How to build vocabulary

[Ruthie]

Growing up, I was a good reader, but I skimmed over the words I didn't know.

 

Now with my daughter, I want her to know the words she reads, I feel like it is built in vocab work, kwim?

 

Everyone says that reading alot is the best prep for SATs, so what do you do with the words your kid doesn't know? Do you have them look them all up?

 

TIA!

[ElizabethB]

Were you taught with whole word methods? People taught that way often skim over words they don't know.

 

I just sounded them out, and eventually figured out a rough definition for most of them, it would grow more precise each time I saw the same word in a slightly different context. I was taught with some phonics and then whole word methods, but enough phonics to make me able to sound them out fairly well. (I was, however, a poor speller until I became a volunteer literacy tutor and learned all the phonics I'd missed and all the phonetic spelling rules.)

 

If your daughter learned with phonics, she should build vocabulary this way. If she wasn't, she needs some remedial phonics and needs to be taught to not skip over words and to sound out every single word she reads, not skipping over any, not even names.

 

I have a friend who learned Latin roots for 4 years in High School who said it was very helpful for his SATs. He's now a nurse, it's helpful for him in his career as well, many of the medical terms are based on Latin.

[Ruthie]

No whole word method here. So is that how to learn words? As you see it over and over, just to figure it out?

 

I think she shold look them all up, dh does not... so we need a referree!

Ruthie

[laughing lioness]

When I was in 7th and 8th grade my dad bought a box of vocab flashcards. The entire summer between school I had to learn the box. I folded a sheet of paper lengthwise into 4ths, wrote a vocab word on one section and the definition on the other. I did this 1000's of times. I learned a TON of words like hirsuit = ). Seriously, I've had people tell me ever since what a large vocab I have. I would actually study vocab if you want to build your skills. Have you seen Vocabulary from Classical Roots? It is a very good.

[Michelle in MO]

this thread on vocabulary which took place a little while ago. I posted some rather lengthy thoughts on vocabulary study, its importance, how we've implemented it in our family, and why specific vocabulary study will help on standardized college entrance exams like the SAT's and ACT's.

 

HTH!

[Lori D.]

1. Reading

We still do a lot of out loud reading (boys are 9th and 10th grade), which gives us a chance to learn the words in context; sometimes we look the words up, other times I just give them the quick definition and we keep reading; other times I ask them from context what they think the word means and we have a quick discussion.

 

 

2. Root Words

Learning Greek and Latin roots really helps you decipher many unknown words. We used English From the Roots Up (volume 1 and 2) and made it a bit of a game, but there are a number of good roots programs out there. We learned 2 roots a day, 2x a week, which takes maybe 5 minutes per time.

 

 

3. Vocabulary Program

We don't connect well with workbooks, but many people do, and that can be a good, regular exposure to unknown words. Another option is the book "Vocabulary Cartoons SAT Word Power" which gives a word, its definition, and then a funny picture to help you remember the word's meaning.

 

 

4. Practice

- Use new words in conversation.

- Have your students make a list of new 10 words a week (found from their reading) as a combined spelling/vocabulary practice. Each week, they write the 10 words, a short definition based out of the dictionary, and then a sentence correctly using the word. Quiz them at the end of the week.

- For fun practice, try the website Free Rice (http://www.freerice.com/), which not only exposes you to new vocabulary words for learning/practice, but provides free rice to the needy.

 

 

BEST of luck in finding what works best for your family! Warmly, Lori D.

Edited December 29, 2008 by Lori D.
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