Wound. Produce. Close. Present. Invalid. When there are two or more words that are spelled the same and have different pronunciations or meanings, they are called heteronyms. These cause apprentice readers to stumble and even proficient reads to pause.
Test this for yourself:
• The bandage was wound around the wound.
• The farm was used to produce produce.
• They were too close to the door to close it.
• Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
• The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
Having a visual image to associate with a word is one way for students to make meaning of words. Flickr’s image search tool Compfight allows for your students to find a multitude of images to match a keyword search. For instance, when I typed in wound, images to explain the word as both a noun and a verb were found.
This application allows for teachers to interconnect the traditional linguistic literacy approach to a 21st Century visual literacy approach. Consider how this tool allows for you to subject your subjects to meaningful and engaging learning when interacting with vocabulary.