katnorman Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 My daughter will be starting 3rd grade and I'm wondering what to use with her. We have Wordly Wise, but she hates it and it's just not getting done. She really dislikes the crosswords. So, is there any other vocabulary that isn't so workbooky?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 MCT has a good vocab program. It's a snuggle on the couch and read together type deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katnorman Posted January 1, 2013 Author Share Posted January 1, 2013 We have this book, but haven't started it. This sounds a lot better than what we're doing now, I'm going to have to pull it off the shelf. Thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 I find one of the best ways to build vocabulary is through reading aloud and talking with your child using your regular vocabulary (and restating or explaining words when you know it's an unknown word in a read-aloud or in conversation). No busywork necessary :-). Here's an article with some ideas. Merry :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 I would just make sure that she was reading and/or listening to high quality literature that uses a wide vocabulary. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 I should mention that I do what Merry and Laura suggest for my 3rd grader. We started the MCT vocab, but I streamlined things and temporarily took it out. My son has a good vocabulary from reading a lot and being read to, so I agree that vocab isn't a "must do" in 3rd grade. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 I found with my oldest that formal vocabulary study really helped her with her reading. By the time she was in 2nd grade, she could decode anything, but because she didn't understand the unfamiliar words, it might as well have been gibberish. So I started her on MCT's Caesar's English and that was really useful in getting her over the "hump" of switching from learning to read to reading to learn. I haven't seen the lower levels of Sadlier-Oxford Vocabulary Workshop, but I like the higher ones. My oldest is about to start VW Level C after doing MCT's CE books and VW Level B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leo Smolka Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 MCT has a good vocab program. It's a snuggle on the couch and read together type deal. What is MCT? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 What is MCT? Michael Clay Thompson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer2911mom Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 Wordly Wise has an online option that might work better for you, but it's more expensive. The Homeschool Buyer's Co-op is running a special on it right now. I don't like all the writing required in the workbook but I think my dd would like this. https://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/wordly-wise-3000-online/?source=HSBC-2013-01-05 HTH, Kathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted January 6, 2013 Share Posted January 6, 2013 I don't require a separate vocabulary of my third graders, but in all honesty, we've learned more English vocabulary from studying Latin than anything else we've tried over the years. Third grade is a great age to start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeterbug Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 Michael Clay Thompson Can you link to the vocab? Thanks. We've also tried WW and didn't love it. We get so much through reading but I've been thinking about adding something for vocab. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeterbug Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 Okay, I just stumbled across the most perfect vocabulary book ever, at least for my 8yo... Learning Adventures with Garfield: Vocabulary Escapades There's also a geography book and a math book. Could not be more perfect for my Garfield lover! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 Can you link to the vocab? Thanks. We've also tried WW and didn't love it. We get so much through reading but I've been thinking about adding something for vocab. On the page I linked originally, just look at the table for Elementary, and it's the column labeled "Vocabulary". :) They are titled Building Language, Caesar's English 1, and Caesar's English 2. I forgot that my friend uses Sadlier Oxford and is liking it this year. I'll also ditto SilverMoon that Latin is giving us good vocab. I'm using Getting Started With Latin this year, and we both love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 Latin! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GVD22 Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 I like Sadlier Vocab Workshop for elementary. I just started using it with my 4th grader because she needs a dedicated vocab program, even though her older siblings didn't. MCT for middle and high school is what we use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matrips Posted January 7, 2013 Share Posted January 7, 2013 We have a book called A Word a Week that my kids love. They want it every day though, so that's how we do it. I hadn't really ever planned on a vocabulary program, but they really look forward to it. It says 4th-6th grade, but the words seem fine. There are two words to a page, with a nice, kind of fun, explanation of the meaning, examples of usage, breaking down any roots and prefixes etc. Very kid friendly, not dry. We only do one word a day, it takes about 5 minutes total. They also break it into syllables and try to spell it based on the rules we know, and it's gets added to their spelling notebook. Every so often, I'll review some of the past words and roots with them. They've had great retention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curlygirlzx2 Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 We use the Wordly Wise online edition. Dd likes it okay so I'm not sure if we will use it again next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walking-Iris Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 My oldest really loved Wordly Wise in 2nd grade, but when we tried the 3rd grade book last year it was tears and grumbles and ----ugh. It's a good program. I want to like it, but something about it seems a bit hard for some kids. All I have been doing for vocabulary from last year to this is to make the dictionary and thesaurus my ds's best friends. Anytime we come across a word I am not sure he knows I ask him if he has an idea. Learning vocabulary in context is really important Those lists of definitions mean nothing imho unless they are read in a meaningful sentence. Oftentimes he can figure it out from reading the sentence/paragraph the word is in, other times I just tell him and explain. I also have him look up in the dictionary unfamiliar words in his spelling lists. We use SequentialSpelling so there's plenty of unfamiliar words. He looks up words that he reads himself in the dictionary. And we keep a running list of words we encounter in our read alouds in all subjects that he couldn't figure out in context and then he looks those up and we just simply talk about the definition. When he writes and we revise/edit we pull out the thesaurus and talk about words. Not necessarily because I want him to change his original unless he chooses to, but because it's another opportunity to talk. Conversation has been the best way for us so far instead of a workbook approach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katnorman Posted January 8, 2013 Author Share Posted January 8, 2013 Thanks so much for all the ideas!!! We do tons of reading of classical and free reading books and we are also doing latin. It's good to know that I don't HAVE to have a seperate program for vocabulary or we can start it later if I feel she needs it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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