Zynga has come up with another variant of its popular Words With Friends game for the classroom. The new Words With Friends EDU is a part of a progressing push to utilize recreation to help kids get more focused on learning.
A result of collaboration with teachers and educators
Words With Friends EDU carries forward the Words With Friends legacy by blending attractive wordplay with all-new educational features to help students in grades fourth through eighth learn high-esteem academic words. Words With Friends EDU was created through the combined efforts of teachers and educators to make sure gameplay, educational modules and lesson plans drive further learning and arrangement with Common Core Standards. Zynga has beta-tested the game in more than 20 classrooms with more than 2,000 students.
Vaibhav Sehgal, general manager of Words With Friends at Zynga, said the EDU version redesigns the Words With Friends experience into a game that is not only captivating but also viable for students, whether their vocabulary is at a higher level than their grade level or they are learning English as their second language.
“Working collaboratively with teachers and education experts enabled us to create a fun and engaging experience that also increases students’ vocabulary and educational outcomes,” Sehgal said. With students showing noteworthy progress in using scholarly words in their initial six sessions of Words With Friends EDU, “We are proud to deliver this new learning tool to students, teachers and parents as they start the school year,” Sehgal added.
What makes Zynga’s new game special?
The new form incorporates Power Words, which enables students win extra points by using high-esteem academic words, including words frequently used in required reading, educational assessment and textbooks. Also it has Definition Hints, which enable students to easily get to the meaning of the highest scoring Power Words using a customized dictionary.
Zynga has also included an intelligent dashboard which allows parents or guardians and educators to track students’ gameplay and learning through a dynamic dashboard measuring singular accomplishments, banners, and advancement against Common Core Standards. Apart from this, the game also has lesson strategies for educators.
Words With Friends was launched in 2009 and registered its name among the App Store’s top 10 free games of all time. Words With Friends has held its position among the world’s most popular mobile word games, with an approximate 55 million matches being played at any given moment.
Zynga’s new title is a free instructive game accessible to parents and guardians, students and teachers. The game is available on Google Play for Android tablets on the App Store for the iPad and on the web.
