TeachersFirst: Vocabulary Development:

Vocabulary Development:

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Word Ahead Vocabulary Videos Grade 9 to 12 - Lafazi, Inc- 10207

This great site offers more difficult vocabulary words with a short video so that students can more easily remember their definitions and usages. The focus for this site is students preparing to take the ACT and SAT tests, students who want to improve their verbal scores. It would also be useful for students preparing to take the TOEFL test. Students can view the featured words and their accompanying videos, check the Study Room for more word videos, and even submit their own ideas for vocabulary videos. Another option is to sign up for a word video of the day in one's email box. This obviously requires registration and an email address. If you choose to allow your students to register, you may want to create your own Gmail account with up to 20 subaccounts for each group of students (by code name or number) within your classes. Here is a blog post that tells how.

You 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.

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!

ESL Gold Picture Dictionary Grade 1 to 6 - ESL Gold- 9166

ESL Gold's "Words and Phrases" page is a listing of vocabulary, grouped in categories ideal for learning a new language. The categories are divided by levels from Low Beginning to Advanced. Many of the categories provide a picture dictionary of all items. Some of the more advanced levels do not include pictures. All levels have audio pronunciation. The higher levels contain vocabulary in context, word phrases, and other vocabulary development activities without definitions. This site requires Windows Media Player or Quicktime to play the audio. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..

In the Classroom:
Use this site to share vocabulary by category, using pictures, audio, and written words with your ESL/ELL students, primary students, special ed students, or speech/language students. Include this link in a newsletter that goes home with ESL/ELL students. Mark it as a Favorite on your classroom computer. Demonstrate how to use this website on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students work alone (or with a partner) at their current speaking level. This website could also be used in a regular education class with emerging readers. The five difficulty levels allow teachers the flexibility to differentiate the instruction. Note: small type fonts and some advertising may make this site difficult for some younger students to use. Preview and decide what your class can handle.

TESL/TEFL/TESOL/ESL/EFL/ESOL Links Grade 1 to 12 - ITESLJ- 9653

This compilation of sites is a standard source for ESL and ELL teachers and contains links to whatever type of vocabulary enrichment activity you might be looking for. Although this site is “plain vanilla” and not high-tech, it has been around for a long time and offers a comprehensive list of sites to use with ESL and ELL students. English/language arts teachers will also find the vocabulary development options helpful for any student, especially those who may need extra learning support.

Be sure to check out "What's New" for recent additions. Go to "Main Page" and try the search box; it's a good place to try to find the links you remember from awhile back but have lost track of.

In the Classroom:
Provide this link on your class website. Use this site for vocabulary ideas with your ESL and ELL students AND in your world language classes or mainstream language arts classes. The variety at this site offers something for every classroom learning English or another language.

Reading For All Grade K to 12 - TeachersFirst- 9628

This TeachersFirst professional page includes extensive resources for Reading in the Content Areas, Graphic Organizers, Reading Strategies, Vocabulary Development, Elementary Reading, independent reading, and special topics reading lists. The page also includes a link for you to purchase books from Amazon and have TeachersFirst receive a portion of the proceeds. TeachersFirst is a free service of a non-profit since 1998. Why not shop through this link to help TeachersFirst continue its service to teachers worldwide?

In the Classroom:
No matter what you teach, these resources will help you target reading and study skills for better comprehension and more.

LingQ Grade 3 to 12 - LingQ- 9276

LingQ assists students in developing language fluency in any of 9 target languages including German, Spanish, French, Italian, Swedish, Japanese, and Chinese, Russian, and Portuguese. It tracks hours spent on listening and reading assignments, vocabulary development etc. An example lesson consists of listening to a text while reading through it, clicking on unknown words, seeing the definition in one's native language, saving the words in a list or as flashcards etc. Students can also download the audio files to an MP3 player. Students should have at least a beginning understanding of the language before attempting to use this site. They also need to be flexible learners since the learning/teaching style is based on immersion, not translation. Students may have up to 5 active "assignments" going to stay within the free level. Any completed work can be archived to make room for more assignments. There is a charge to have your work evaluated, graded, and critiqued. There is an option to save new vocabulary words in a list and print flashcards for these words. You will want to join and explore the site before assigning students to use it so you know how to navigate. The site requires a fast Internet connection to download large podcast (audio) files. The podcast files can be downloaded and played on your local computer or an mp3 player.

In the Classroom:
Establishing membership requires an email account. Check your school policies about accessing/sharing student email on school computers. You may want to create your own Gmail account with up to 20 subaccounts for each group of students (by code name or number) within your classes. Here is a blog post that tells how.

Assign specific "lessons" for your ESL or world language students, but be aware that the free version does not permit you to monitor progress on student accounts. You therefore will want to use this as a practice site more than a formal assessment tool. Demonstrate the navigation on your projector or interactive whiteboard before assigning students to work independently. If you have mp3 players available, you can load a listening assignment for students to "take out." Be sure to include this site on your teacher web page for students to access both in and outside of class for further practice. Refer your ESL students to this page if they are impatient to become fluent quickly.

Visual ESL Grade 1 to 8 - Learn English Vocabulary Visually- 8752

Visual ESL has created quite a selection of engaging drag and drop vocabulary lessons and quizzes. For example, the "Basic Verb" lesson uses stick figures jumping, punching, running etc to illustrate the verbs. Users drag the correct label to a box beneath the figure. The offerings in the drag and drop section are much more interesting than the grammar section which is text only. There is a wide range of game selections. They include fill ins and grammar illustrated with cartoons. There are advertisements on the site (text links).

In the Classroom:
This is a good site for ESL students who are more visual learners to practice concepts. Special Ed teachers may find some games helpful for vocabulary development and basic grammar, as well. Many of the drag and drops would work well on an interactive whiteboard or as a learning center on a single classroom computer.

Magic Vocabulary Grade K to 5 - Viktor Gayol- 8271

This online tool and vocabulary site creates up to thirteen games, puzzles, and worksheets from a word list the teacher inputs on the home page. The working database contains about 2000 English singular words, but doesn't include abstract nouns. There are some ready-made activities already done for you as examples: body parts, Christmas, family, feelings, foods, and more. Typical activities include findaword, matching, multiple choice quizzes, memory, word scrambles, and labeling. There is a charge for subscription to the services, but users who recommend someone to this site receive a one-year subscription free. One caution: set the speed to "tortoise" on the "STOP" game. Even adults can't click the mouse fast enough above that speed!page. This site requires QuickTime to hear the audio. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox. .

In the Classroom:
Use this for a center with vocabulary review activities in any primary classroom or with speech and language or special ed students for vocabulary development. Using it in ESL classes will also be great, even on an interactive whiteboard with a small group. Students can also use the games on their own to practice vocabulary outside of class, so be sure to include the link on your teacher web page.

Soaring High With Kites Grade 1 to 6 - everythingesl.net- 8224

This multi-level lesson plan for ESL students offers opportunities for vocabulary development, reading, writing, and cultural sharing by responding to stories and books about kites. Primary grade tecahers could also use it in a unit on weather or as an interdisciplinary science/language arts activity. Because of its high interest level, it motivates students to participate in understanding new words and in expressing their ideas about the books they read and the techniques and history of kite flying in their countries. Students also read and talk about kite safety rules and examine websites about kites. Writing opportunities include writing rules,original stories, cultural histories haiku, and diamante poems. Students also get to design, make, decorate and fly their own kites.

In the Classroom:
Plan a kite day in the fall or spring and use all or part of these plans to learn new words, build kites, and even fly them before you write about them. This would be a terrific activity to include parents at school year's end.

Reading Strategies: Scaffolding Students' Interactions with Texts Grade 6 to 12 - Greece (NY) Central School District- 6812

Find resources for teaching and modeling MANY reading strategies in your classroom, including handouts for graphic organizers and vocabulary development, all from this school-district site. Each strategy is explained and classified as before, during, or after reading and then linked to further information. This is a one-stop shop for teachers in every content area, as well as those reinforcing study skills for learning support students and helping students prepare for standardized testing. Each strategy includes suggestions for how to differentiate instruction, as well.

In the Classroom:
Give students links from your teacher web page directly to the graphic organizer they must complete for homework. Then there is no excuse such as having the dog eat it! Files are all Acrobat files, and Acrobat Reader is a free download.

Heroes and Heroines in the Family Grade 7 to 8 - Yale University- 988

Students analyze Native American, European, Puerto Rican, African, and American folk tales while strengthening vocabulary development, reading and writing abilities, interpersonal skills, and creativity. Folktales chosen as the basis for this unit explore the universal theme of using strength and intellect to accomplish great feats.

Lexipedia (Beta) Grade 2 to 12 - Vantage Linguistics- 10637

Lexipedia is “Where Words Have Meaning.” Type in a word and see what happens! This site creates a web of related words. Each color represents a different part of speech or relationship to the original word – nouns, verbs, synonyms, antonyms and even fuzzynyms! Words become more than isolated strings of letters and part of a greater web of language.

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.

VocabSushi Grade 8 to 12 - VocabSushi.com- 10511

This site helps students learn higher level vocabulary, whether they want to simply improve reading ability or prepare for college entrance tests. Registration requires an email address. Rather than using your personal or work email, create a free Gmail account to use for memberships. If you plan to have students register individually, you may want to create your own Gmail account with up to 20 subaccounts for each group of students (by code name or number) within your classes. Here is a blog post that tells how to set up GMail subaccounts to use for any online membership service.

Once 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.

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).

Pinky Dinky Doo Grade K to 2 - Cartoon Pizza- 9982

Pinky Dinky Doo is a vibrant cartoon character who teaches children the concepts of storytelling and problem solving while simultaneously introducing them to colorful vocabulary. Have students click on the Your Story Box option to create their own imaginative story with a beginning, middle and end. As the story is created, Pinky Dinky Doo reads the story aloud while students read along as the words are highlighted on the page. Additional audio snippets make the retelling fun and even more cartoon-like. Upon completion, students can submit their stories to the Pinky Dinky Doo pod cast so they can be read by others. There are also links to Printables that include coloring pages, crafts, and other activities. Visit the Videos link to view fifteen short video clips from the show. There are also links to podcasts, interactive “games,” and a Grown-Ups link. The Grown-Ups link has an “Educational Approach” section with several classroom ideas. This site requires Flash and Adobe Acrobat. You can get both from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

In the Classroom:
Note: If you have students create their own stories, be sure to reinforce basic Internet safety concepts about protecting their identity and to obtain parent permission to place their child’s work online. Share this colorful site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Download entertaining Pinky Dinky Doo podcasts to use in a listening center. Check out the Printables, perfect for reinforcing early literacy concepts such as retelling and sequencing. Speech/language or ESL/ELL teachers can use the retelling option for vocabulary development. Allow students to watch a storytelling episode on the classroom computer and retell it by creating a comic strip of the story. Be sure to list this link on your class website, so students can access both in and of the classroom.

Word Safari: Vocabulary Expeditions Grade 7 to 12 - Ruth Pettis - 9969

If you like words and challenging students with words, this is a great site. Part scavenger hunt, part word link source, you can use words from the "fresh tracks" as a jumping off point. Links given to other word sites are helpful, too. You can click on a word to choose its definition. Choosing the right one gives many options for looking further into related words.

In the Classroom:
Using some of the given words as a "word-of-the-day" option is good. Share this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have pairs of students explore on their own. Why not have the groups create an online book sharing the words they discovered, using a tool such as Bookemon (reviewed here).

ELT Portal: Movies Grade 5 to 12 - Robet Palmer- 9868

This site features interactive ESL and ELL lessons to go with popular movies and TV commercials. The activity formats include matching and cloze passages. The lessons are divided by "Easier," "More Challenging," or "Most Challenging." Two types of lessons include vocabulary previews and "fill-in-the-blank cloze" of the movie dialog which appears while the movie or TV clip is playing. The site is growing, with more commercials and films appearing regularly.

There is also a supplementary section in WORD which contains discussion questions for the movies. Some of the clips require QuickTime and/or Flash. You can get both from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

In the Classroom:
Share this site (and the activities) on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Print the list of vocabulary words and have students keep the list with them at their seats while they view the video (or listen to the audio). ESL and ELL students will benefit from the ability to re-watch the video clips and hear the dialog several times. Learning support students will also benefit from the comprehension check and vocabulary development. Although all material appeared appropriate, you may want to preview any video or audio you plan to share, to avoid any “surprises.”

cloZure Grade 4 to 12 - Peter Shanks- 9599

This site creates Cloze tests from Wikipedia articles listed by category. Each test has a word order difficulty assessment as well as an indication of general difficulty. You are able to choose the topic by using the Search Box. Students click on word choices on the side to place words in order in the blanks. If they select the wrong word, it momentarily flashes in the correct place but will not remain until the correct choices are done in order. With a huge variety of articles to choose from, there are certainly tests suitable for students of every level and interest. There are background reading links to Wikipedia articles on similar subjects to those tested. Teachers can choose to have students do other cloze tests by clicking on links to related tests nearer the bottom of the page. As part of your discussion and use of this site, be sure to talk about the general-public authors of Wikipedia and the need to view it as a general resource, not an “authoritative” one. For purposes of teaching basic vocabulary in context, this is a terrific resource.

Be aware: ANY word can be used to search this site, and there are cloze tests for many words that you may not find appropriate to use in your classroom. So preview, preview, and preview!

In the Classroom:
Use these tests to help ELL and ESL and learning support or speech/language students develop vocabulary in areas of interest or curriculum topics. Teach all students how to use context clues to figure out the meaning of any word or, in this case, the missing word. Or print the tests out and give them for homework or extra practice. Have students do background reading on their chosen subject from other sources besides Wikipedia.

Share this site on an interactive whiteboard or projector and have students take turns answering the question, or work along with you at their seats. Use the cloze paragraphs to enhance units in science, social studies, and other content areas. With the current economic crisis, have students research Herbert Hoover or the Great Depression to link yesterday, today, social studies, and language arts class. Nearly all topics are available. If you allow students to search for topics on their own (which the editing staff of TeachersFirst does not recommend) – be sure to watch students carefully!

Multicultural Literature for Children Grade 2 to 6 - Children's Book Press- 9384

Try this section of a popular children's publishing site to find poetry-related lessons. In the opening activity, of "The Magical Cycle of the Seasons," students write four poems, one for each of the seasons. Included materials are worksheets, timing hints, vocabulary development add-ons, and description of the entire process. Other poetry writing activities include writing poems about their school, "golden" poems, poems about every day things, and family poetry. There is also “Cross-Curricular Activities” that connect poetry to math, art, language arts, and social studies lesson plans. Click on reading activities on the opening interface to find more activities that encourage writing and reading. Although the curricular suggestions on this page refer to a specific book sold by the press, the material is adaptable.

In the Classroom:
Try these activities in a mixed class containing some ELL and ESL students. Sometimes, their slightly different take on language results in beautiful creations. Save this site in your favorites and try one of the suggested activities as part of your poetry unit.

Buggy Alphabetics Grade 1 to 3 - Cynthia Reeg- 9259

Children's author Cynthia Reeg offers a poem whose lines follow alphabetical order. The first word of the first line begins with "a," the next with "b," and so on. Imaginative illustrations change as the student clicks on the forward button to see the next lines.

In the Classroom:
Use this poem to introduce your children to writing poetry by sharing the poem on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Students studying alphabetical order will also be intrigued by writing within restrictions of this order. Work together on your interactive whiteboard or projector. To begin, ask your students to think of a similar word that begins with the same letter, and change just one line. When they get the idea, give them a series of 6 - 8 letters and ask them to write their own list of adjectives or lines of poetry. Work as a class or have them work in groups to complete a poem using the entire alphabet. ESL and ELL students will enjoy looking for new words t to express their ideas in the poems.

On-Line ESL News Grade 5 to 12 - VOA- 9257

This site features news stories and articles of general interest in simpler language. Text scripts of the news features appear on the screen as students open the page. Most of these news articles offer streaming audio for listening as students follow the text.The general interest articles range in topic from science and technology to global culture to studying in America. There are minor advertisements at this website. The news is available using RealAudio. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..

In the Classroom:
Ask intermediate to upper level ESL and ELL students to research, write, and record a podcast of similar news. Poll students to find out which words in the broadcast are difficult for them, and assign a few words to each student to look up and explain. Ask ESL and ELL students to share similar stories from their home cultures. Learning support teachers will want to share these easy-to-understand news stories for their students’ weekly current events “articles.”

ESL Podcasts Grade 5 to 12 - Internet TESL Journal- 9192

This site offers a continually updated variety of podcasts on news subjects at a level appropriate for ESL and ELL students. A short description tells the subject of the podcast as well as other extras like quizzes, speakers, and creators or originators. Students and teachers can listen from the Internet or download to an MP3 player or local computer. A "Read the Web Page" link takes viewers to the news article or other special feature mentioned in the broadcast. Be certain to preview the podcasts that you plan to use in your class. Some are not appropriate for elementary students and young adolescents. This website requires Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..

In the Classroom:
Use this page to listen to current events news in simple English. Play them on your speakers for an entire class or provide headphones for individual listening. Have the students try to write the main points of the podcast they listen to and then check their listening against the webpage with the original article. Special education teachers may want to use this resource as an adapted way for students to read and submit weekly current events articles. Mark this site as a favorite on your classroom computer so students can use it during their free time with headphones. Share the link on your teacher web pages for parents and students to access quickly from home, but be sure to suggest that parents of younger students monitor the topics for appropriateness.

English as a Second Language Podcast Grade 6 to 12 - Center for Educational Development- 9151

These up to date podcasts of high interest differ from other podcast sites: the language used and the speed of delivery are simpler and slower. ESL and ELL students will readily comprehend the podcasts and learn new vocabulary in context. Difficult vocabulary is explained. Summaries of each podcast on the opening webpage provide the main content and pedagogical focus. The podcasts on this site are free; students can listen to them directly from the web, download to a local computer, or place on an MP3 player. Each podcast does contain a brief advertisement for other purchasable features, including Learning Guides, complete transcripts, cultural information, and vocabulary assistance. Be sure to preview the podcasts before sharing them with your students to ensure age appropriateness. Topics are generally for older students or adults. If you download the podcasts to the computer, you will need Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..

In the Classroom:
Have your ESL and ELL students listen and write their own summaries in groups or independently. Or ask them to write comprehension questions and answers to check their own understanding and challenge classmates. Have them compare information from the podcast to information on the same subject from other sources. Challenge students to present a one-minute summary. Have them prepare their own podcasts using the same format on subjects of their choice.

Language Menu Games Grade 6 to 12 - Learnwell Oy- 9013

This highly motivating site has many interactive language review activities. Most of the review does presuppose quite a bit of language study in the target language. There are currently 36 languages to choose from. (From matching games to picture recognition to translation practice, the site offers fairly sophisticated word practice. A flag-country matching game is of general interest to all students, not just language learners. There are many advantages in using this site for ESL or ELL students. The main advantage is the capability to choose a different language for questions and answers, thus assuring specific understanding of specific words with the definitions in their first language. This site requires JAVA. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..

In the Classroom:
Mark this site in Favorites on your classroom computers for ESL and ELL students.. Provide information about this site to foreign language teachers in your school. This is a wonderful site to list in your class newsletter (if applicable) or on your class website.

100 Free Short Stories for ESL Grade 6 to 12 - Rong-Chang Li & Bill Bailey- 8915

This website provides a large collection of short stories selected for beginning and advanced beginning ESL students. The subject matter of many stories is not appropriate for younger students. Some include topics you would find in newspaper articles, and some deal with dating. Preview! The website allows you to read the story yourself or click on the speaker icon to hear the story read aloud. The site could also be used to provide extra reading and reading/listening for struggling readers. There are also an online dictionary, numerous follow-up activities to check comprehension, and crossword puzzles. The questions and other review activities provide immediate feedback. This website requires RealPlayer or Windows Media Player. You can get both from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..

In the Classroom:
Share these activities with individual students as an assignment or independent practice on your classroom computer and as a link from your web site. The reading and activities are easy to work on independently because of the listening feature and the available dictionary. Don't forget to provide headphones. Provide this link for the families of ESL/ELL students to read (or listen) to the stories together.

Picture Prompt Story Starters Grade K to 4 - Story-It- 8901

This page offers a series of illustrated, printable story prompts. Printing in portrait or landscape for larger spaces between the lines. Another option includes a black and white drawing that the children can color before or after writing the story. The pages also contain a box to write a word list for help spelling more difficult words. The story topics include many seasonal and holiday offerings, as well. Some of this site requires FLASH. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..

In the Classroom:
Use this site with beginning readers, beginning writers, and ESL students to reinforce the skill you are teaching and to show connections between reading and writing. Make it available for your active writers to choose their own prompts, too, or for parents to use at home during breaks. Special ed teachers will appreciate these prompts as a way to promote language development. Use the pictures to record students' vocabulary on the lines below as they "tell you about the picture."

Vocabulary: Applying Knowledge of Context Clues Grade 9 to 12 - Scholastic- 8847

This vocabulary lesson focuses on the work of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. By introducing the lesson with an entrancing poster that gives lots of info about Marquez very painlessly, students are intrigued to go further. As they begin to read a selection from Living to Tell the Tale , Marquez' autobiography, difficult words appear in red. Along the sides of the pages appear more intriguing questions and important information about the writer. After reading a short selection, students are given an exercise which tests their ability to use context clues. This website requires Adobe Acrobat. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..

In the Classroom:
This is a great way to get students interested in reading Marquez and also interested in reading biographies and autobiographies of great writers. Be sure to print out the poster and hang it where students can see it. Use your interactive whiteboard or projection screen to share this website with your students. Then, ask them to pick the quote from this short selection that means the most to them and have them explain why in a short writing exercise.

Learn English Vocabulary Grade 3 to 8 - LEO- 8820

This site, originally developed for German students learning English, offers an impressive number of vocabulary lists, grouped by subject category. When students see the lists, they can click on the sound icon to hear the word pronounced. The site also offers phrasal verbs, idioms, grammar, and song lists. Some of the comments and spellings are British, so may be confusing to U.S. students. However, the pronunciation of individual words and phrases is clear and helpful, even to those learning American English. This website requires Real Player. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..

In the Classroom:
Be sure to include this link on your teacher web page and newsletter - so the students can easily access this site as an online dictionary and pronunciation reference.

Language Guide Grade 1 to 12 - Language Guide- 8641

This site allows you to learn words and hear pronunciations in 11 languages (English - Français - Español - Deutsch - Português - Russian - Italiano - Polska - Greek). Select your native language and a language you wish to study. Choose a category, such as fruits, and roll your mouse over pictures to hear the word, pronounced by a native speakers. There are also sections for grammar topics, such as verb conjugation. Site extras include sound effects to accompany some pictures (hear the bark, breathing sound, and growl of the dog)! This site avoids the problems of different alphabets by working from picture to sound, though the spellings do display as little text boxes as you roll your mouse.

In the Classroom:
Use this site as a pronunciation backup when you do not have a native speaker teaching foreign language. If you have access to a lab or individual laptops, assign students to practice pronunciation as they learn new vocabulary. Be sure to share the link from your teach web page in your world language class. As you study world cultures or geography, some students may want to learn simple language selections, as well. Gifted students --especially younger ones curious about languages -- will enjoy trying to learn independently. ESL students may also use this site to hear authentic pronunciation. Speech and language and special ed teachers working on vocabulary development will want to use this site with students, as well.

Out of Place Grade K to 1 - BBC- 8493

This simple web activity (no reading required, but turn up the sound)challenges students to determine the differences between two locations and the items found there. Students simply click and drag the items to the correct picture. The pictures are both related to travel and geography. The observing, thinking, and categorizing build higher order thinking skills. The entire activity requires Flash, get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.. Be sure to visit the Teachers/Parents link to view general standards for this interactive game.

In the Classroom:
Save this website to your favorites, and then use it as a learning center. Ask children to explain why things go where they have placed them. Speech and language teachers can use this activity as part of vocabulary development, as well.

Newpapers in Education Grade 2 to 12 - Capital Newspapers- 8463

This wonderful, time-tested collection of lesson plans and activities using local newspapers offers a wide variety of motivating plans including how to use different sections of the newspaper for educational purposes, how to include multicultural programming when reading them, and how to match curricular content with various newspaper activities (Curriculum Guides). Although these activities originally went with WI newspapers, the activities are flexible. A Special Programs section offers timely, short-term projects that correspond with holidays and seasons and current hot topics. One example of an activity for younger children is the Newshounds Activity Guide for grades 4-6, downloadable in pdf format. The goals of this guide include meshing reading, writing, vocabulary development, and understanding the different parts of a newspaper. Other guides are equally well-developed.

In the Classroom:
Although some of the lessons described here require actual hard-copy newspapers, many can be adapted for the online versions of newspapers, as well. If your schools does not have the means to receive actual newspapers, consider using this resource or this one to find online papers and conduct some of the same lessons. In the course of the discussion, you will inevitably run into some of the differences between hard copy and online newspapers, a topic of basic information literacy in the 21st century as printed papers are rapidly supplanted by online editions.

VoiceThread Grade K to 12 - VoiceThread- 8315

TeachersFirst Edge entry: for moderately adventurous technology users. Voicethread allows you to upload images (from your digital camera, scanner, or even paint program), then allow students to record their own comments and/or narration about the images. Other listeners can "comment" back, as well. TeachersFirst is providing the link to the VoiceThread home page but suggests that you first watch this quick explanation about two types of FREE educator memberships being offered for classroom teachers (one completely free, the other after a one time fee of $10...so "sort of" free). You can click to go to the home page from there. Access to the ed.voicethread site (as opposed to www.voicethread)is restricted to grades K-12 students, educators, and administrators.

VoiceThread explains how to set up a classroom account and has some ideas for classroom use, as well. Ideas from the TeachersFirst Edge review team are listed below, under "In the classroom."

This site requires FLASH. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

In the Classroom:
Skills needed: join the site (free). You will be logged into your account immediately after you fill in the registration form. 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. You will want to "Browse" some Voicethreads to get an idea how they work. Use first names only. You need to know how to locate and upload saved pictures. 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 copying the URL and sending it via email or other means, inviting others to comment back. You can also decide whether you wish to allow comments and whether these comments will be moderated by you.

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!

Safety/security: TeachersFirst recommends that you explain the VoiceThread projects via a note sent home and obtain parent permission to post student work to the web, even anonymously. Then 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.

Possible uses: 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.

Guess-the-Google Grade K to 12 - Grant Robinson- 8225

Creative flexibility is the skill that lets you see things many different ways and think of multiple meanings of words. Your students need this skill to argue both sides of an issue, solve geometry proofs, interpret data in science, solve word problems, or interpret vocabulary words in a reading passage. Guess-the-Google is an ideal tool to build creative thinking-- specifically flexibility-- and loosen up minds to consider more than one option for any problem. The game is simple: look at the montage of images and guess what word/words were searched to find these results. Click "Launch Project" to start the game.

This site requires FLASH. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page..

In the Classroom:
Project this site for two minutes at the start of any class to get creative minds moving and encourage creative flexibility in approaching challenging curriculum topics. Language Arts and ESL teachers will like this as a vocabulary development tool in one-on-one or small group settings. The reverse site, Montage-a-Google will show students how the montages are created, if they are having difficulty understanding the game to start with. Warning: once you use this, students will be hooked and beg "for just one more." Be sure to include the link on your teacher web page for them to access during recess, study halls, and time at home.

Kerpoof Grade K to 4 - Kerpoof.com- 7759

Kerpoof is a site designed to inspire creativity among children as they interact with the pictures. They can select a scene and add items to the scene and/or adjust object sizes . The scenes are richly varied, containing fantasy as well as international items. The site promises to change often. You can also find coloring sheets to print and color. You and your students can customize your own scenes, if you join (see classroom use tips). Editor's notes: In spring, 2007, this site became rather sluggish in opening. We suspect it has gained popularity, and the multiple users are slowing it down. Be patient!

In the Classroom:
Use these online "scenes" for students to create their own writing prompts. Let students choose (you might want to limited their options to save time)and work individually or create a scene for the whole class on an interactive whiteboard. Then print it out and ask students to tell the story or write the paragraph about the scene. Special ed teachers and speech/language clinicians can use Kerpoof to prompt vocabulary development. Incorporate social studies and science curriculum topics by describing scenes with community workers, careers, farm animals, and more. NO reading required except to select print, save, etc.

If you "join" as a teacher, you can save the scenes your class creates and revisit them at a later date. Do NOT allow students to join unless you have parent permission. The information requested is very safe, but it would be simpler to use a whole-class account.

Basketball Grade 6 to 12 - Vocabulary.com- 7757

As part of their extensive site for vocabulary, roots, and more, Vocabulary.com has added a themed area just in time for March Madness. Find interactive vocabulary activities using basketball-related (not limited to basketball) vocabulary words. You will also find printable crosswords, fill in the blanks and more, all using the same 18 theme words. This and other "themes" available on the site will make vocabulary development fun.

In the Classroom:
Include the link on your teacher web page as you introduce the thematic word list. Give students a choice of completing one or more of the several activities to master the words.

Thanksgiving Day Vocabulary Grade 3 to 8 - Myvocabulary.com- 7189

This Thanksgiving website provides the teachers and students with some new ideas for Thanksgiving vocabulary. The interactive activity challenges students to figure out several word puzzles. There is also a wordbank and lesson plan ideas. Many of the puzzles are printable.

In the Classroom:
Get an interactive whiteboard or projector and challenge your students with these unique word puzzles. The narrators of this interactive site are conversation starters (for example, Sam Mantics is the dean and Cinny Nym is another "vocabulary" narrator). Discuss with your students what these names actually represent (semantics and synonyms). This is a great activity for November vocabulary development.

Materials 1 Grade K to 4 - Crick Web- 7145

This site has three parts (students move onto the next part by clicking "next"). The first activity challenges students to "click and drag" words to their appropriate label spot on a picture. The materials include glass, brick, tile, paper, plastic, wool, wood and metal. The second activity is a table that asks students to "drop" the correct word or picture onto the corresponding spot on the table. The topics on the table include the material name, picture example and property. The final activity is a writing challenge. Students are presented with two pictures. The students must answer three questions about the pictures. To type on the page, students simply click their mouse to where they want to insert their answers. Once students are finished with this activity, they may click to print. This site requires FLASH.

In the Classroom:
Try an interactive whiteboard for the first two activities. If you choose to make the final activity a class activity, project the questions onto a screen or whiteboard and challenge the students to answer the three questions independently. Used as a simple drag and drop, this site can help with vocabulary development for children with speech/language deficits.

Labeling a Street Scene Grade 1 to 5 - Crick Web- 7113

This unique animated sight challenges students to label a scene. There are two choices of scenery (playground or busy street). There are five annotation spaces for students to fill in their own original thoughts. This is a highly creative activity. This site requires FLASH. If you see a blank screen, download the Flash plugin from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

In the Classroom:
This site could be used in a variety of ways in English and other subjects. Ask the younger children to simply fill in 1-2 word phrases, while the older students can be challenged to write more complex statements. Speech and language teachers can use it for vocabulary development, as well.

Takako's Great Adventure Grade 4 to 6 - Brian Rhodes- 6965

A story in 10 serial units for ESL students leads a newcomer to Canada and the English-speaking world through the agonies of arrival, acculturation, education in a new setting, and making friends. Text offers vocabulary definition through hyperlinks; audio version is available with a Shockwave plugin. (Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.) Besides the story, vocabulary, and pronunciation, sets of comprehension questions include work on word meanings and online reviews and quizzes which make use of standard reading attack skills. The stories are available in PDF downloads as well as on screen at the left. Audio files are available for MP3 downloads also.

In the Classroom:
Use the stoies for ESl students to increase understanding or for your weak readers to develop reading strategies such as vocabulary development and comprehension. MP3 files offer the option of putting the stories on MP3 players for ESL students to listen to on the bus or at home.

Daily Buzz Word Grade 6 to 12 - Merriam Webster- 5894

This is a just-for-fun site that actually helps to build vocabulary skills. Each day a new and challenging word is posted, along with information on what it means and how to use it. You can even click on the "hear it" button to find out how it's pronounced. There's even a related "Word Whiz" quiz to test knowledge of etymology.

In the Classroom:
Include this link on your teacher web page or share it on the your interactive whiteboard or screen as students enter class each day. During your unit on word roots and affixes, challenge students to find the root of today's word. Invite students to create their own personal vocabulary journal using this and other vocabulary tools found from TeachersFirst's vocabulary development listings. Maybe even create a class vocabulary wiki with individual or student group pages and allow students to creatively define and illustrate their new-found words.

Plumb Design Visual Thesaurus Grade 4 to 12 - Plumb Design- 4418

Here’s a truly wonderful writer’s tool that provides great results in a highly visual form that’s much more useful than the simple listings most thesauruses use. It’s a tool whose presentation style actually encourages use. You can only look up a limited number of words under the free trial, so use it when you really need it. A subscription and/or downloadable version are available for a fee.

In the Classroom:
As you study vocabulary or discuss word choice in writing, open this site on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Just as students need "number sense" in math, this tool develops "word sense" in seeing relationships between words. Your visual learners will start to see new possibilities. After your class explores a few words together, try making your own word thesaurus webs using a tool such as bubbl.us reviewed here.