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Jensen's vocab vs Science roots


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My dh is going back to college to be a Physical therapist Assistant. I'm trying to find a vocab program that will help give him a good foundation for memorizing medical vocab. I was looking at Jensen's since it has greek and latin roots and then I remembered voabulary vine's science roots and I'm wondering if that would be better. What do you think?

 

http://www.rainbowresource.com/search.php?sid=1233764870-1645393

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I do medical transcription full time. The very best medical vocabulary textbook/workbook is The Language of Medicine by Chabner. It comes with a CD for around $57 at Amazon.

 

I have Science Roots and Jensen Vocabulary. I decided it would be far more beneficial for my kids to do the first 4 chapters in the Language of Medicine book to learn all the medical/science word building skills they will need in high school. The rest of the book (22 ch.) is arranged by body system. As my college instructor said though, the first 4 chapters are key. Flashcards are everything. After these chapters, my kids will do Jensen Vocabulary.

 

I did not find the Science Roots book helpful at all, for 2 reasons. First, many of the definitions for the example words say "See ECWB Mod. 6" (ECWB stands for Exploring Creation With Biology). Well, that just adds an extra step. Who wants to go look it up and make your own list? Why can't it just say that autotroph means "self-nourishment" (auto=self, troph=nourishment). More than 1/2 of the definitions refer you to the other book to look them up.

 

The other reason is that the definitions in Science Roots (and the biology book referenced) are too wordy. Language of Medicine will teach you to translate word part-for-word part meanings. Example: The Science Roots will tell you "Epicardium" is defined as the innermost layer of the pericardium (not extremely helpful if you don't know that that is), but by word parts, it is translated epi=above or upon, and cardium=heart. (peri=surrounding). If you know word parts, you don't forget the meanings.

 

Jensen's Vocabulary is also good (flashcards) but has a lot more than necessary for the medical profession.

 

Hope this helps you,

Joan

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  • 3 years later...

I am not happy at all about my purchase of Science Roots. Jonibee said it correctly. Who wants to flip between resources over and over to accomplish anything? I have spent two hours plus trying to figure out this procedure to be able to explain it to the kiddos in a way that they will not whine about it. Don't know what I will do...just use the glossary OR the Main List. I don't understand why there is a glossary when the main list defines it???? Mass confusion (OVER Organized).

 

I went searching and found this helpful review on a blog of Science Roots and felt it only decent of me to come back, sign in and post the link: http://anniekateshomeschoolreviews.com/2011/10/review-science-roots-by-nancy-paula-hasseler/#comment-16412 I feel a bit better about using it now that I have read that. I will just use the glossary and the main list. It helped me to know that the glossary is to be used to get the definition of a "Secondary Root with an asterisk" instead of looking through the Apologia text for it. Where I said it was "over organized" the reviewer praises how easy it is find words because her indexing is thorough. It has worked well for others but it hAS my head spinning :(

Edited by melanie3
follow up on a review of Science Roots
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I 2nd the recommendation to use a standard college level Medical Terminology book.

 

The one referenced above (The Language of Medicine ) looks very good from the preview on Amazon. I've never seen it IRL, though. I recommend books that go through the body systems like this one.

 

I have an AAS in Medical Laboratory Technology and did not take Medical Terminology until my last semester (it was a late addition to the degree plan). Med Term would have been extremely.helpful for Anatomy and Physiology (taken the 1st year). I tutor A&P and recommend to anyone who will listen to take Med Term before taking A&P.

 

Also, it is much more helpful to make your own flash cards than to use premade cards.

 

Best wishes.

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