Having a strong vocabulary is essential for academic success, as a robust command of language increases reading comprehension and overall communication skills. Students who struggle with vocabulary acquisition may find it difficult to tackle complex texts, ultimately affecting their performance across school subjects. Choosing the right vocabulary program can provide structured support and improve long-term retention.

There are many vocabulary programs out there, but three of the most popular for middle and high school students are Sadlier-Oxford’s Vocabulary Workshop, Perfection Learning’s Vocabu-Lit, and Prestwick House’s Vocabulary Power Plus. Each program offers unique approaches to vocabulary instruction, making it important for educators like you to consider which aligns best with your teaching methods and student needs.

Our Top Pick: Vocabulary Power Plus (Grades 4–12)

At the top of our list is Vocabulary Power Plus, a Prestwick House program that focuses on helping students understand and use words in meaningful ways rather than just memorizing them.

Vocabulary Power Plus follows a five-day instructional model, making sure students engage with new words in multiple ways, including sentence completion, inference-based questions, and critical reading exercises. Here, students work with different types of texts, including passages from classic stories, excerpts from speeches, and informational articles. These exercises do more than just teach vocabulary; they also encourage students to think critically about what they read. The questions ask students to identify the main idea, the author’s purpose, implied meanings, supporting evidence, as well as analyze mood or tone, and figure out unfamiliar words.

Related Post: Everything You Need to Know About Vocabulary Power Plus

All levels of Vocabulary Power Plus offer cumulative reviews and free online resources like flashcards and interactive review games to reinforce learning. The high school edition also includes extra activities such as Shades of Meaning and Word Windows charts, which refine word analysis and comprehension skills.

Vocabulary Power Plus follows a set sequence of activities. Educators who enjoy modifying vocabulary instruction to match students’ interests or current class readings might find this structure restrictive. However, for those who want a clear, research-supported program with strong reading elements, Vocabulary Power Plus remains a top contender.

Free sample pages for Vocabulary Power Plus are waiting for you—just fill out the form at the bottom of this post!

Vocabulary Workshop: Achieve (Grades 6–12)

Sadlier-Oxford’s Vocabulary Workshop: Achieve provides structured word study through direct instruction and repetitive practice. Vocabulary words are introduced alongside definitions, example sentences, and synonyms and antonyms. Students work on activities like sentence completion, synonym and antonym matching, and short reading passages that incorporate the target words.

The program’s organized approach is good for teachers who prefer a traditional, workbook-driven curriculum. The exercises encourage students to memorize definitions and apply words in limited contexts, which can be beneficial for quick vocabulary acquisition.

Vocabulary Workshop does have some limitations. Its emphasis on rote memorization might not support long-term word retention as effectively as programs that combine vocabulary with more in-depth reading practice do.

Vocabu-Lit: Building Vocabulary Through Reading (Grades 6–12)

Perfection Learning’s Vocabu-Lit: Building Vocabulary Through Reading integrates vocabulary acquisition with reading comprehension by selecting words directly from classic literature and nonfiction texts.

Each lesson begins with a short reading passage and highlights key vocabulary words within the text. Unlike in Vocabulary Power Plus and Vocabulary Workshop, students aren’t given a list of definitions with the presented vocabulary words. Instead, they’re required to write their own definitions based on the passage. After the introductory reading passage, students then complete exercises that reinforce word meanings, using context clues, synonyms, and critical thinking skills.

Because Vocabu-Lit is text-heavy, students who aren’t already skilled readers may find it difficult to keep up. In addition, the program doesn’t provide word definitions in each lesson, meaning students must come up with their own using context clues or a dictionary. This added step might be challenging for students who struggle with self-directed learning or those who need more explicit instruction.

Comparing the Programs

Take a Closer Look at Vocabulary Power Plus

Don’t just take our word for it—see the program for yourself! Sample pages for Vocabulary Power Plus are available to preview. All you need to do is fill out the form below.