TeachersFirst's Vocabulary Development Resources
Other TeachersFirst Special Topics Collections
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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Twitter Chat: Tech-Infused Vocabulary Strategies - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12
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This archived Twitter chat is from December 2022 and will open in Wakelet. The title of this chat is: Tech-Infused Vocabulary Strategies. During this chat, participants: 1. Discussed...more
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This archived Twitter chat is from December 2022 and will open in Wakelet. The title of this chat is: Tech-Infused Vocabulary Strategies. During this chat, participants: 1. Discussed tech-infused vocabulary instruction, 2. Explored tools and resources for integrating tech-infused vocabulary activities in the classroom, and 3. Collaborated on ideas for technology that enhances and empowers vocabulary interactions for students across the curriculum.
In the Classroom
Find resources and information about tech-infused vocabulary strategies. Share this chat with your colleagues looking for strategies and resources on tech-infused vocabulary strategies.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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OK2Ask: Tech-Infused Vocabulary Strategies - TeachersFirst
Grades
1 to 12
1 Favorites
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This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from November 2022. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.
Engage students...more
Engage students...more
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This recording of an OK2Ask online professional learning session is from November 2022. You can register and immediately view the archive of the session.
Engage students and get them excited to jump into learning with tech tools to support direct instruction for vocabulary. Learn to implement direct instruction based on Marzano's strategies to expand vocabulary in all subject areas and increase success in school and on achievement tests. Using the six-step approach, we'll explore tech tools to help bring vocabulary from short-term memory into long-term memory. Discover how to choose tech tools you can use to increase student collaboration and provide data for formative assessments. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Review Marzano's strategies for vocabulary instruction; 2. Explore tools for vocabulary instruction; and 3. Understand how to use tech tools to create formative assessments for vocabulary. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
Engage students and get them excited to jump into learning with tech tools to support direct instruction for vocabulary. Learn to implement direct instruction based on Marzano's strategies to expand vocabulary in all subject areas and increase success in school and on achievement tests. Using the six-step approach, we'll explore tech tools to help bring vocabulary from short-term memory into long-term memory. Discover how to choose tech tools you can use to increase student collaboration and provide data for formative assessments. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Review Marzano's strategies for vocabulary instruction; 2. Explore tools for vocabulary instruction; and 3. Understand how to use tech tools to create formative assessments for vocabulary. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
In the Classroom
The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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FCRR Student Center Activities - Florida Center for Reading Research
Grades
K to 6
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Find many ideas for student literacy center activities for grades pre-k through fifth-grade curated by a team of researchers and teachers from 2004 through 2010. In addition, the helpful...more
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Find many ideas for student literacy center activities for grades pre-k through fifth-grade curated by a team of researchers and teachers from 2004 through 2010. In addition, the helpful Teacher Resource Guide provides explicit guidance to understanding the center activities and the terms used in each resource. View this information to learn how to implement and differentiate instruction through student centers. Use the provided grade level classifications to find and select activities by topics such as phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension. Each activity is described fully in a PDF document that includes teaching objectives, complete instructions, and student handouts when necessary.
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site as a helpful resource for finding research-based and teacher-tested activities to develop literacy skills for students. Be sure to visit the Teacher Resource Guide to understand all of the information included with each activity and understand the specific skills targeted.
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WordsTool - Wordstool
Grades
4 to 12
2 Favorites
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Create digital materials for teaching and learning about vocabulary with Wordstool. Create an account as a teacher or as a student. Use your teacher account to browse and find vocabulary...more
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Create digital materials for teaching and learning about vocabulary with Wordstool. Create an account as a teacher or as a student. Use your teacher account to browse and find vocabulary sets or create your own. Vocabulary sets include word cards that feature example sentences, pronunciation, translations, images, and more. Create sets and build folders to organize materials by topic or teaching unit. Once built, use sets to provide vocabulary practice with five different activities. Free accounts allow educators to assign topics to individual students and track their progress, including tasks completed and the number of errors.
In the Classroom
Share Wordstool with students and ask them to create an account for use with any new vocabulary. Use during science lessons to build knowledge of new terms, during social studies activities to enhance understanding of words such as sovereignty by including examples and images, or reading novels such as those written by Shakespeare that may consist of unfamiliar language. At the end of your teaching unit, ask students to share their learning using tools found at Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here, and include their new vocabulary terms. For example, have students create an infographic sharing science vocabulary or retell events in history by creating a short video that includes highlighted vocabulary.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Educandy - Educandy
Grades
K to 5
3 Favorites
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Quickly create and share interactive learning games created from your vocabulary terms using Educandy. Activities include match-up games, memory matches, crossword puzzles, and more....more
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Quickly create and share interactive learning games created from your vocabulary terms using Educandy. Activities include match-up games, memory matches, crossword puzzles, and more. Go to the top right menu and click download the free app. After creating your account, follow the prompts to create a list of words, matching pairs, or quiz questions. When finished, edit or play the game using links found under your activities. Share using the link provided or copy the embed code to embed your game into a website.
In the Classroom
Use Educandy to create games and practice activities to reinforce vocabulary for any subject. Embed your activities into your website or learning platform for students to use at home. Turn the quiz creation around and ask students to create a list of vocabulary terms and definitions to use within the games. Introduce new vocabulary using Educandy to assess student knowledge at the start of any new unit. Extend student learning after vocabulary practice by having them create infographics, posters, social media posts, or guides with tools found at Canva Edu, reviewed here, using the new vocabulary and your topic of study.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Academic Word Finder - Achieve the Core
Grades
4 to 12
4 Favorites
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The Academic Word Finder identifies academic vocabulary (tier 2) words found in any text. Register using email to create an account before beginning. Copy and paste any text you want...more
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The Academic Word Finder identifies academic vocabulary (tier 2) words found in any text. Register using email to create an account before beginning. Copy and paste any text you want to analyze, (the site recommends starting with two to three paragraphs) and select your grade level. The Word Finder identifies the vocabulary found in the text and provides additional context with grade range, part of speech, meaning, and an example sentence. Email or print the results using links found on the site. Each entry is automatically saved to your Achieve the Core account for future reference.
In the Classroom
Use the Academic Word Finder to introduce difficult portions of text before reading. Display the results on your interactive whiteboard or with a projector to review with students. This site is perfect for use with special needs or ENL/ESL students to break down difficult content into smaller, understandable portions. Use this site to identify vocabulary words then create online games for student practice. Bamboozle, reviewed here, offers several options for creating games for two teams. Use the Word Finder to choose vocabulary to include when creating interactive lessons for students. MoocNote, reviewed here, includes tools for creating interactive video lessons with embedded documents and quizzes.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Root Word and Prefix Study Pages - myvocabulary.com
Grades
2 to 12
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As part of their extensive vocabulary site, MyVocabulary.com includes over 90 word puzzles practicing Greek and Latin root words. This site includes alignment of activities to Common...more
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As part of their extensive vocabulary site, MyVocabulary.com includes over 90 word puzzles practicing Greek and Latin root words. This site includes alignment of activities to Common Core Standards. Find 90 additional prefix studies on page 2 here.
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This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Include these activities as part of any lessons on prefixes. Use words found on this site as a starting point, then challenge students to find additional words with the same prefixes.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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TextProject - TextProject, Inc
Grades
K to 9
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TextProject offers strategies, tools, and texts to bring beginning readers and struggling readers to high literacy levels. Download materials for teaching reading, such as vocabulary...more
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TextProject offers strategies, tools, and texts to bring beginning readers and struggling readers to high literacy levels. Download materials for teaching reading, such as vocabulary lessons, word pictures, literacy lists, and reading passages. Browse the TextProject Research tab to find book collections, professional articles, and videos available on their YouTube Channel. Be sure to find time to explore the Teachers part of the site with many printables and Teacher's Guides for use with all reading levels. If your district blocks YouTube, then the videos may not be viewable.
In the Classroom
If you teach reading or are an ENL/ESL or resource teacher for students with special needs, you will want to bookmark this site! Take advantage of all of the free downloads on the site, including forms, checklists, lessons, and reading passages. Share this site with parents to help them understand the process of learning to read and finding materials for their student. Share this site during professional development sessions when discussing reading instruction and alignment to Common Core Standards. Be sure to sign up for TextProject's monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all new additions to the site.
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Newswordy - Josh Smith
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
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We hear new buzzwords all of the time, but what do they really mean? Newswordy provides those answers. Each day Newswordy features a buzzword, definition, and its uses in articles ...more
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We hear new buzzwords all of the time, but what do they really mean? Newswordy provides those answers. Each day Newswordy features a buzzword, definition, and its uses in articles and tweets from trending topics. Find the previous day's buzzword by clicking the link on the bottom of the page or click the three bars on the top-right hand side of the page for a list of previous words. Click the title to have random words revealed.
In the Classroom
Newswordy is perfect for use on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Display the word of the day as students arrive in class as a great warm up for current events lessons. Share a link to the site on your class webpage. Tweak your students' interest in what is happening in the world by reading the excerpts of the articles and tweets at Newswordy. Have students bring in examples they find on the Internet or when watching T.V. Next, students can create a word cloud of the important terms they learn from this site using a tool such as WordItOut, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Games to Learn English - Owen Dwyer
Grades
K to 8
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Games to Learn English is a collection of games for ENL/ELL students or any student learning the basics of English and/or reading. Created for students of English language learners,...more
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Games to Learn English is a collection of games for ENL/ELL students or any student learning the basics of English and/or reading. Created for students of English language learners, the many activities focus on developing vocabulary, comprehension, grammar, word order, and spelling skills. Choose from interactives such as Fast Hands and Concentration to begin. Each activity includes directions for play and scoring explanations, and most have playing speed options.
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In the Classroom
Although created for English language learners, this is an excellent site to develop vocabulary (and computer skills) for younger students. It also helps with speech/language vocabulary development and grammar reinforcement for special ed. Share this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Complete the activities as a class with a student operating the board. Create a link on classroom computers and challenge students to increase their speed in completing games.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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TV411 - Vocabulary - Education Development Center, Inc.
Grades
4 to 12
3 Favorites
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Find entertaining videos, web lessons, and downloads to support learning about dictionaries, thesaurus, and "How Words Work." Each video includes a short description of content and...more
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Find entertaining videos, web lessons, and downloads to support learning about dictionaries, thesaurus, and "How Words Work." Each video includes a short description of content and the skills addressed. Most videos are approximately three minutes long and include links to related web lessons and print downloads. This site was originally created for adult basic literacy students. However, many of these lessons could be useful with younger students learning the basics of vocabulary. Preview the video for appropriateness before sharing with younger students.
In the Classroom
Any vocabulary development unit needs to include lessons about how dictionaries and thesaurus' work. View videos on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) as part of your dictionary/word-study unit. Use on an as-needed basis to address classroom deficiencies in particular areas. Have students complete the web lessons on their own during computer center time. Create links to particular videos on your class website or blog for students to view at home. Check out the Teachers portion of the site to find activities for specific skills along with ideas for using the videos in the classroom. Challenge students to create a talking avatar using a photo or other image (legally permitted to be reproduced). The avatars can be used to provide suggestions on improving vocabulary and writing skills. Use a site such as Blabberize, reviewed here, to added audio and annotate the image.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Word Hippo - Wordhippo.com
Grades
2 to 12
9 Favorites
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Word Hippo is a word study tool for synonyms, antonyms, and more. Look for rhyming words, opposites, translations to a variety of languages, plurals, definitions and uses for the word,...more
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Word Hippo is a word study tool for synonyms, antonyms, and more. Look for rhyming words, opposites, translations to a variety of languages, plurals, definitions and uses for the word, etc. The site also makes suggestions for other words in case you might have made a typo or do not know the spelling. As with any other reference, students should be cautioned to be sure these are accurate definitions needed for the context in which they are studying the words. You will want to spell out consequences and/or supervise to be sure students are not searching for inappropriate words, but the most egregious words of bad taste do not appear to be available for search at this site.
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In the Classroom
Use this site for vocabulary development and word study assignments, such as writing sentences, paragraphs, or essays using new words. Since the site permits translation, this would be a valuable tool in world language classes, ENL/ELL classes, and more. Introduce this site on an interactive whiteboard and elicit examples to show the class how quickly it works. Have students create their own word walls with synonyms, antonyms, sentences, and more for their latest vocabulary words. Try a tool such as Padlet, reviewed here, for each student to create an online "wall" with words aligned to color coded stickies for synonyms. antonyms, etc. Alternatively, have students create class challenges for their peers with color coded matching activities for the interactive whiteboard matching words to synonyms, antonyms, and an appropriate fill in the blank sentence. Share this as a favorite on your teacher public page for handy reference any time students encounter an unknown word. Even subject area teachers such as science and social studies will find this tool handy for students with weaker vocabulary levels.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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