How to Run a Classroom Vocabulary Game

Who this is for: Teachers and educators who want to engage students with vocabulary practice through a word game.

Mr. Torres, a high school biology teacher, wants to run a classroom game where students practice biology vocabulary on a projected tablet.

Steps

1. Prepare your word list. Use a built-in educational list (Grade 9–12 Vocabulary or Biology Terms from the Word Lists tab) or create a custom list with your specific curriculum terms. See Create a Custom Word List for building a prepared vocabulary list.
2. Tap "New Game" on the Play tab.
3. Add student players. Add 2–4 student names. For a classroom projection, pass-and-play works well with students taking turns at the device.
4. Select your vocabulary list as the game dictionary. Students can only play words from this list (or standard dictionary words, depending on your list type configuration).
5. Select "Clean" as your validation dictionary if you want to allow standard English words in addition to your domain terms.
6. Tap "Start Game."
7. Project the game on your classroom screen. Students take turns placing vocabulary terms on the board.
8. Track learning. Words from your custom vocabulary list played during the game receive normal scoring. After the game, review the game history to see which vocabulary words each student used.

Expected Outcome

Students practice domain vocabulary through gameplay. The game history (accessible from the History tab) shows all words played by each player, making it easy to review which terms students engaged with.

Notes

• Grade-level lists (6–8 and 9–12 Vocabulary) and Biology Terms are built-in read-only lists.
• Import your own class-specific vocabulary as a custom list using a text file — one term per line.
• For younger students, consider the Grade 6–8 list with Easy AI to keep the game competitive without being overwhelming.