Visuwords: Exceptional Visual Literacy Learning Tool

How does your child prefer to organize information and ideas before beginning a writing project? Does s/he use a linear outline? Does s/he use a graphic organizer?

Schools are moving away from linear organization methods to using visual organizers and mindmapping or visually brainstorming and diagramming information and ideas. Some may reason that a visual outline is more like the way students think and that linear methods do not support the way today’s learners think. Still others may make a connection between increased access to technology and/or a new emphasis on incorporating more right-brain learning options into the schools due to an emphasis on 21st Century Learning skills. There’s a good chance that all of the above reasons can help explain the increased use of visual learning tools such as Visuwords.

Using Delicious to bookmark new learning tools that I want to incorporate into my tutoring practice has been a new personal goal, now that school is out. I found out about Visuwords through a listserve email this week. This FREE online dynamic learning aid is already one of my favorite technology tools! I shared it with a 12 year old student during a tutoring session this week and I plan to continue using this tool to help Parker and other students as we work on literacy projects together. I highly recommend Visuwords to teachers, parents, tutors, students, writers, and librarians.

What is Visuwords? How can this free online learning tool be useful? Visuwords is a visual dictionary and thesaurus that uses WordNet, an opensource database developed and researched by students from Princeton University. It is a versatile tool that can be useful for different ages and grade levels. Using this tool can enhance reading comprehension and student understanding of content area vocabulary. Learners using Visuwords will practice and improve reading comprehension and literacy skills. Older students can use this interactive tool to prepare for the SAT. Visuwords is appropriate for ESL learners, struggling learners, and advanced writers, and can serve as a springboard for building creative, problem solving and critical thinking skills.

Are you ready to discover what YOU like about Visuwords and how you can use this tool? Follow the link below to Visuwords, and please share how you might use this powerful, dynamic, interactive, and fun learning tool.

http://www.visuwords.com/

In addition to online learning tools, online tutors can help your child with SAT Prep through helping improve reading comprehension and reading skills.