Tag Archives: vocabulary

November Science News

Posted on by
Reply

Focus on Vocabulary

One of the keys to mastering any subject area is understanding the terminology it uses. This is particularly true for technical subjects like science. Castle Learning Online assists students in rising to this challenge by providing a comprehensive glossary of vocabulary terms for each course that can be used in several ways to “learn the lingo.”

  • Links to vocabulary terms related to a specific question are displayed along with hints and reasons when students are working on short-answer assignments. Click on the link to read about the term. As well as focusing on the “right” answer, some links may pertain to the distracters to help students rule out the “wrong” answer choices!
  • A set of flash cards containing the terms related to all questions is automatically generated each time teachers create an assignment. Students can view the flash cards at any time by clicking the Flash Card icon in the list of assignments for a given course.
  • Teachers can design their own flash card assignments and assign them to students.
  • Under the Activities for any course, students can review the vocabulary terms for the entire course. Click ‘Vocabulary Review’ on the Activities page. The terms are arranged alphabetically.

Information that pops up about the vocabulary term features its definition, but may also include an illustration, an example, or extra information about the term. For customers with ReadSpeaker enabled, students can also listen to the information on the vocabulary term as they read along!

Sample vocabulary term from Elementary Science

Vocabulary term - birdSample vocabulary term from Intermediate Science

Vocabulary term - deciduous treesSample vocabulary term from Chemistry

Vocabulary term - ethylene glycolSample Physics question showing links to terms used in the question, in the “right” answer, and in distracters.

Vocabulary term - physics question

Elementary English Primary Grade Material

Posted on by
Reply

Elementary-English-UnitSection-FundamentalSkills

The Castle Learning English Curriculum team has just released “sample questions” from the new Primary Grade Units housed in the course: Elementary English.

Two new units have been added to the Elementary English database specifically created for students in primary grades (K-2).

The Fundamental Skills Unit currently contains questions in which students can refine the following rudimentary skills:

  • Alphabet
  • Beginning Sounds
  • Word Families

Elementary-English-SA-6135-LetterK

The Dolch Sight Words Unit currently contains audio spelling questions for all Dolch Sight Words.  Students listen to the sight word, hear the word used in a sentence, and then listen to the word again.  The Dolch Sight Words are organized into the following categories:

  • Pre-primer
  • Primer
  • Grade 1
  • Grade 2
  • Grade 3

Elementary-English-SA-7085

 

Remember! This is just a “sample.” The curriculum team plans to add new activities and units that are K-2 appropriate. We’d love to hear what you think so far!

 

New Vocabulary Links in the Elementary English Course

Posted on by
Reply

Castle Learning’s English Curriculum team has just completed new vocabulary links in the course: Elementary English.  The new vocabulary definitions have been re-written at a reading level appropriate for primary grade learners.  The definitions’ font, color and size have all been changed to appeal to the needs of young readers.  When appropriate, Castle Learning also provided images and pictures to help drive a specific point home.

It’s easy for teachers to reinforce vocabulary skills by using the vocabulary definitions that are automatically linked to Castle Learning questions.  Additionally, these definitions can be made into Flashcard assignments.

Castle Learning Flash Card - Elementary English Part of Speech

New Public Assignments in Learning English

Posted on by
Reply

Castle Learning has just released 9 new public short answer assignments in the course: Learning English.

Learning English Public Assignment in Castle Learning

This is an addition to the 80+ public assignments released Summer 2011.

  • 14:1-1 Body Parts
  • 14:1-2 Body Parts – Group 1
  • 14:1-3 Body Parts – Group 2
  • 14:1-4 Body Parts – Group 3
  • 15:1-1 Countries
  • 16:1-1 Shapes
  • 16:1-2 Shapes – Group 1
  • 16:1-3 Shapes – Group 2
  • 16:1-4 Shapes – Group 3

There are also 16 new public flash card assignments.

  • Body Parts
  • Learning English Flash Cards of CountriesColors
  • Countries
  • Creatures of the Earth
  • Emotions
  • Fruits
  • Furniture
  • Healthy Life Style
  • Holidays/Celebrate
  • Numbers 0-10
  • Profession/Career
  • Rooms
  • School Items
  • Shapes
  • Sports
  • Vegetables

The topical flash card assignments are great “prep” assignments for students to use before they take the short answer assignments. All of the flash cards contain colorful images that are not only fun but useful!

Elementary English Homophone Announcement

Posted on by
Reply
Castle Learning Online’s Elementary English Course has just released 100 new HOMOPHONE questions.  The additions to the Unit: Spelling include:

  • Fifty new reading questions: students read a sentence and determine the appropriate homophone.
  • Fifty new audio questions: students listen to a homophone used in a sentence, then spell the correct homophone.
All of the questions use artwork in the hints and reasons to assist students in their quest to master homophones.
Castle Learning plans to release 100 additional homophone questions in the course Intermediate English.  These questions should arrive shortly and are more difficult than those in the Elementary English database.

Elementary English New Unit: Vowels

Posted on by
Reply

Castle Learning Online is proud to introduce a new unit, Vowels, in the course Elementary English.  The new unit contains 5 sections and 200 audio questions.

Students listen to a specific word and are asked to determine the correct vowel sound.  Hints provide the students with visual assistance and reasons provide similar words with the same vowel sound.  To add questions from the new Vowel unit in Elementary English: Continue reading →

Course: Learning English Focuses on Improving Basic Reading and Language Skills

Posted on by
Reply

When Castle Learning Online launched ESL: English as a Second Language one year ago, it was a giant step forward in the company’s commitment improving basic reading and language skills by offering a growing data base that already exceeds 12,000 questions. This course’s new, more accurate title, Learning English,emphasizes its design for use with English language learners, elementary English students, and special education/life skill students. Focused on the most important common goals among these three groups of learners, the result is a rich course that students and teacher will appreciate for its creative and stimulating approach. Here are some of the highlights of Learning English: Continue reading →