Free Rice is an addictive site where you can build your vocabulary and feed the hungry with a click of your mouse. A vocabulary word is displayed with 4 choices. When you choose the correct definition, 20 grains of rice go to feed the world’s hungry. Free Rice automatically adjusts to your level. The words get harder or easier based on your score.

Since October 7, 2007, nearly 5 billion grains of rice have been donated. How does this work, you ask? With each correct response an ad appears at the bottom of the page. Through the United Nations World Food Program, these advertising dollars fund the rice. The ads are small. I haven’t noticed any inappropriate content.

This is a great site for students. In addition to learning new words, they may be become concerned about world hunger. Poverty.com, a sister site of Free Rice, provides information about world hunger. During this holiday season, a time of giving, the focus sometimes shifts to material abundance. This site may foster a teachable moment that brings the focus back to giving and helping others.

WARNING: This game may make you smarter. It may improve your speaking, writing, thinking, grades, job performance…

tag: edtech k12 communication_arts vocabulary Free_Rice poverty