Latin from the Roots Up, Vocabulary Vine or MCT Vocab

[Country Girl]

I debating between these three vocabulary programs. Does anyone have any thoughts on any of them? Pros, cons? What has worked for you and what hasn't? Ease of use, teacher prep., retention, etc?

 

Thanks!

[amtmcm]

Words on the Vine is very easy to implement: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1568226616/ref=ord_cart_shr?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance

 

English from the Roots Up is thorough and complete, but I think you have to be interested in making flash cards or some kind of exercises for your child to "do" something with the words in the book. Otherwise you're just reading a list of words.

Edited June 11, 2009 by amtmcm

[Country Girl]

Thanks for the recommendation... I'll take a look at it.

[C.C. in Florida]

I recently researced these options for my 10 year old DS. I decided to go with Vocabulary Vine. Time is a huge issue for us. We are at the brink of being completely overscheduled. Vocabulary Vine seemed quick, easy and well retained. People also commented that the word list in VV was much more relevant than some of the other programs. That was enough for me. Sorry that I can't give you my opinion as a user, but thought I would throw this out there anyway.

[Country Girl]

I recently researced these options for my 10 year old DS. I decided to go with Vocabulary Vine. Time is a huge issue for us. We are at the brink of being completely overscheduled. Vocabulary Vine seemed quick, easy and well retained. People also commented that the word list in VV was much more relevant than some of the other programs. That was enough for me. Sorry that I can't give you my opinion as a user, but thought I would throw this out there anyway.

 

C.C.,

 

Thanks! Time is also a consideration for us which is why I'm still considering this stuff. I had originally planned to do MCT but got to thinking that maybe I could accomplish the same goals with a little less "me" time. I think VV looks really good and is a top contender with MCT.

 

Thanks!

[Brindee]

I ended up getting dd (who will be in 7th) Vocabu-Lit for next year. It looks very good to me, though we haven't started it yet to see how dd likes it. It looks like bit-size things to do, not overwhelming, but not mamby-pamby either! Might be worth a look. http://www.perfectionlearning.com/browse.php?categoryID=1492

[Country Girl]

I ended up getting dd (who will be in 7th) Vocabu-Lit for next year. It looks very good to me, though we haven't started it yet to see how dd likes it. It looks like bit-size things to do, not overwhelming, but not mamby-pamby either! Might be worth a look. http://www.perfectionlearning.com/browse.php?categoryID=1492

 

Thanks Brindee. I haven't heard of Vocabu-Lit.... off to check it out.

 

Thanks!

[Country Girl]

Any other thoughts?

[ELaurie]

 

Word Roots by Memoria Press with ds9 and 7 next year. I have it and it looks like it will be easy to implement fun to use.

[Quad Shot Academy]

I ended up getting dd (who will be in 7th) Vocabu-Lit for next year.

 

That looks interesting. Do you know if you need the teacher's manual? TIA!

[Country Girl]

Word Roots by Memoria Press with ds9 and 7 next year. I have it and it looks like it will be easy to implement fun to use.

 

 

I just took a look at the link and this looks interesting, thanks for sharing.

[johnandtinagilbert]

We did Latin Roots for a semester and were bored, bored, bored. So, I dug about and decided to go a bit more intensive and combine grammar and latin through The Latin Road to English Grammar. Absolutely love the program. Thorough english grammar, combined with thorough latin. I spend about 45m-1 hour a week instructing, then they do the exercises solo. They are really learning latin and since they use english grammar to explain the latin language so well, my kids are putting into action the use of grammar. It has been great for us.

[Country Girl]

We did Latin Roots for a semester and were bored, bored, bored. So, I dug about and decided to go a bit more intensive and combine grammar and latin through The Latin Road to English Grammar. Absolutely love the program. Thorough english grammar, combined with thorough latin. I spend about 45m-1 hour a week instructing, then they do the exercises solo. They are really learning latin and since they use english grammar to explain the latin language so well, my kids are putting into action the use of grammar. It has been great for us.

 

Thanks for the suggestion.

[unsinkable]

Words on the Vine is very easy to implement: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1568226616/ref=ord_cart_shr?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance

 

English from the Roots Up is thorough and complete, but I think you have to be interested in making flash cards or some kind of exercises for your child to "do" something with the words in the book. Otherwise you're just reading a list of words.

 

This looks like fun! Thanks!

[radiobrain]

Caesar's English (MCT) is just about my favorite thing to do.

 

Yes, it is parent intensive, but in a good way. I usually just read a section of it with both my kids and we have discussions. It has led to some very interesting places.

 

It is definitely in a different category than a lot of other programs, but if you are willing to take a chance it is worth it. I have a 9 & 10 year old and we are halfway through CE I. When at a HS convention I looked at Vocab. from the Classical Roots A, and found it intriguing. After looking at it for a while, I thought if I were to get it I would go with level B (as a supplement to where they are) .... only later did I realize this was an 7th/8th grade level book. :001_smile:

[SilverMoon]

We use English From The Roots Up. We're not completely through the first volume yet, but we've done enough to know we'll be sticking with it.

 

Pros:

-easy to use

-little to no prep time

-doesn't take much time daily to do

-I really enjoy the conversations it starts with my ds and I.

-nonconsumable, all of his younger sibs will be able to use this book

-By ds making the cards himself, he's taken pride in making them nice and the definitions are firmly implanted in his noggin by the time the card is done.

 

Cons

- I honestly can't think of one at this point. *shrug* When I first got the book I was disappointed at the lack of lesson planning suggestions and even googled it up to see what other hsers had done. It came across as too simple. Having gone through it for awhile I see that the author's story at the beginning really is enough and I should stop trying to make things complicated.:tongue_smilie:

 

Ease of use:

I write the root on an index card, ds colors it appropriately (just the border on the front of the card, red for Latin, green for Greek), we chat about the derivatives and their meanings while checking out the book together. Ds finishes the card on his own. Done. Fifteen minutes tops on days we introduce a new root (2-3 times a week), five minutes or less on other days when I hold the cards up and he yells the definitions as fast as he can.

 

Teacher prep:

Nothing past getting the book off the shelf and grabbing a fresh index card. It's grab and go. We keep the finished cards in an index card file box that lives on my desk when not in use.

 

Retention:

I'm impressed. It seems too simple, but it works great. He's picking out the roots everywhere and really knows them.

 

At this point I plan to finish running my oldest through volume one this year. Then we'll do volume two next year, pulling my second kid into the mix. At the advice of a more seasoned hser that uses these with her kids (some in college now), we'll cycle through them year after year, pulling in whoever needs it. The kids that have already done them can just get in on the flashcard review if needed.

[Spy Car]

Caesar's English (MCT) is just about my favorite thing to do.

 

Yes, it is parent intensive, but in a good way. I usually just read a section of it with both my kids and we have discussions. It has led to some very interesting places.

 

It is definitely in a different category than a lot of other programs, but if you are willing to take a chance it is worth it.

 

Would you mind elaborating a little on why Caesar's English (MCT) is in a "different category" for you? This is the program I'm planning to use, but would relish hearing more about it, especailly from one who found it her "favorite thing to do".

 

Bill

[radiobrain]

It isn't as "lovely" visually as the Level one books, or even grammar town, paragraph town, but it's content is exquisite!

 

You can choose to go as in depth or superficially as you like... I prefer discussions and brainstorms and then at some other point copying the roots, vocab & definitions into a notebook... I have a 9 & 10 year old that I do these books ogether with, and they are both not good in the "skills" department, just super high in the comprehension, understanding department.

 

The "lessons" are split into different skill sets. Odd numbered lessons have 5 or so latin stems, very in depth analysis of their meaning, then analogies, then an advanced word and analysis, "Who's that writer?" where a famous author is introduced, caesar's spanish... where there you have the latin stem, english example of a word with that stem and it's spanish equivalent (I also add Italian, as we do Italian NOT Spanish.) then a little roman factoid or quote and a Julius Caesar quote, a word search a real latin quote then a discussion poster . You can see where one lesson is not just one lesson!!! I split it up into little bite sized bits.

 

Even numbered lessons are like this.... 5 very advanced vocab words, with in depth analysis and several quotes from famous literature, "Who's that writer?" again, "What is that Writer saying?" discuss some short passages from famous books with the vocab words, Caesar's Spanish.. latin, english, spanish versions of the vocab words, synonyms, Caesar's re-writes where you are given another famous passage and try to rewrite it in a simpler fashion, a real latin quote, antonyms, analogies, a word poster and test review.

 

You can make this as minimal or intense as you and your kids want... I choose concept over output, but that is not going to last too much longer (shhh! Don't tell my kids!) And I enjoy wallowing in the depth of each lesson. It introduces very complex vocabulary though several different approaches, some are more rewarding than others... but if we don't like a certain area I skip it. To give you an example... the first 5 vocab words are these: profound, countenance, manifest, prodigious, languor. These might seem like odd words to choose, but they worked perfectly. I don't knwo how someone actually chooses what an appropriate vocabulary word might be for a certain age... it must be pretty arbitrary with so many wonderful words in the world! MCT takes these seemingly oddball words and chooses actual sentences from classic literature , (mary shelley, shakespeare, george orwell, etc etc)..and shows how one word can be used in so many different ways. I find myself having pretty interesting conversations with my boys, and they are excited when one of their CE words pops up in a book or movie, and they enjoy looking for places to use the words (or words we discover through it.... ie.. my 10 loves the word "repugnant" which we found through "odious" one of the vocab words).

 

WOW! How (and why!) did I write all this!?

 

The thing is, that I LOVE this book, my kids enjoy it... but they don't love it. I see what it is doing far more than they know. Also, it is NOT for everyone. I can see where someone might look at it and just hate it, in the same way that I might pick up certain curriculum (who's name I have mercifully blocked from my memory) and start crying.

 

Anyway... I love the MCT books, although I did not like "building language" too much. Too much Spanish. The poetry books are great too. The othe rgood thing as that if you don't find them as rewarding as others do, they are very easy to sell! :D

 

 

someone cover my keyboard with duct tape!

 

KOrin

[Spy Car]

WOW! How (and why!) did I write all this!?

 

The thing is, that I LOVE this book, my kids enjoy it... but they don't love it. I see what it is doing far more than they know. Also, it is NOT for everyone. I can see where someone might look at it and just hate it, in the same way that I might pick up certain curriculum (who's name I have mercifully blocked from my memory) and start crying.

 

Anyway... I love the MCT books, although I did not like "building language" too much. Too much Spanish. The poetry books are great too. The othe rgood thing as that if you don't find them as rewarding as others do, they are very easy to sell! :D

 

 

someone cover my keyboard with duct tape!

 

KOrin

 

Thank you so much for the detailed explanation. I really appreciate it!

 

Your enthusiasm is firing my enthusiasm.

 

Bill

[radiobrain]

DUH!

 

the reason it is "in a different category" is due to it's multi-pronged, in depth and varied approach, using literature and cross curricular language and thinking skills.

 

Like I said before, I am only halfway through CE I, and if I were to buy "Vocabulary from the roots up" as an added program (cause i am just like that) I would choose level B or possibly even C...

 

It treats the students in a very sophisticated way... my kids already know how to deconstruct words to discover what the "should" mean... and how language is how it is.....

 

i'll stop now.:tongue_smilie: