Reviewing vocabulary words for testing (SAT) can be a boring process. With traditional lists or flashcards, the words aren’t relevant and often don’t stick. We were asked to review a website that could take away that “boring” factor and help the words make sense – VocabVideos.
The website is easy to navigate. We were given the subscription for a small educator (up to 20 students) which is $74.99 for 12 months. They also offer student accounts for $24.99 (6 months access) and $39.99 (12 months access). The teacher’s dashboard makes it easy to see the progress and problem areas of all of the students.
There are the typical printables for vocabulary learning – crossword puzzles, etc. and flashcards. At the end of each video the user can click right on to complete a quiz of the 20 words covered. There is a time indicated, but the score is not affected by going beyond the time listed. Upon completion of the quiz the answers are shown along with what was answered. I like being able to see exactly what was wrong so that the correct definition can be reinforced while it is fresh in mind.
The videos are professionally done. The vocabulary words presented one at a time. Black screen, white lettering with word and definition as well as read by an announcer. Then a short segment of the “show” illustrating the word. The 20 words covered within each episode are listed below the viewing screen in the order presented.
The videos are definitely entertaining. We have not watched much television lately, so I am not sure what shows they were to be a parody of. Some of the stories I expected to hint at questionable language. You know, the kind perfectly acceptable anymore but not what I want to expose my children to more than what they already are through regular interactions. By the titles, some stories you would expect to push that line with some words, but they didn’t. The other storyline we watched did. The words are not of the bleeped variety, but of the type that years ago would have been forbidden on TV.
I really like the concept and ease of use of the site. You will have to decide for yourself about the language. Some families may not notice the words; others may feel the need to immediately shut the window down. The majority fall somewhere in between. By the time your children are of the age to be preparing for exams such as the SAT, they probably will have been exposed and this language will be a non-issue. I was reviewing this with my 11 year old, 6th grade daughter. She didn’t get to complete some of the stories we started.
I was proud of how well she did with the vocabulary. She averaged 3 or 4 wrong out of 20. For a rising 6th grader that is still struggling to read at a 4th grade level, I think it’s awesome. She has exposure to a strong vocabulary from the living books we read aloud. A program like Vocab Videos is nice to sum up and learn the rare word that may not have been encountered. I would fully recommend it were it not for the un-necessary language.
Be sure to check out all of the reviews. Many of the reviewers used Vocab Videos with actual teenagers – be sure to read their thoughts.
