Vocabulary Development Resources from TeachersFirst
This collection of reviewed tools and resources from TeachersFirst promotes vocabulary development and skills for students to improve and master daily vocabulary, subject matter terms, speech/language vocabulary, and ESL/ELL language. Some are tools for study and practice of terms in any class--including world languages, while others focus specifically on written and spoken English. Be sure to check "In the classroom" for ways each resource might help in your teaching area. Share your favorites on a free TeachersFirst public page for students and parents to use for vocabulary practice outside of class.
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Vocabulary.com - Vocabulary.com
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): vocabulary (230), vocabulary development (29), word study (28)
In the Classroom
Use this site as a learning center or station for students who finish their work early. Be sure to mark the site on classroom computers, making it easier for students to navigate there. Or, if you have access to multiple classroom computers, you may want to start your language arts lessons with five to ten minutes of work on Vocabulary.com. Once students have learned this program they can be totally independent. This is one to list on your class website for students/parents to access at home for additional practice.Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Learning Chocolate - learningchocolate.com
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): chinese (37), japan (56), japanese (37), spanish (73), vocabulary (230)
In the Classroom
Save/bookmark this site on your classroom computers to serve as a vocabulary resource for ESL/ELL and also world language students. Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students explore this site independently or in small groups. Share this site with Chinese, Japanese and Spanish teachers as well as with special needs professionals for help with vocabulary development and articulation. You could also have students create their own narrations of photos (similar to this site) using a site such as Voicethread reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Parapal - Williams and Weetman
Grades
2 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): grammar (161), parts of speech (27)
In the Classroom
You might want to put different categories from this program on different computers around your classroom. Have students, or pairs of students, rotate through the computers to experience spelling practice, vocabulary development, and a cloze reading exercise all in one period.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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VoiceThread - VoiceThread
Grades
K to 12Voicethread now offers a free iOS app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. It is free through the iTunes app store. Projects work seamlessly on both computer and mobile iOS devices, so projects started on one machine can be edited and/or viewed on another. Your ed.Voicethread account works in both places.
tag(s): digital storytelling (30), speech (78)
In the Classroom
You will be logged into your account immediately after you fill in the registration form. You must "apply" to designate your account as an educator account once it is set up. Click on "browse" to see many examples, including tutorials. Watch the "One Minute Voicethread" to get a very quick overview of how easy it is to create a digital story. Set up student identities. Use first names only. You need to know how to locate and upload saved pictures or PowerPoint files. If you want to use audio, the COOL tool,you WILL need a microphone, either plugged into your computer or built in. They can be purchased for less than $10 at a discount or electronics store. Once you create a Voicethread, it can be shared by clicking :share" from the menu or at the end of viewing it and copying the URL to send via email or other means, inviting others to comment back. Ed voicethreads have comment moderation turned on by default and are private by default. As the teacher, you can change these settings.Of course, you should be sure that you have the RIGHTS to any images you upload. Fair Use does not apply when you put an image on the web!
Invite parents to share in the results (The VoiceThread classroom page tells you more about this). TeachersFirst does not recommend using actual, identifiable pictures of children. Let them draw a picture or take a digital picture of an object that somehow represents them (middle schoolers will love that idea!). If you allow others to "comment" on student Voicethreads, the experience can be both wonderful and a bit intimidating. Use this opportunity to promote ethical and kind interaction with other students and their projects.
Elementary classes can create or take pictures, then ask each child to talk about the images. Each child can comment on the SAME pictures, creating a collaborative collection of responses. After a field trip or special class event, you can assign groups of students to explain each of the digital pictures you took and how they relate to curriculum topics. In art class, students can critique works of their own or of fellow students. In language arts classes, students can scan and comment on writing pieces as part of a reflective phase of the writing process. Or post an image as a prewriting activity and allow students to respond orally in an idea-generating phase. In social studies, have students provide a picture of a grandparent then narrate what they learned about that grandparent from interviewing him/her. Have students create narrated pictures as gifts (for parents or other care givers) for special occasions, winter holidays, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, etc.. During a science experiment or demo, have a student take pictures of the steps. Then ask students to "narrate" them by commenting on what is happening. The narration assignment could even be a center activity or an assignment on a few classroom computers for students to rotate through. What a great way to review and apply key vocabulary! Be sure they identify their voices if you are using a single class account and want to be able to assess understanding. Other ideas: narrated local history projects (pictures of local sites), audio "museum tours" of artifacts (photos) or war veterans telling their stories along with images of their uniforms or old photos. Speech/language, ESL/ELL or early childhood teachers could use this tool to promote vocabulary development and oral expression.
Edge Features:
Includes an education-only area for teachers and students
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
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Free English Lessons Online - esolcourses.com
Grades
2 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): grammar (161), listening (64), reading comprehension (34), vocabulary (230)
In the Classroom
You may want to complete some of the selections with a projector and your interactive whiteboard for the whole class as there are listening activities, reading activities and quizzes about holidays, etc. You could differentiate by having small groups of students or individuals listening and reading at their different levels while you work with another group, or small groups of students can listen at a station that is one of several literacy stations in your classroom. Since each of the selections has activities in several language arts strands, one selection could make up your student's instruction for the day, or week. Students could rotate through a station for listening, one for vocabulary development, etc.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Books Should Be Free - BooksShouldbe free
Grades
K to 12tag(s): ebooks (7), fluency (18), french (69), german (49), literature (178), spanish (73)
In the Classroom
Upgrade your literature circles and include e-readers that are speech enabled. Share the stories (or full text) on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Books Should Be Free provides links to the free text that accompanies the audio track. Sites such as Project Gutenberg (reviewed here) contain free versions of the full text. Students can simultaneously listen and read books on either a classroom computer, iPad, Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader, iPhone, iPod Touch, Android, or other mobile or cell phone. These recordings will also boost fluency instruction by serving as an oral reading model. Audio-assisted books will encourage students to read with expression, improve reading comprehension, stimulate vocabulary development, and provide a way for students to read text beyond their reading level.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Speakit! - Google Chrome
Grades
1 to 12tag(s): listening (64)
In the Classroom
Use Speakit as your teacher's helper. During research or computer explorations, allow students to use this read aloud feature. Honor the students who heavily rely on hearing as their preferred form of comprehending material. In lower grades, research on computers now becomes an easier task. This extension is perfect for ESL/ELL or learning support students to help with vocabulary development, comprehension, fluency, and repetitions.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Wylio - wylio.com
Grades
K to 12tag(s): creative commons (7), images (99), photography (91)
In the Classroom
Users must be knowledgeable about embed codes and how to use them in a site, blog, or wiki. Be sure to test out embedding a picture on your site to anticipate problems when students use Wylio.Use Wylio to find copyright-free pictures for teacher use in any subject area or for student use as soon as they learn to copy/paste embed codes. This tool would be a great asset to a photography or art class but can be used in any subject area. Use pictures that showcase life around us or in a Math class to show various Math functions in man made structures and nature. Use this site to take your geography class around the world (virtually). Have students create presentations in any subject area and narrate the pictures rather than doing a traditional oral report. Use a site such as Voicethread reviewed here, to narrate the pictures. Speech and language in lower grades or ESL/ELL teachers could use pictures for vocabulary development and allow students to add words or sentences to go with the pictures. In Science, find pictures that represent various concepts and encourage explanations of these concepts for better understanding. Embeddable pictures also work very well in "glogs" (online posters made using GlogsterEDU, reviewed here) or on your class wiki. Note: embedded picture only show on computers connected to the Internet since the embed command "goes and gets" the pictures using the web.
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Vocabulary Development - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): vocabulary (230)
In the Classroom
Browse this collection when you have students who seem to need extra vocabulary reinforcement or choose one or two tools to use repeatedly each time you introduce new terms. Share specific links or the entire collection for students to find "what works" to help them master vocabulary before the test. Mark this collection in your favorites to have differentiation strategies at your fingertips.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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GotBrainy - Jack Yu and Nori Yoshida
Grades
6 to 12Here is an example of a Brainypic.
tag(s): flash cards (23), vocabulary (230), word study (28)
In the Classroom
For still Brainypic images, you need to save and locate the image file on your computer so you can upload it to Brainypic. Brainypic also requires an image credit, so keep track of the photographer's name and the URL where you found it if not using your own photo. Be sure to use Creative Commons licensed images to model ethical behavior! For Brainyflix videos, create and upload videos to a hosting site accessible from your school, such as TeacherTube (reviewed here) or SchoolTube (reviewed here). (Windows Movie Maker or iMovie are great, free tools for video). You need to know how to copy the embed code for the video. When done, you can share the Brainyflix video or Brainypic image via link or embed video from its original hosting location. Submitting the entry to Brainyflix or Brainypic asks for an email address.Learning support teachers may find this highly visual format for word study actually helps their students retain challenging words. Share a BrainyPic or Brainyflix daily at the start of class to build vocabulary. When voting on the Brainypics, you'll find a place to mark that the sentence has usage errors. Find sentences with usage errors, and have your students correct the sentence on a projector or interactive whiteboard. You can also use this program to help your students learn SAT/ACT vocabulary. Have pairs or groups of students each create a video or a Brainypic for one of the words for the week. You or your students will have to upload the video to Schooltube or Youtube and then embed it on GotBrainy. Another idea for vocabulary review would be to make one video for all the words for the week, using the ready made images and sentences, and then post the video to your website for all to review whenever they want. Assign student groups to each take responsibility for one week of the marking period and produce their own Brainyflix as part of the marking period grade or require each student to create a certain number of Brainypics per marking period, sharing the links to the class products on your class wiki so students can vote on each other's. The wiki will be the best vocabulary study guide EVER! Hold an awards ceremony for the Brainypics or flix that earn the most votes throughout the year.
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Pullfolio - pullfolio.com
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): flickr (7), images (99), photography (91)
In the Classroom
Users must be able to add pictures to a set on flickr or use a specific tag for particular pictures. Be sure to choose your username carefully as it becomes part of the url of your portfolio. Follow the directions to identify your flickr account with Pullfolio.Have students create their own pullfolio, but why not create a class pullfolio that showcases student work? If using as a class pullfolio, pictures will not be attributed to the individual students. Create some way of identifying pictures to various students. Require students to tag their pictures with their initials as well or create a comment with their initials in the picture's description.
This tool would be a great asset to a photography or art class but can be used in any subject area. Create a pullfolio of pictures that showcase life around us, or in a Math class to show various Math functions in man made structures and nature. Use this site to take your geography class around the world (virtually). Have students create presentations in any subject area and narrate the pictures rather than doing a traditional oral report. Speech and language on lower grades or ESL/ELL teachers could create pullfolios for vocabulary development, tagging them for positions, feelings, etc. Involve students in taking the pictures, then share the resulting pullfolios for them to practice their new words.
Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
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Word Mayhem - Learning Planet
Grades
4 to 8tag(s): vocabulary (230)
In the Classroom
Considering the "game trap" of which learning games to include on your class page and allow students to access can be challenging. Is it really a learning game or just a time-filler? What standard does it address? Word Mayhem is a wise choice for a quick, easy to try, vocabulary development and reinforcement activity. The instructions are simplistic and students can compete against themselves or other players. When students are working on individual technology based assignments in the classroom or computer lab, this is a good link to make accessible to keep them on task and engaged when they finish the assignment a few minutes before the end of the period.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Nutrition - Myvocabulary.com
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): nutrition (98), vocabulary (230)
In the Classroom
Have students work in cooperative learning groups, divide up the vocabulary words, and have each group find the definitions for their assigned vocabulary words. Have the groups share their words and definitions in an online book, using a tool such as Bookemon (reviewed here). Have the groups share the online books on your interactive whiteboard or projector. If you don't have the time to complete online books, have students share the definitions using a class wiki. Be sure to also check out the interactive word puzzles!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Music/Fine Arts Vocab - Myvocabulary.com
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): vocabulary (230)
In the Classroom
What a perfect addition to music or art class! Share this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Have students work in cooperative learning groups, divide up the vocabulary words, and have each group find the definitions for their assigned vocabulary words. Have the groups share their words and definitions in an online book, using a tool such as Bookemon (reviewed here). Encourage them to add terms of their own, as well. Have the groups share the online books on your interactive whiteboard or projector. If you don't have the time to complete online books, have students share the definitions using a class wiki. Be sure to also check out the interactive word puzzles!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Oceans/Maritime Vocabulary - Myvocabulary.com
Grades
4 to 12In the Classroom
Share this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Use this site during a unit on oceans or biomes.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Ancient Egypt - Myvocabulary.com
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): egypt (52), vocabulary (230)
In the Classroom
Share the puzzles on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Have students work with a partner to try out the puzzles on their own. Have students try to create their own word puzzles and share them on a class wiki.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Christmas/Holiday Traditions - myvocabulary.com
Grades
4 to 12In the Classroom
Share the puzzles on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Have students work with a partner to try out the puzzles on their own. Have students try to create their own word puzzles and share them on a class wiki.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Lexipedia (Beta) - Vantage Linguistics
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): antonyms (10), dictionaries (19), mean (9), synonyms (19), vocabulary (230), vocabulary development (29)
In the Classroom
Explore this site on interactive whiteboard or projector to show students how to improve writing with descriptive words. Consider allowing students to share a favorite word of the day for 30 seconds on your interactive whiteboard at the start of class. Use this in a word study unit by covering up the original word.Students will then try to discover the word based on the word relationships found around the word. Build understanding of parts of speech through this tool every time you look up a word. Reinforce these concepts for visual learners continuously by using the same colors every time you highlight on your interactive whiteboard. World language teachers can also type in words to demonstrate and expand vocabulary in Spanish, French, German, Dutch, and Italian. Special ed teachers, especially those in speech/language will love this tool to help students SEE relationships between words. Encourage your language-delayed students to look up words and build "word sense" even when they are familiar with the word's meaning. Make this site available as a reference on classroom computers and on your class web page.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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VocabSushi - VocabSushi.com
Grades
8 to 12Once registered, students can select fitting vocabulary words to put into sentences. The sentences come from popular current newspapers. The site also has standard reading lists for the top test prep sites, including GRE, ISEE, SAT, and ACT. It keeps track of which of those words a student is working on and which he/she has learned. Students who master certain words will find new, more challenging words added to their work-on list. Besides seeing the words used in context, you can also hear the pronunciation of most words, thus making it a good tool for TOEFL test takers as well.
tag(s): test prep (50), vocabulary (230), vocabulary development (29)
In the Classroom
Save this site in your favorites on your classroom computers. List the link on your class website for students to use both in and out of the classroom. Have students work with a partner to explore this site and then create a podcast incorporating the new words that they learned. Use a site such as PodOmatic (reviewed here).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Word Ahead Vocabulary Videos - Lafazi, Inc
Grades
9 to 12You can also prepare a list of flash cards for repeated practice. A complete word lists is available for students to scroll through. Students can share videos, make comments on those already present, and flag inappropriate ones.
tag(s): flash cards (23), vocabulary (230), vocabulary development (29)
In the Classroom
Share this site with school counselors who can offer it to students preparing for the college entrance exams tests and international students required to take the TOEFL test for college admission. Share this link on your school (and class) website. Save this site in your favorites on your classroom computers for use in vocabulary development. Have students make "vocabulary videos" in groups: challenge cooperative learning groups to create videos share the videos on a site such as TeacherTube reviewed here before submitting to "Word Ahead." World language teachers might also want to have students create similar vocabulary development videos in their new language!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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