Should I ditch the vocab for SWO or try to use everything, or ditch the SWO?

[Janeway]

I love SWO (Spelling Workout). I even love it for 7th and 8th grade. It is a wonderful spelling curriculum, well laid out and everything. 

 

BUT, in the past, I bought a few different vocabulary programs. I found that using SWO and the other just did not mesh. The other vocab was maybe Vocabulary from Classical Roots. I might have a Wordly Wise for 8th grade level. There was one Doodle Vocabulary book. 

 

I will be purchasing the 7th grade SWO for the fall for DS2. But I wonder if I should just try to use up the books I already have in other programs. I do not want to short change him. I do have enough additional books to do both 7th and 8th grade. If I do not use them for him, I should probably give them away as they keep staring at me (undone workbooks tend to stare at me and call out to me that they need to be done). 

 

What do you think? Rid of the books and just do SWO for 7th and 8th, which I already like, or use the books, as they are likely covering the same stuff, just in a different way? DS2 is much more flexible than DS1. 

Edited February 13, 2016 by Janeway

[stlily]

SWB recommends you aim to complete all levels of Spelling Workout by the end of the 6th grade so that you can begin a vocabulary program in the 7th grade.  She says, "Ideally, you'll finish Spelling Workout H by the end of the sixth-grade year, which will free up the seventh- and eight- grade years for the study of advanced vocabulary and word roots." (TWTM, 3rd ed., p. 338).  On. p. 337 she has included the following table as a guide:

 

Fifth grade - Spelling Workout F and G

Sixth grade - Spelling Workout G and H

Seventh grade - Vocabulary from Classical Roots A and B

Eight grade - Vocabulary from Classical Roots C and D

 

It doesn't look like she recommend doing both spelling and vocabulary study at the same time especially since the later levels of Spelling Workout moves from spelling rules to more of a word study with prefixes, suffixes and roots.  Hope this helps. 

Edited February 13, 2016 by stlily

[MerryAtHope]

I'd just do SWO and start vocabulary after that with something that focuses on roots if you need more vocabulary. If you still read aloud, you'll likely expose your kids to a large vocabulary between that, their reading, and daily conversations. (We read aloud through high school and got to some pretty meaty books--it was a fun and painless way to work on vocabulary.)