WordSift for Academic Vocabulary Learning

Research has shown that vocabulary knowledge highly correlates with academic success in reading, writing, test scores and grades. For English Language Learners, it is important that we teach words as tools for understanding and for communicating meaning (Zwiers, 2008). One useful online tool educators can use to help ELLs better understand specific academic vocabulary is WordSift. With WordSift, one can cut and paste any text and the program will immediately identify important words that appear in the text. A student can then click on one of the words view images and videos that relate to it, view its relationships to other words, as well as see how the word is viewed in the text.



Here is a screenshot of WordSift when Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have A Dream Speech" is inputted.







There are various ways a teacher could use this online program in the classroom.



A teacher can use it to prepare a lesson on a specific text to find challenging words or concepts. Images and videos that appear on WordSift can be used in the classroom to help aid understanding.



WordSift can also be used by the class to preview the text in order to improve reading comprehension. Students can identify key vocabulary that occur frequently and skim the text to see how the vocabulary is used.



WordSift is free to use and registration is not needed.