New York Times Word of the Day

Many families want to boost older kids’ vocab for tougher reading and tests, but thick word lists rarely stick. The New York Times Word of the Day feature is one of the simplest, most authentic ways we’ve found to weave advanced vocabulary into everyday life. Created by NYT’s Learning Network, each entry introduces a single word with definition, pronunciation, and real sentences pulled from current journalism, all available online for free. We love that kids see words in context instead of as flashcards, and that example sentences often spark discussion about real-world topics. It’s best suited to middle and high school students who are reading news articles or preparing for exams like the SAT, ACT, or AP classes. The site doesn’t track progress or offer built-in quizzes, so you’ll need to add your own routines, but as a no-cost vocabulary warm-up it’s hard to beat. Pro tip: have teens keep a dedicated Word of the Day notebook where they copy the word, write their own sentence, and star any terms that pop up again in their reading.