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
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

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.

See Also

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.

Related Tags:

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Special Education Webinar
Integrating and Interpreting MTSS Data: How Districts Are Designing Systems That Identify Student Needs
Discover practical ways to organize MTSS data that enable timely, confident MTSS decisions, ensuring every student is seen and supported.
Content provided by Panorama Education
Artificial Intelligence Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: AI Could Be Your Thought Partner
How can educators prepare young people for an AI-powered workplace? Join our discussion on using AI as a cognitive companion.
Student Well-Being & Movement K-12 Essentials Forum How Schools Are Teaching Students Life Skills
Join this free virtual event to explore creative ways schools have found to seamlessly integrate teaching life skills into the school day.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Teaching Letter to the Editor Learning Spaces Should Meet the Needs of All Students
Better classroom design can help neurodivergent learners thrive, says this letter to the editor.
1 min read
Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week
Teaching What's the Ideal Classroom Seating Arrangement? Teachers Weigh In
Educators employ different seating strategies to optimize student learning.
1 min read
swingspaces pgk 45
Chairs are arranged in a classroom at a school in Bowie, Md. Classroom seating is one of the first decisions educators make at the start of the school year, and they have different approaches.
Pete Kiehart for Education Week
Teaching 'There's a Firehose of Information': Talking to Students About Minneapolis
Find curated coverage on discussing confusing, scary, or politically charged topics in the classroom.
2 min read
A child kneels in the snow among demonstrators holding signs during a news conference at Lake Hiawatha Park in Minneapolis, on Jan. 9, 2026, demanding Immigration and Customs Enforcement be kept out of schools and Minnesota following the killing of 37-year-old mother Renee Good by federal agents earlier on Wednesday.
A child kneels in the snow among demonstrators holding signs during a news conference at Lake Hiawatha Park in Minneapolis on Jan. 9, 2026, demanding Immigration and Customs Enforcement be kept out of schools following the killing of Renee Good by federal agents.
Kerem Yücel/Minnesota Public Radio via AP
Teaching Opinion The Most Exhausting Part of Teaching Isn't the Students
Teachers reveal what drives them from the field and what leaders can do to improve teachers' lives.
9 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week