August 2014
WHAT WORKS?
A research-into-practice series produced by a partnership between the Student
Achievement Division and the Ontario Association of Deans of Education
How can teachers work within
principles of 21st century learning
to help students gain knowledge
of how words work?
Research Tells Us
Knowledge of words continues to be
one of the best predictors of reading
achievement.
Vocabulary appears to be diminishing
in todays students.
In the early grades, wide gaps have
been found in vocabulary among
diverse students.
Digital technologies can present
an alternative way of teaching
word study and responds to the
new and emerging literacies of
children and youth.
RUTH MCQUIRTER SCOTT, ED.D., is
a professor in the Faculty of Education,
Brock University. She has written
extensively about word study and
has a particular interest in linking
educational technology with best
practices in literacy.
Research into Practice
Research Monograph #54
Using Digital Technologies to
Support Word Study Instruction
By Ruth McQuirter Scott
Brock University
Knowledge of words continues to be one of the best predictors of reading
achievement.1,2 Yet, sadly, vocabulary appears to be diminishing in todays
students.3 Beginning in the early grades, wide gaps have been found in
vocabulary among diverse students, which has obvious implications for
reading and overall academic success.4 In this digital age, traditional
methods of teaching spelling and vocabulary have been criticized as inef-
fective and failing to engage student interest. For example, memorizing
lists of words for spelling dictation or writing out the definitions of new
vocabulary and using the words in sentences do not fit with principles
of 21st century learning, such as collaboration, higher level thinking
and independent exploration of ideas.5,6
An Alternative Way of Teaching Word Study
Nonetheless, word study continues to be important in the digital age.
Students encounter a wide range of vocabulary as they search multiple
websites, listen to video and audio files, and engage in social media. Digital
technologies can present an alternative way of teaching word study, while
still addressing many concerns of traditional paper-and-pencil resources.
For example, tablets (such as iPads) offer applications that allow for
the customization of spelling and word study. Rather than all students
learning the same words at the same time in the same manner, students
can be engaged in a wide variety of games that appeal to visual, auditory
and tactile senses. Further, tablets multi-touch screens are appealing to
kinesthetic learners.7
Such digital devices can be used for individual learning, small group
collaboration or whole group instruction. Feedback is usually immediate,
with a variety of rewards built into the application. Students can control
The Student Achievement Division is committed to providing teachers with current research
on instruction and learning. The opinions and conclusions contained in these monographs are,
however, those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policies, views, or directions
of the Ontario Ministry of Education or the Student Achievement Division.

Benefits at a glance ...
enrich word study for a wide
variety of learners
allow differentiation for ability
level, pacing and auditory/visual
features
encourage collaboration
help reinforce previous learning
and/or enable exploration of
new concepts
2 What Works? Research into Practice
the pace of their learning and, often, the level of difficulty. If they become
bored with one game, they can often select a different application that
addresses the same learning needs. Use of digital technologies responds
to the new and emerging literacies of children and youth.8 Teachers do
not need to know everything about the technology, but they do need to
be willing to learn along with their students; this promotes reciprocal
teaching and joint ownership of spelling and vocabulary study.9
Digital technologies enable teachers to address the needs of a wide
variety of learners and promote inclusive classrooms. Teachers can select
word study applications that are appropriate for specific students or for
guided reading and writing groups with similar needs. The many options
built into most applications allow differentiation for ability level, pacing,
and auditory or visual features. The portability of tablets encourages
collaboration, and their interactive nature appeals to a range of learning
styles. Teachers can use applications to reinforce concepts that have been
taught previously or to encourage students to broaden their vocabularies
and spelling knowledge through more advanced applications.
Selecting Appropriate Technologies
Seemingly simple technologies can become rich learning experiences
when teachers help students go beyond surface-level game activities.10
Selecting appropriate technologies and/or applications for word study
can be guided by questions such as the following:
Does this application contain content that addresses the assessed
spelling needs of my students?
Does this application provide content in line with word study expecta-
tions in The Ontario Curriculum Grades 1 8: Language?11
Does this application deal with spelling patterns, and, if so, are the
patterns appropriate for my students? (Many applications do not go
beyond basic phonics principles.)
Does this application teach new concepts about spelling or word build-
ing, or does it assume students already possess this word knowledge?
Teachers should be aware that decisions they make about the implementa-
tion of technology are often influenced by their personal belief systems.12
Thus, those who believe that spelling is a skill that essentially involves
memorizing words may select applications that reflect this orientation.
Teachers who value collaboration and higher level thinking may encourage
students to work together building words through applications such as
Whirly Word and to discuss strategies for creating as many words as
possible. Similarly, teachers who are committed to linking assessment and
instruction may select applications that balance the needs of individuals
or groups of students.
Ensuring a Successful Experience
Teachers in new literacies classrooms co-construct knowledge with
their students. Through multimodal experiences, they move students
from passive to active learners who use language for dynamic, real-world
purposes.13 To ensure a successful experience, invite students to reflect
on the following questions as they use word study applications:
How will this application help me to grow as a reader, speaker or writer?
How can I use what I already know about words to play this application?
What word study strategies helped me to succeed in this game?
 Some Sample Word Study Applications
Selecting applications to provide rich learning experiences can be a
challenge. The field of application development for education is still in its
infancy, and offerings vary greatly in quality and suitability for children.
Careful selection of digital word study resources can make them an excit-
ing and effective addition to a teachers repertoire of tools for creating
a classroom that is engaging and inclusive for all students. Websites For reviews of
that review educational applications can help teachers make appropriate applications ...
selections, as can the following lists of some recommended applications.
AppoLearning
Spelling City offers several activities, such as word match, unscrambling
www.appolearning.com
words, dictations and cloze exercises; lists are provided or customizable.
Spelling Millionaire 2 requires players to select the correctly-spelled Childrens Technology Review
word from four choices. www.childrenstech.com.
Word Mess involves linking words that rhyme or that share the same
meaning category.
Bluster requires students to match words based on patterns such as
rhyme or word structure.
Daily Sentence Editing (by grade level) provides practice correcting
capitalization and punctuation.
Wordle, Whirly Word and Word Tree 3D invite students to play by
combining letters to create words.
Words of Wonder Disney presents a version of word-search puzzles.
Simplex Spelling Phonics (by grade level) teaches a wide range of
phonics patterns.
Scribblenaut is a video game application in which the player over-
comes obstacles by typing the name of a needed object (e.g., ladder).
Word Mover challenges students to create found poetry using either
word banks provided or creating their own.
Apples and Pears: Apples and Pairs requires students to match pairs
of synonyms or antonyms.
7 Little Words for Kids involves combining letter clusters on a grid
to form answers to word clues.
Mad Libs asks students to supply random words according to desig-
nated parts of speech to create humorous stories.
Additionally, open-ended approaches to vocabulary development can be
accomplished using applications that are normally used for brainstorming
or sorting. For example, students can generate lists of words and display
them with Kidspiration, Corkulous or Stickboard. Words can then be
sorted into categories based on meaning, parts of speech, spelling or
word structure patterns. Pic Collage and Linoit allow users to download
pictures from online sources or from the tablets photo library and create
collages. Students can be challenged to create a collage representing
new vocabulary in a variety of subjects.

Remixing New Literacy Approaches

Instructional models can be remixed with new literacy approaches.13
Rather than replacing traditional literacy practices, new literacy
approaches can build on the foundations already established in
classrooms. One such example is the Gradual Release of Responsibility
Model,14 which provides a variety of opportunities for teachers to include
tablets for word study within the literacy block.

August 2014 3
An application of the Gradual Release of Responsi-
bility Model at the Grade 6 level, for example, could
focus on word building. The teacher might begin by
modelling an application, and gradually move the
students toward greater independence. The number
of tablets available will, of course, affect the decisions
teachers make. The instructional cycle might proceed
as follows:
Whole Class: Teacher reviews basic concepts of
prefixes, base words and suffixes, and discusses the
importance of understanding how longer words
are constructed. Teacher introduces the Bluster
application and demonstrates how to select the
prefixes/suffixes option. Students participate in
a round.
Small Group: Students engage in a variety of
activities related to reading and writing more
complex words.
Group 1, Centre Work: Students, in pairs or
small teams, play Bluster.
Group 2, Online Word Study: With teacher
support, students explore online sources such as
Teaching Kids News www.teachingkidsnews.com
for words containing familiar prefixes, base words
and suffixes. They work together to determine
common meanings of the prefixes. Then they
sort words by similar word elements and build
more words to fit each category. Throughout,
the teacher asks students to reflect on how this
knowledge enhances their reading skills.
Group 3, Centre Work: Students focus on one
prefix (e.g., re or inter) and create a web using
as many words as possible with this prefix. They
photograph the web and display it using Show Me
or create the web on an application such as
Kidspiration.
Whole Class Sharing: Class reconvenes to share
what they have learned about complex words and to
reflect on the importance of this word knowledge for
their oral and written vocabularies as well as their
function as readers. They also explore the relevance
of this knowledge in content areas.
In Sum
Digital technologies offer the potential for enrich-
ing word study in ways that traditional print texts
are unable to do. While digital devices have many
advantages, the applications currently available for
word study need to be carefully assessed by teachers
prior to selection. Decisions should be based on a
combination of the teachers awareness of relevant
technology, content knowledge of key concepts
in spelling and vocabulary, and understanding of
effective pedagogy. In this way, students can be
engaged in word study that meets their needs and
interests and promotes growth in understanding
how words work.
This research was supported by a grant from the
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

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