Jackson Academy students have once again proven their mastery of the English language, claiming the state championship title in the fall Vocabulary Bowl competition and securing an impressive ranking at the national level.
The school’s predominantly Middle School participants mastered an astounding 11,223 words during the 60-day competition period, representing more than 50,000 correctly answered usage questions. This achievement placed Jackson Academy 80th out of more than 300,000 participating schools in North America—a remarkable feat considering the school competed primarily with Middle School students against high schools across the country.
“We placed 42nd among high schools, even though we have almost exclusively Middle School participation, and we were 30th among division one schools,” noted eighth grade Literature Teacher Alesha Cary, who uses the program in her classes through Jackson Academy’s IXL subscription to Vocabulary.com.
The fall competition marked an expansion of participation at Jackson Academy. While the spring season featured one English class, this fall saw two additional Middle School classes join the challenge. Any student signed up for Vocabulary.com who works on word mastery—rather than simply completing assignments—counts toward the school’s total ranking. Sixth and seventh graders worked on word mastery, with some elementary students also contributing through the platform.
The competition format requires genuine comprehension. Each time a student masters a word, they must correctly answer four to six usage questions centered around the multiple definitions of that word. Cary’s class logged 680 hours on the platform during the competition season, earning more than 20 million points.
“Our students are naturally competitive, and the Vocabulary Bowl allows us to really lean into that competitive spirit for academic purposes,” Cary explained. “The concept of word mastery also allows students to develop important academic habits that encourage authentic vocabulary usage and expansion.”
The program emphasizes focused daily practice instead of lengthy study sessions or cramming. Students engage in focused 10-15 minute daily practice periods—a method proven to help the brain better obtain and retain new words in long-term vocabulary.
“It has been rewarding seeing the results as students actually retain the words on their lists and recognize them in the reading assignments,” Cary added.
The victory is particularly sweet for Jackson Academy, which holds the title of reigning state champions. The twice-yearly competition has become a friendly rivalry, with students eager to maintain their championship status.
“The Vocabulary Bowl is a competitive celebration of one of Jackson Academy’s greatest strengths: the incorporation of academically useful technology into the curriculum and practice of our classrooms,” Cary said. “Vocabulary.com adapts to each student’s level of vocabulary proficiency and pushes them to learn the words in a way that works for them.”
The spring Vocabulary Bowl season will offer students another opportunity to defend their state title and climb even higher in the national rankings.
