Vocab Program Workbooks - gain or time waster?

[RosieCotton]

Just checking in on where folks stand on Wordly Wise or other vocab workbooks.

 

We do read alot but we have time to add an on your own type program to our day. I'm happy to put up a word wall section and go thru them daily like we did with our English Roots. Was actually super quick and easy to do.

 

I've read threads in the past about some who love these, and others who have said it's not really necessary or they didn't gain anything.

 

For those that have used these -- did you gain from it or was it a time waster ?

 

 

[HomeAgain]

Depends on the age.

 

I think they're a waste in elementary school.  Most of the programs I've looked at have commonly used words in children's literature and the child usually gleans meaning from context.

 

In middle school, the disciplines branch out.  Science becomes more technical, writing more complex, and students often study a second language.  Having a vocabulary program that teaches roots/prefixes/suffixes/language origin becomes more valuable.  They can use those skills to decipher higher vocabulary text.  I liked Wordly Wise in middle school (we used the app) along with Word Roots from CTC. 

[RosieCotton]

That makes sense. Thanks for providing your take on it. :coolgleamA:

 

[Sneezyone]

I agree with Home Again. I didn't like Wordly Wise. It felt pointless to me. DS started with Vocab from Classical Roots this year and I like it much, much better. He's building a set of notecards that will be run through hundreds of time and can be used on all manner of unfamiliar words. DD gleaned quite a bit from reading during her elementary years but she averaged 10+ quality books/year. I sent her back to school last year and her reading test scores promptly dropped 10+ percentage points. They just don't read enough to get the benefit of learning vocab from context. DD is coming home again next year and we'll be doing Vocab. from Classical Roots, again, full time.

[RosieCotton]

Thanks for the thoughts.

 

I've hesitated in buying Wordly Wise before. And both your comments ring true and remind me why.

 

We read a ton here, and good quality titles each year. We manage to get in 4 to 5 good lit studies with them which have vocab building each chapter.

It's probably more than enough.

 

We've done English Roots Up with the older 2, my 8YO is just starting it now. And I'll check out Vocab from Classical Roots maybe that would be a better fit for the olders.

 

We are 2,5,6th grades here right now.  . . .

[OrganicJen]

We tried several workbooks and for us they never worked. The best luck we have had is with writing down words that come up from our reading and learning those.

[sweetpea3829]

We used Wordly Wise for 5th grade, as I transitioned mine from spelling to vocabulary development.  I didn't hate it but...it was really dry.  

 

This year, we're using Word Roots and it's not much better in terms of dryness, but I like that instead of giving them some words to learn, it's teaching them word PARTS.  And they're using that new information.  Just tonight they were asking about the root -cide, which we haven't studied yet.  So the concept is growing nicely.

 

To make Word Roots more interesting, I purchased two different interactive notebook sets from TPT.  The kids are each keeping their own Word Roots three-ring binder and in that, they have a page for each root and affix.  That page has the notebook pocket.  They can color the pockets, and, the pockets are kind of neat themselves.  So they like that.

 

Oh and I offer them a candy per pocket that's done with care (instead of rushed scribbling, lol).  That's a nice incentive.  

[nixpix5]

I also them in the waste in elementary school category. Kids will so fine just by reading good books or being read to and keeping a words to know list.

 

Worldly Wise was my oldest son's nemesis. He did it in his private school and hated it so intensely I think he refused to use any of the words on principal. He was a voracious reader and just didn't see the point. Just my 2 cents. I have friends who use the successfully.