How Vocabulary Support Works
When a supported vocabulary word appears in a problem, students can select the word to view additional information about it.
Depending on the vocabulary term, students may see:
A student-friendly definition
An example of how the word is used
An illustration to help explain the concept
Vocabulary Support is available automatically. Teachers do not need to enable or configure this feature.
Which Vocabulary Words Are Available?
Vocabulary Support is based on the student's grade level. Vocabulary terms are organized into three grade bands:
Grade Band | Available Vocabulary |
Grades 1–2 | Foundational math vocabulary, such as addition, even, odd, number bond, and tens place |
Grades 3–8 | Math vocabulary such as numerator, perimeter, equivalent fractions, median, and probability |
Grade 9+ | Advanced vocabulary such as derivative, asymptote, standard deviation, logarithm, and discriminant |
Each vocabulary term belongs to a specific grade band. Terms from earlier or later grade bands will not automatically appear for a student.
For example, a Grade 4 student may not see Vocabulary Support for a foundational term assigned to the Grades 1–2 band, even if that word appears in their problem.
Similarly, a Grade 2 student may encounter a word in a problem that belongs to the Grades 3–8 vocabulary band. In that case, Vocabulary Support will not appear for that word.
Why Doesn't My Student See a Definition for a Word?
If a student encounters a word but does not see Vocabulary Support for it, this does not necessarily mean something is wrong.
Vocabulary Support may not appear because:
The word is not currently included in the supported math vocabulary.
The word belongs to a different grade band.
The word is considered everyday language rather than math-specific vocabulary.
Vocabulary Support is intentionally focused on words where an additional definition can help students understand the mathematics in a problem.
Does Vocabulary Support Need to Be Turned On?
No. Vocabulary Support is automatically available to students when they are working on problems that contain supported vocabulary for their grade band.
There are no additional settings teachers need to enable.