Managing Reward Features in Vocab Loco

Vocab Loco gives teachers flexibility in how rewards are presented to students. With Zoodle’s House, Word Swapper (and Aquarium), and the Games Page, you can motivate students while keeping learning front and center.

Zoodle’s House & Word Swapper (includes Aquarium)

Where to find it: Teacher Account → Customize Program

• Zoodle’s House

  • Can be set to specific days (weekdays, weekends, or a single day).

  • Can be limited by daily playtime (15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, etc.).

  • Can also be blocked completely.
    ? Recommendation: Do not turn Zoodle off completely. Zoodle is where students continue reviewing mastered words after finishing a list. This practice helps turn weekly vocabulary into “life words”. Many teachers find the best balance is to allow Zoodle on weekends only or with a time limit.

• Word Swapper

  • Can be enabled or disabled.

  • The Aquarium feature is tied to Word Swapper—if Word Swapper is off, Aquarium is off too.

  • ? Why it’s unique: Word Swapper takes vocabulary practice beyond memorization. Students “swap” words into real sentences and scenarios, applying vocabulary in context. This makes Word Swapper both a fun game and a highly effective learning tool—one of the most motivating features in Vocab Loco.
    
    

Games Page

Where to find it: Teacher Account → Games & Coins (see image below)

• The Games Page can be turned off completely.

• You can also allow access only on certain days (e.g., weekends or Fridays).

• A daily limit can be set for how many games students can play.
  
  

Best Practices

• Use time limits and day restrictions to keep rewards balanced with learning.

• Keep Zoodle’s House available in some form (weekends or time-limited), since it directly supports vocabulary review and long-term retention.

• Leave Word Swapper enabled whenever possible—it’s uniquely effective for applying words in real-world contexts.

• Adjust Games to fit your classroom rhythm—a busy classroom may prefer Fridays and/or weekend-only access.

Activities Order

All enabled activities (Flashcards, Spell & Learn, etc.) open together within a lesson. While tests can be customized in several ways, activities cannot be locked into a strict step-by-step sequence.

Conclusion

These customization options allow you to shape rewards in a way that matches your classroom needs—keeping students motivated while reinforcing vocabulary mastery. With Zoodle, Word Swapper, and Games used strategically, students stay engaged and build lasting word knowledge.