The Reading / Listening - Vocabulary App - Level 5

The hugely successful children's TV show Sesame Street and IBM have teamed up to make a new app for kids to learn vocabulary. It is the first vocabulary learning app using IBM's artificial intelligence (AI) software. The app finds a child's current reading and vocabulary levels, and then uses its AI to give the child new vocabulary to improve the child's skills. The app personalizes learning for children. As the child uses the app more, it makes sure he or she has learned and understood the new words before introducing additional vocabulary items.

IBM has completed a pilot program testing the app. It collected 18,000 multiple-choice tests given to kindergarteners. The researchers said the results were promising. They said the kids learned words like "amplify," "camouflage," and "applause," which are usually learned at a later age. The children could also use these words in context. Sesame Workshop said the next generation of learning tools and educational technology are a great new way, "for learning opportunities inside and outside the classroom, and we're excited to explore it further".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Vocabulary App - Level 4 or  Vocabulary App - Level 6

Sources
  • https://techcrunch.com/2017/06/07/sesame-workshop-and-ibm-team-up-to-test-a-new-a-i-powered-teaching-method/
  • http://kidscreen.com/2017/06/07/sesame-and-ibm-watson-test-vocab-app-in-us-schools/
  • https://techdigg.com/2017/06/07/ibm-and-sesame-street-join-forces-to-tackle-education/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. The hugely successful
  2. Sesame Street and IBM have teamed
  3. a new app for kids
  4. using IBM's artificial
  5. reading and vocabulary
  6. improve the
  7. the child uses the app
  8. introducing additional vocabulary
  1. to learn vocabulary
  2. more
  3. levels
  4. child's skills
  5. children's TV show
  6. items
  7. up
  8. intelligence

Paragraph 2

  1. IBM has completed a pilot program
  2. It collected 18,000 multiple-
  3. the results were
  4. the kids learned words
  5. usually learned at
  6. use these words in
  7. the next generation of learning
  8. we're excited to explore
  1. a later age
  2. promising
  3. tools
  4. it further
  5. testing the app
  6. like "amplify"
  7. choice tests
  8. context

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The hugely successful children's TV show Sesame Street and IBM have (1) ___________________ make a new app for kids to learn vocabulary. It is the first vocabulary (2) ___________________ IBM's artificial intelligence (AI) software. The app (3) ___________________ current reading and vocabulary levels, and (4) ___________________ to give the child new vocabulary to improve the child's skills. The app personalizes learning for children. As the (5) ___________________ more, it makes sure he or she has learned and understood the new words (6) ___________________ additional vocabulary items.

IBM has completed (7) ___________________ testing the app. It collected 18,000 multiple-choice (8) ___________________ kindergarteners. The researchers said the results were promising. They said the kids learned (9) ___________________ "camouflage," and "applause," which are usually learned (10) ___________________. The children could also use these words in context. Sesame Workshop said the next (11) ___________________ learning tools and educational technology are a great new way, "for learning opportunities (12) ___________________ the classroom, and we're excited to explore it further".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Thehugelysuccessfulchildren'sTVshowSesameStreetandIBMhavete
ameduptomakeanewappforkidstolearnvocabulary.Itisthefirstvocab
ularylearningappusingIBM'sartificialintelligence(AI)software.Theap
pfindsachild'scurrentreadingandvocabularylevels,andthenusesitsAI
togivethechildnewvocabularytoimprovethechild'sskills.Theapppers
onalizeslearningforchildren.Asthechildusestheappmore,itmakessur
eheorshehaslearnedandunderstoodthenewwordsbeforeintroducing
additionalvocabularyitems.IBMhascompletedapilotprogramtestingt
heapp.Itcollected18,000multiple-choicetestsgiventokindergarte
ners.Theresearcherssaidtheresultswerepromising.Theysaidthekidsl
earnedwordslike"amplify,""camouflage,"and"applause,"whichareu
suallylearnedatalaterage.Thechildrencouldalsousethesewordsincon
text.SesameWorkshopsaidthenextgenerationoflearningtoolsanded
ucationaltechnologyareagreatnewway,"forlearningopportunitiesins
ideandoutsidetheclassroom,andwe'reexcitedtoexploreitfurther".

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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