Vocabulary is an important part of a robust curriculum. Depending on how vocabulary instruction is introduced and utilized, it can be an amazing opportunity for students to learn new words in an engaging and interactive way.
Our Vocabulary Power Plus Online program is an easy-to-use, personalized learning tool for students to discover, practice, and understand academic words they will likely see in secondary and post-secondary texts. In fact, most of the words in our programs have been on recent SAT and ACT exams.
Vocabulary Power Plus Online came from the need to create a digital platform for our popular Vocabulary Power Plus books for grades 9-12, which have sold approximately 1.5 million copies. We wanted to give teachers and students an easy, interactive way to learn more than 1,200 vocabulary words over the four-level series in a self-paced environment.
Vocabulary Power Plus Online uses short, frequent vocabulary activities that help reinforce students’ understanding and acquisition of new words. Each grade-specific course comprises 21 lessons. Each lesson consists of three five-word segments, with 15 words total per lesson. One segment takes a typical student approximately 15 minutes to complete. Each segment has four sections students will work through: Learn, Practice, Show, and Apply. There is a password-protected quiz at the end of each lesson.
The Program’s Four Sections
The Learn section introduces the word and its definition and has a listening option for students who are auditory learners.
The Practice section allows students to start interacting with the words by completing a word-to-definition matching activity. Then, they move on to a multiple-choice activity in which they identify similar and dissimilar words.
In the Show section, students will read sentences. For each sentence, they will decide which vocabulary word best relates to it. Then, they will complete a fill-in-the-blank activity in which they choose the correct vocabulary word for each sentence.
Increasing the rigor even more, the Apply section tasks students with using the words in context by completing a paragraph. They will then move on to choosing sentences in which the vocabulary words are used properly.
Students and teachers should think of Vocabulary Power Plus Online as a learning tool, not an assessment. They can repeat the activities as many times as they wish. Doing so will greatly help with reinforcement for long-term retention. The quizzes can be used as a checkpoint to gauge a student’s readiness to move on to the next segment.
How Teachers Use It in the Classroom
Many teachers use the Vocabulary Power Plus Online program as a warm-up or an extra-time activity. Because it can be accessed anywhere there is an internet connection, work time is not limited to the classroom, allowing students to complete lessons at their own pace.
Another benefit of the program is that it is graded automatically. Students can see their results immediately. An easy-to-use gradebook gives teachers detailed views of how an individual or a class is performing.
Easy to Use
Here at Prestwick House, we know that teachers don’t need one more task on their to-do list. When you purchase Vocabulary Power Plus Online, you will work directly with our Digital Vocabulary Lead, Kelley Cole. Kelley will upload your classes, enroll your students, and answer any questions you have as the year progresses.
If you would like a free trial account to check out the program for yourself, contact Kelley at kelley@prestwickhouse.com, and she will send you instructions and a link. You can also request a copy of a webinar that explains both the student and teacher sides of the program.
Vocabulary Power Plus Online
Created for grades 9-12, this completely digital program is designed to improve your students’ vocabulary skills in just a few minutes a week. Over the course of the series, your students will learn more than 1,200 high-level words, thanks to interactive exercises and context-based activities. Free trial accounts are available now!
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