Teaching

Beyond Wordle: 6 Other Digital Games Teachers Are Using

By Stacey Decker & Marina Whiteleather — February 22, 2022 1 min read
Close up rear view of two schoolboys wearing protective n95 face mask looking, playing games, working for online education with smartphone in a classroom during COVID-19 outbreak
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Watch out, Wordle, you’ve got some competition.

Now that the craze surrounding the popular word-guessing game has seeped into schools, teachers are sharing the other digital games they’re incorporating into lessons.

We’ve seen examples of teachers sharing their enthusiasm for using Wordle as a classroom aid, especially as a phonics tool.

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A wordle showing the final word as TEACH
Gina Tomko/Education Week

Below is a roundup of other games teachers are using to encourage student learning across a range of subject areas and examples of how teachers are using those games.

This collection includes Wordle spin-offs and other tools educators are touting on social media. All of them are free or have free options.

6 digital games teachers are using that aren’t Wordle

Nerdle

A daily numbers game where the user has six tries to guess the solution.

C. S.

Worldle

Guess the country or territory based on its shape. The user will receive hints about the distance, direction, and proximity to the target country until they answer correctly or until their six tries are up.

Allison C.

Kahoot

Create learning games — or “kahoots"— that are best played in group settings. The student gets to choose the format, number of questions, and can even add videos, images, and diagrams to amplify the experience.

Kasi D.

Quizziz

Teachers can create new quizzes mixing and matching millions of educator-created questions. Then, students can play at their own pace.

Ashley G.

Nearpod’s Time to Climb

Customize lessons with formative assessments and dynamic media experiences.

Brittany B.

Quizlet

Engage students of all levels through curriculum-based materials, interactive study methods, and games.

Nancy M.

Want more? Here are 17 learning games shared with Education Week blogger Larry Ferlazzo as part of his series on why games should be part of classroom instruction.

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