Years 1–9Word bank

The word bank: learn the key words from every lesson

Written by A Dagdelen · Reviewed

Every lesson comes with a handful of words that are new to most children: numerator, erosion, metaphor. The word bank gathers them by year and subject as flashcards, so a few minutes a day covers a surprising amount.

Photo: Andy Brown on Unsplash

  • 10 a daynew cards on the free plan
  • No limiton the Family plan
  • Tap to flipthe word on one side, the meaning on the other
  • No sign-inneeded to browse the word list for a subject

How it works

  1. Subject words are worth learning on purpose. Many of the words in a lesson are ones your child meets only in that subject. When a question is full of words they half know, the maths or science underneath gets harder than it is.
  2. The words come from the lessons. Each year and subject has its own list, taken from the key words of its lessons. Every card shows the word, its meaning and which lessons use it, so your child can see where it came from.
  3. A round is quick and honest. Your child taps a card to see the meaning, then chooses Not yet or Got it. At the end of the round they see how many they have learnt and which words to look at again.
  4. The free plan keeps it light. On the free plan a child can start ten new cards a day, which is plenty for a short daily habit. The Family plan has no daily limit.
  5. You can browse before you sign up. The full word list for each year and subject can be searched and filtered by letter without an account, so you can see what your child will meet.

How to use it at home

Five minutes, once a day

A short round at the same time every day works better than a long one on Sunday. Tie it to something that already happens, like breakfast.

Say it, then use it

Ask your child to say the meaning in their own words and make up a sentence. If they can do that, the word is theirs.

Start with what is next in school

Pick the subject they are studying this week, so the words are useful straight away.

Come back to Not yet

Words marked Not yet are the useful ones. A second look the next day usually does it.

Browse the word lists

Questions parents ask

Which years and subjects does it cover?

Years 1 to 9, for each subject on the site. Choose the year and subject and the list for that lesson set appears.

Is the word bank free?

Yes, with ten new cards a day for each child. The Family plan removes the daily limit.

My child is learning English as well. Will it help?

It can. The meanings are in plain English, and seeing a word next to the lessons that use it gives it context. Keep using your home language for ideas, and use the cards for the English words. Our EAL guide has more.

Can my child use it without me?

Yes. Once you have made a profile, your child can open the word bank from their own home page.

Start with the free word bank

A free profile gives your child ten new cards a day. Family adds the rest of the practice tools. New families get the Family plan free for 14 days, with no card needed.

Create a free profile
All school years

English as an additional language

How schools support children who are learning English, what to tell the school, why the home language matters and practical ways to help without replacing it.

Read the guide
Years R–9

Reading at home: book ideas for every age

Book ideas from Reception to Year 9, including books that Oak's English lessons use, with simple ways to make reading at home a habit.

Read the guide
Years 1–9

The Spelling challenge: fifteen questions picked for your child's year

How the Spelling challenge picks fifteen questions from English spelling lessons, matched to your child's year, and how to use it at home.

Read the guide