, well, fun. Continue reading...
What's the quickest way to get your school to show up on our daily and monthly leaderboards? Eliminate invisible play by checking that all your students have registered their accounts with your school. Continue reading...
When logophiles Henry and Catherine Petroski were first falling in love, they passed each other "word stumper" notes in lieu of flowers and candy. Want to replicate their game? Here are ten word stumpers to enjoy or share. Continue reading...