Eight Tools and Features for Practicing Vocabulary

published by Mike Neumire on 2/12/2026

If you're curious about ways you can leverage edtech to impact vocabulary development, explore the eight resources below 

Gimkit

Gimkit is a gamified question platform, in the same category as Kahoot and Quizizz (Wayground). While Kahoot and Quizizz offer more traditional quizzing games, Gimkit offers a wide variety of 2D video games that run on multiple choice questions. In some cases, students have to answer questions correctly to get "energy" to move around, and in others they have to answer questions to get bait to go fishing. You can do the traditional stuff too, but it's the 2D games that make it stand out. It is powerful for vocabulary because it builds in repeated retrieval in a format students genuinely enjoy. You can design question sets that go beyond definitions by including examples, non-examples, context clues, and application questions. The game mechanics keep students engaged long enough to get the repetition that vocabulary actually requires. It works especially well for spiral review over time.

Key Features:

• Live and asynchronous game modes

• Repeated question cycles for retrieval practice

• Power-ups and game mechanics for motivation

• KitCollab for student-generated questions

• "Draw it" game for visual representation

• Gimkit Creative, a game map builder that promotes creativity and computational thinking

FAQ

Do we pay for it?
Yes, we pay for Gimkit. 

Can I see assessment data?
Yes, you can see reports when students play Gimkit games. 

Does it require student accounts?
Students don't need to login to play live games, but do need to login and be part of a class for you to use the homework feature. 

Try it out:

While the live version of Gimkit requires teachers to host the game, and the homework version requires a classroom to be set up to assign it to, you can get practice links to any of your kits (sets of questions / terms) that anyone can practice with, no account needed: https://www.gimkit.com/practice/62309639bca38c0023025753 

Magic School

Magic School is an education-specific AI platform that helps teachers design rich vocabulary experiences without adding hours to their prep time. In addition to generating definitions, examples, non-examples, and differentiated supports, teachers can create custom chatbots that students interact with directly. These bots can function as vocabulary tutors, prompting students to use terms in context, ask clarifying questions, or explain their reasoning. They can also facilitate game-based practice, such as acting as a quiz host, mystery character, or debate moderator who requires students to use target words accurately in order to advance.

Key Features:

• Custom chatbot creation for student interaction

• AI-generated definitions, analogies, examples, and non-examples

• Custom designed vocabulary tutor chatbots that prompt and give feedback

• Game-style chatbot experiences (quiz host, role-play, challenges)

• Differentiation and reading level adjustments

FAQ

Do we pay for it?
Yes, we pay for the enterprise version of Magic School.

Can I see assessment data?
Yes, you can see chat history when students interact with your chatbots, you can see quiz results when you have students take quizzes using Magic School's new quiz feature, and you can submit student writing to Magic School's new class writing feedback tool to have it grade the writing based on your feedback. 

Does it require student accounts?
It does not require students to login to use, but that option is available if you prefer. 

Try it out:

It's easy to create a "room" in Magic School and fill that room with tools that students can interact with. Here is an example of a room with a vocabulary yes/no guessing game: https://student.magicschool.ai/s/join?joinCode=5SZHWw

Knowt

Knowt has tried its best to recreate the functionality of Quizlet, Kahoot, and Magic School, but for the purposes of this blog, it is just the Quizlet and Kahoot-style features that interest us. It supports vocabulary through structured flashcards, matching games, learning sets, practice quizzes, and automatic spaced repetition. It also has "Knowt Play" which is a live set of game modes that resemble Kahoot. With Knowt, students can review terms over time rather than cramming the night before a quiz, which aligns with what we know about memory and retention. Teachers can import terms quickly or generate sets from existing materials. It is simple, efficient, and ideal for independent practice.

Key Features:

• Digital flashcards

• Spaced repetition system

• AI-generated study sets

• Practice tests and matching games

• Easy import from documents or slides

FAQ

Do we pay for it?
No we do not currently pay for Knowt. 

Can I see assessment data?
Yes, you can see analytics as students practice vocabulary in your classes. 

Does it require student accounts?
Yes, students are required to login to access this resource. 

Try it out:

To use Knowt's tools, you have to create an account and join a class: https://knowt.com/class/join?classId=7mwfsa 

Google Notebook LM 

Notebook LM, by Google, is an AI-powered study tool meant to loosely resemble a notebook. When you create a notebook, you start by adding resources. These resources could be websites, Youtube videos (with transcripts), PDF files, or any other source of textual information. The notebook then treats those resources as the foundational knowledge on which it bases everything it creates. Once you have added all your resources, you get a typical AI chat space, as well as a studio space. The studio space is what makes Notebook LM noteworthy, no pun intended. In it, you can generate things like an audio overview, which is essentially an AI podcast episode with two AI characters discussing the information contained within the resources. You can also generate flashcards, a video overview, a slide deck, and more. 

Key Features:

• Digital flashcards

• Audio overview (podcast episode)

• Video overview 

• Slide deck

• Resource knowledge base

FAQ

Do we pay for it?
No, we do not pay for Google's Notebook LM tool, but get most of its features for free.

Can I see assessment data?
No, Notebook LM is structured as a study tool so it doesn't report data to a teacher. 

Does it require student accounts?
Yes, students are required to login with their Google accounts. 

Try it out:

Check out this notebook on the CSDF standards: https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/f023d4d1-34aa-454c-9b79-687847d79223 

Canva Code

Canva Code is an AI tool by Canva that generates functional tools and games based on your prompts. When you enter a prompt, Canva Code will start writing the code for the tool or game that you can watch as it happens. When it's done, you can test out the tool or game and then continue prompting Canva Code to make any necessary revisions. You can build matching games, typing challenges, drag-and-drop activities, or mini quizzes tailored to your exact vocabulary lists. You could even challenge students to create their own tools or games based on a particular vocabulary word, or have them create flashcards they can use to study. This moves vocabulary practice from static slides to interactive learning experiences. You can build your own custom learning experiences that you envision, without having to know how to code. 

Key Features:

• AI-generated interactive games

• Embeddable widgets

• Custom prompts for tailored activities

• Drag-and-drop and typing interactions

• Seamless integration into Canva designs

FAQ

Do we pay for it?
No, but Canva provides educators all of their features for free. The only catch is you can't sell your creations! 

Can I see assessment data?
Yes, you can include language in your prompts to direct Canva to attach a spreadsheet and track data however you prefer. This will not necessarily happen by default, so you need to make sure you have language in your prompting to direct it to do so. 

Does it require student accounts?
All students have Canva accounts already, but accounts are not required for students to use your game or tool. If you want students to create their own games or tools with Canva Code, they need to be logged into Canva. 

Try it out:

Check out this emoji guessing game where you have to try to guess the vocabulary word based on the three emoji puzzle provided: https://levelupedtech.my.canva.site/emojiguessinggame 

Flippity Templates 

Flippity transforms Google Sheets into interactive vocabulary tools with minimal setup. Teachers can quickly generate matching games, flashcards, randomizers, and quiz shows from a spreadsheet of terms. This makes it easy to repurpose the same word list into multiple practice formats. It is efficient, flexible, and ideal for teachers who want quick wins.

Key Features:

• Flashcards

• Matching

• Group Game, AKA Connections puzzles

• Quiz Show

• Google Sheets integration

FAQ

Do we pay for it?
No, Flippity is a free set of game templates. 

Can I see assessment data?
No, there is no teacher dashboard to show how well students perform when playing the games. You could encourage them to take screenshots of their final performances. 

Does it require student accounts?
No, no accounts are required or even possible. 

Try it out:

Check out this demo set of flashcards from Flippity: Flippity flashcards

Nearpod - paid

Nearpod is an interactive presentation tool, with all kind of interactive options that can be used to support vocabulary development. Tools like Time to Climb, the "draw it" tool, drag and drop, matching, fill in the blank, open ended questions, and more can all be combined into a single vocabulary practice experience. Even better, you can use Nearpod's AI tool to generate the lesson from scratch. It supports vocabulary through multimodal engagement. You can combine visuals, audio, interactive questions, drawing tools, and collaborative boards in one lesson. Students can apply terms in context, respond to prompts, and receive immediate feedback. It works particularly well for introducing and reinforcing academic language within content instruction.

Key Features:

• Interactive quizzes and polls

• Draw-It for visual representation

• Collaborate Board for discussion

• Embedded multimedia

• Real-time formative assessment data

FAQ

Do we pay for it?
Yes, we pay for Nearpod.

Can I see assessment data?
Yes, you can see reports from any of your Nearpod lessons. 

Does it require student accounts?
No it doesn't require accounts- students can just join with a screen name or if you prefer, they can login first. 

Try it out:

Here is a vocabulary lesson in Nearpod that I generated with their AI lesson generator tool: https://app.nearpod.com/?pin=3J4Q7
It took 30 seconds to make and I could easily go back and add more activities to it. 

Padlet

Padlet is a digital collaboration space that excels at hosting discussions and organizing ideas visually. A Padlet board is composed of posts, and those posts can contain any type of attachment, like photos, videos, screen recordings, AI generated photos, audio, files, links, and more. It gives students an authentic space to use vocabulary in meaningful ways. Instead of simply defining terms, students can post examples, images, audio explanations, or short videos demonstrating understanding. This supports deeper processing and allows for collaborative meaning-making. It also creates a living word wall that evolves over time. Padlet also has sandboxes, which are more freeform, whiteboard-style spaces that are meant to resemble and improve upon Google's Jamboards. 

Key Features:

• Multimedia posts (text, audio, video, images)

• Commenting and peer feedback

• Real-time collaboration

• Flexible board layouts

• Easy sharing and embedding

FAQ

Do we pay for it?
No we do not currently pay for Padlet, but we will be trialing it starting in the fall of 2026 with 25 licenses, so please reach out if you'd like to be part of that pilot! 

Can I see assessment data?
You can see all student posts, although it is not necessarily structured as traditional assessment data. 

Does it require student accounts?
No it does not, unless you want students to create their own boards. If they are just posting on your board, they can create an account but don't have to. 

Try it out:

Here is an example from the Padlet template library: https://padlet.com/gallerytemplates/english-lit-vocabulary-list-ckxlbf4czo3h5xah