Appy Hour: 4 Pics 1 Word

a quick overview of using 4 Pics 1 Word to target vocabulary skills

 
A few of my facebook friends have been posting about the free app 4 Pics 1 Word, so I decided to check it out. Little did I realize how well this app targets speech/language goals!

The name of the app says it all: you are shown four different pictures, and then need to figure out which word describes all four pictures. The clues start out pretty simply, and get a bit trickier as you progress. I was stumped a couple times in the half hour or so that I played the game. there are some 'cheats' you can use if you get stuck.

This app is so great for targeting vocabulary and language skills! Synonyms, categories, etc. Sometimes the obvious word that jumps out at you isn't the correct answer, so your students will need to think of other similar words that also fit the pictures.

There are clues that target multiple meaning words:

Some clues are more along the lines of "What do all these things have in common?" or target describing words:

A couple words of warning: there are some pictures that may be considered inappropriate (such as a glass of wine). I would suggest censoring each set of pictures before presenting them to your students. Also, on the iPad version of the app, there are TONS of ads and videos that are constantly popping up. This wasn't as much of an issue with the android version on my phone. You can also purchase the full version of the game for an ad-free experience.

All in all, for a free game, I think 4 Pics 1 Word would make a great tool target vocabulary with your older elementary/middle school students. Try it out and let me know what you think in the comments below. Did you figure out what all the answers were to the pictures above?!

4 Pics 1 Word is available for free in the App Store or the Google Play store (paid version $1.99)