Is "Word Build" a good Vocabulary program? Any Suggestions?

[NatYoung17]

HI,

 

I just heard about "Word Build" by Dynamic Literacy and it seems like a great Vocabulary program, but it seems very expensive if you get the teacher edition... Has anyody used it and can give me some info on it? Is it worth it? Do you really need the Teacher Edition or is the study book sufficient? I want to start a Vocabulary program with my 9yo, so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

[HS Mom in NC]

The most effective way to expand a child's vocabulary is to read aloud excellent literature of increasing difficulty at least 5 days a week for at least an hour a day (not necessarily all in one sitting at first.)  That's how humans are designed to master vocabulary-in context.  By the time they're school aged you can be up to about 2 hours a day if you start out in the preschool years. There are lots of threads about what to read aloud and what to let your children do while you're reading aloud.

Also, after phonics teach Latin and Greek  word roots.

[Aloha2U]

Meh. I purchased it to use over the summer—two years ago?, but we've only partially completed it. I agree with the pp that your better off spending the time (and money) reading and doing Latin and/or Greek.

[julie4]

The most effective way to expand a child's vocabulary is to read aloud excellent literature of increasing difficulty at least 5 days a week for at least an hour a day (not necessarily all in one sitting at first.) That's how humans are designed to master vocabulary-in context. By the time they're school aged you can be up to about 2 hours a day if you start out in the preschool years. There are lots of threads about what to read aloud and what to let your children do while you're reading aloud.

 

Also, after phonics teach Latin and Greek word roots.

Do you stop & define every unknown word in your read alouds while reading? Or let them try to figure it out by context? I find myself stopping a lot and asking so you know what that word means? Just wondering how you all handle that.

[julie4]

The most effective way to expand a child's vocabulary is to read aloud excellent literature of increasing difficulty at least 5 days a week for at least an hour a day (not necessarily all in one sitting at first.) That's how humans are designed to master vocabulary-in context. By the time they're school aged you can be up to about 2 hours a day if you start out in the preschool years. There are lots of threads about what to read aloud and what to let your children do while you're reading aloud.

 

Also, after phonics teach Latin and Greek word roots.

Do you stop & define every unknown word in your read alouds while reading? Or let them try to figure it out by context? I find myself stopping a lot and asking "do you know what that word means?" Just wondering how you all handle that.

[HS Mom in NC]

Do you stop & define every unknown word in your read alouds while reading? Or let them try to figure it out by context? I find myself stopping a lot and asking "do you know what that word means?" Just wondering how you all handle that.

 

No.  If I suspect they don't know what it means and context doesn't make it obvious, I simply pause the reading as briefly as possible and give the shortest, simplest definition (usually a synonym) then immediately pick up the reading again.  If they don't know what a word means and they just can't figure it out, they'll ask. If I stopped and drilled them for definitions, they'd lose the joy of the story.

 

Reading aloud is about becoming truly fluent in English. When they were younger and learning it at the most basic level I didn't stop and ask them if they knew what words meant when I used words that might be new to them.  I'd use normal language (never "baby talk" under any circumstances) and act accordingly.  If I saw they weren't quite understanding, I'd explain or demonstrate differently.  This is how humans learn their mother tongue.  Reading great literature aloud regularly is an extension of that process.  

 

[Aloha2U]

If you're not doing Latin, Word Roots by The Critical Thinking Co. may be a nice alternative, especially over Word Build.

[HS Mom in NC]

I really don't recommend the Word Roots program by Critical Thinking Co.  It's better than nothing, but it's a fairly flimsy fill in the blank worksheet type set up with poorly defined terms that vary so subtly between each other in many instances that it's confusing for the student (and my older girls have breathtakingly large vocabularies) and confusing the parent using the answer key and explaining why an answer is wrong. But some people like it because it's not teacher intensive.

 

Rummy Roots is a good start for kids in the earliest elementary years for playing matching games to learn the terms.  Playing the Rummy Root game requires they have more advanced vocabularies, so you'll use it again later.  I have English from the Roots Up which is OK, but it is fairly teacher intensive as you'll have to come up with your own activities.  That works for me, but it doesn't work for everyone else. 

I have no experience with any other programs. 

[Violet Crown]

Word Wealth Junior by Ward Miller (and the later book, Word Wealth) is the best vocabulary program I've ever seen. Middle Girl has gone from an atrocious, incorrigible speller - despite reading widely AND studying both Greek and Latin - to having an excellent sense of etymology and spelling.

 

Unfortunately when I first recommended WWJ on this board, it was to be had for a few dollars; now, twenty or thirty. I wish it would be reprinted.

[Aloha2U]

I own Rummy Roots, but I always forget about it. (Thanks for the reminder.)

[NatYoung17]

Thanks for all your input!

[Aloha2U]

Word Wealth Junior by Ward Miller (and the later book, Word Wealth) is the best vocabulary program I've ever seen. Middle Girl has gone from an atrocious, incorrigible speller - despite reading widely AND studying both Greek and Latin - to having an excellent sense of etymology and spelling.

 

Unfortunately when I first recommended WWJ on this board, it was to be had for a few dollars; now, twenty or thirty. I wish it would be reprinted.

 

I'm so excited! I just purchased a 1950 Word Wealth Junior book and a 1939 Word Wealth book via Etsy (of all places). Thanks to you and another (Mrs Twain) mentioning and discussing WWJ on the boards, my curiosity was piqued. I searched and searched for samples and possible candidates for investment, albeit in good condition and at a reasonable price, but I just couldn't get myself to buy the books used and unseen from Amazon. That's when a Google image search directed me to Etsy. Score!

 

All that being said, Barnes and Noble is currently offering the WWJ book as a free NOOK Book (eBook—Digitized from 1962 volume). I didn't have an account, so I registered, but apparently I'd also have to input a method of payment regardless of whether or not the only item in one's shop cart is a FREE download. I passed on it. We prefer to hold and finger through our books over using the iPad anyway, so Etsy was the answer for us today. 

 

Fwiw, we attempted to use Word Build some time ago and it was a flop. I own Rummy Roots and always forget about it. My little man has been doing Vocabulary from the Classical Roots this year, which he likes and seems to retain, but we're going to try WWJ next year. 

[fourisenough]

I'm planning to use Word Wealth Jr. with my DD10 next year. I really like to have a TM or at least an answer key handy so that she can self-correct her work. I think I'm going to set the goal of working through it myself this summer and creating an answer key. I haven't really spent too much time browsing it to see if this will be necessary/helpful, but at a minimum, I will become very familiar with the book.

[Aloha2U]

I'm planning to use Word Wealth Jr. with my DD10 next year. I really like to have a TM or at least an answer key handy so that she can self-correct her work. I think I'm going to set the goal of working through it myself this summer and creating an answer key. I haven't really spent too much time browsing it to see if this will be necessary/helpful, but at a minimum, I will become very familiar with the book.

 

Great idea!

 

Hmmm, I wonder if Mrs Twain or Violet Crown has already done this.

[Mrs Twain]

Great idea!

 

Hmmm, I wonder if Mrs Twain or Violet Crown has already done this.

 

No, but I spent a long time trying to find a Word Wealth Jr. TM to purchase.  Apparently there is not one single TM for sale on the entire planet.

[Mrs Twain]

ETA:

It is good I didn't find an answer key to the Word Wealth Jr. text.  I am forced to sit next to my son and discuss the exercise with him each day, which is what I should be doing anyway for vocabulary.