Vocabulary From Classical Roots A - first time user question

[Julie in MO]

Hi,

We're doing VFCR A for the second semester (7th grade) and have not used it before. I read some old posts and the teacher's manual, but want to ask some additional questions of those who use it. Does your child make notecards with the key words on them for memorization - or just the latin roots? Do you emphasize spelling, or is it just memorizing word use/definition? Does your child write out their cards or do you prepare them? We're integrating it into an already busy schedule so I want to stream-line but still get full use out of the program since I hear such good things about it. Any other thoughts you have about utilizing this program will be much appreciated!

Blessings,

Julie in MO

[Colleen in NS]

Hi,

We're doing VFCR A for the second semester (7th grade) and have not used it before. I read some old posts and the teacher's manual, but want to ask some additional questions of those who use it. Does your child make notecards with the key words on them for memorization - or just the latin roots? Do you emphasize spelling, or is it just memorizing word use/definition? Does your child write out their cards or do you prepare them? We're integrating it into an already busy schedule so I want to stream-line but still get full use out of the program since I hear such good things about it. Any other thoughts you have about utilizing this program will be much appreciated!

Blessings,

Julie in MO

 

Ds is at the end of book A.

 

I make the flashcards for now (he's younger than yours). I started off making cards for all the derivatives (is that what you mean by key words? The English words with definitions in the lesson?) and having ds memorize them, but it quickly got overwhelming and pointless to do so. He just got them mixed up or forgot them the following week, even with review. The review of all those English words was taking too much time, too. He is also in LC2 for Latin, and I figured that just memorizing Latin and Greek root words/meanings in VfCR would be more effective for deciphering English word meanings as he comes across them in his regular reading, than getting him to memorize English words, too.

 

I emphasize spelling in his writing assignments, not in the vocab lesson. If he's doing the vocab lessons, coming across the English derivatives in his reading that he saw in VfCR, and starting to use the English derivatives in his writing, then he will learn to spell them. If he wants to use these words in his writing and can't spell them, I'd take that opportunity to help him learn to spell it (we have a quick method of doing this from using WRTR all these years).

 

So, my emphasis in using VfCR is memorizing the roots/meanings, and being able to think through the exercises (in which he does get practice in using the English words properly). Also, for the review lessons, we *talk briefly* through the writing exercises, just so I can see how he is absorbing the English word meanings. I don't bother having him write those out - he gets writing lessons elsewhere.

 

Once I got everything straight in my mind of what to do and formed a routine, I found that VfCR study goes rather quickly - but it has been very effective.

 

Our lesson routine in case it helps:

 

Monday: have ds read the English derivatives aloud, so I can hear his pronunciation and correct if needed. Have him read through roots, derivatives, and definitions on his own, and have him write the roots into a chart (as per WTM) - this has him writing the roots once, which helps in solidifying them in his brain. Talk about any he had trouble with or questions he had.

 

Tues. - Thurs.: go through root flashcards with him. Go through one or two lessons' worth of older cards with him for review. Have him work through exercises evenly by himself on these three days.

 

hth

[littlemommy]

I'm thinking about using Book A next year so was wondering if I need to buy the TM. We currently are using Book 5 and 6 without a TM. Thanks.

[Colleen in NS]

I'm thinking about using Book A next year so was wondering if I need to buy the TM. We currently are using Book 5 and 6 without a TM. Thanks.

 

I don't even know what's in the TM! :) So I guess I haven't found it to be necessary....but I'm just using the instructions for VfCR from WTM. But I have read other posts here that say they don't think it's necessary, too (from people who have seen the TM).

[Rhondabee]

I broke down and bought the Teacher Guide, and have found it invaluable. It has "fun" ways to introduce the roots, and then helps you work with dc to come up with & drill 1-2 word definitions for each Keyword. (Those are now what we're using for our flashcards, and that in itself has been a big help.) The Guide also has an additional worksheet for each lesson that is pretty basic, but it helps me know that at least we're not wasting our time not really learning the words.

 

So far, all the activities I've seen have needed teacher-student interaction. It *does* turn Vocabulary into a teacher-intensive subject, but it only takes about 10 minutes each day. I just felt like my ds (who hates flashcards!) wasn't really learning anything doing it the WTM way.

 

So, it really boils down to your dc and how he/she learns best, and if you have the time available to devote to the Teacher Guide Activities. If flashcards work, or there's just no time for activities, then the Teacher's Guide won't help.

[Colleen in NS]

Teacher Guide.....helps you work with dc to come up with & drill 1-2 word definitions for each Keyword.

 

Rhonda, can you explain more about this? I gave up having ds memorize the English deriv. def. for the reasons I explained above, but you've got me curious how the TG helps with this. Wondering if I should consider it...

 

Thanks!

[Julie in MO]

Thanks for the responses...Colleen - you mentioned making a chart like is suggested in TWTM. I've got the *old* version of the book and couldn't find anything about making a chart (although I searched while holding a feverish child, so coulda' missed it). Is it possible to explain it to me? I plan on buying the newer edition when it comes out in May, but have been on a waiting list for the library '04 copy for ages.

Thanks!

Julie

[Rhondabee]

We are doing VfCR-A (meaning, my 8th grader and I!). I do remember I didn't like the Teacher Guide for the 5th grade book - I don't remember it having the same caliber of activities, but it has been a long time!

 

Anyway, we back-tracked to Lesson 5 and are doing that right now. All these ideas are found in the Teacher Guide for that lesson:

 

I started out with an "introduction" to Lessons 5 and 6. "More or Less" and we talked about the Latin quote at the beginning of Lesson 5, "Satis eloquentiae...." He was to restate that in his own words and give examples (there are sample answers in the guide). Then we "deduced" the meaning of "satis" from the quote (Enough) and made a flashcard for that. And, we discussed the Familiar words in the Student Text. (But, we didn't *use* the Student Text, I had just made a note in the Teacher Guide.)

 

Then, there were activities in the guide to preview the roots "micro" and "min". I wrote the familiar words on the whiteboard for "micro" and there was a question for each one in the TG that helped bring out the meaning of "micro". And, then we made a flashcard for that. Then, we briefly looked at the keywords to see how the root fit in those words.

 

Then, I wrote, the familiar words for "min", and again, each one had a question to bring out the meaning of MIN, and we made a flashcard for that. (I actually added the flashcards - the TG doesn't mention them) Oh, and I did use a different color for the root than for the rest of the word. I'm pretty sure I picked that up from the introduction in the TG.

 

Then, for "minute" there were rhyming riddles:

What is a small apple? a minute fruit

What is a small underground part of a plant? a minute root

(there were more)

 

And that was all for the first day. And, we didn't have to get out the Student book.

 

The second day, we did the roots TEN and PLE. And, there weren't exercises in the TG for these. But, I have a Merriam Webster vocabulary book that has 4-5 words for selected roots, and has some good info especially about the context in which you usually see the word. So, we read some of that and discussed the keywords. (and made flashcards just for the roots) Yeah, the day I had to come up with the lesson was boring ;).

 

The third day there were two activities from the TG. The first was for the keywords that were nouns. I put all those words on the board (implement, minutia, microbe, microcosm, and expletive) and then there were questions that helped him remember the words, and we created a 1 or 2-word definition (and a flashcard).

 

For example: Where might you find implements for cooking? For building a house? What are those implements? (There are sample answer in the TG, and from that, we used "tool" as our definition.)

 

For the second activity, I wrote the keywords that were adjectives and verbs, along with a one-word definition that was provided. He copied those onto flashcards. There were sentences (given) that contained a keyword, and he had to re-state the sentence using the one-word definition.

 

Ex: A crumb is a miniscule part of a cake. (restatement: A crumb is a tiny part of a cake.)

 

I know, it's not just a barrel-full-of-monkeys fun!!!! But, throughout all this, we have barely LOOKED at the student book. I think the student book is visually overwhelming to him. And, these are making the words more accessible - not so "out there" - words that no one ever uses.

 

Anyway, the next day, there is a "Key Word Activity" Worksheet to copy from the TG. It is matching the keywords to the definitions and, given a short phrase, to write the keyword that is brought to mind.

 

Ex: satiates = fills you up; it can make you sick = microbe

 

Then, after doing all that, he'll do the activities in the student book. They are considerably harder than the TG activities, so I'll let him use the book; but those 1-2 word definitions are now *firmly* entrenched. Before, he just had some vague idea and was hoping to figure out the meaning in context.

 

BTW, the even lessons are shorter, to allow time for the tests. And there are review exercises in the TG to help you review for the test. After lesson 6, for example, you display several keywords in random order, and have dc form pairs of antonyms (macrocosm/microcosm, satiate/starve, etc.). Other words are reviewed by "words that can be depicted in drawings" (draw a picture) and "words that can't" (write a descriptive phrase).

 

hth!

[Colleen in NS]

Thanks for the responses...Colleen - you mentioned making a chart like is suggested in TWTM. I've got the *old* version of the book and couldn't find anything about making a chart (although I searched while holding a feverish child, so coulda' missed it). Is it possible to explain it to me? I plan on buying the newer edition when it comes out in May, but have been on a waiting list for the library '04 copy for ages.

Thanks!

Julie

 

It's basically two pages. The first page is "prefixes and suffixes." You make 4 columns across, labeled prefix, suffix, meaning/function, and language. Under these columns, you list the prefixes or suffixes from the lesson. The second page is "word roots." It's three columns across, labeled root, meaning, and language. Then you list the roots under these.

 

I have ds keep these in a word study section of his English notebook. As he fills up one of these pages, he adds a blank page, appropriately columned and labeled. I think they are useful for helping him further think about how each Greek/Latin word is used in the derivatives - is it a root? prefix? suffix? And the categorizing and writing them out this once just helps him to work with the words a bit.

 

I also have ds chart/memorize the Greek/Latin words in italics, sprinkled through the definitions. For example, on p. 19 of book A, next to the derivative "preclude," in brackets you see [pre L. "before"]. So ds puts that in his prefix/suffix chart.

[Cheryl in NM]

Who's the publisher for VfCR? Is there some place online I can look at sample word lists? Ds is reading at an advanced level so I want to make sure I get the correct book.

 

Thanks!

[Rhondabee]

It is published by Educators Publishing Service (EPS).

 

http://www.epsbooks.com/

 

I'm not sure if they provide a list of words on their website or not...

[Cheryl in NM]

It is published by Educators Publishing Service (EPS).

 

http://www.epsbooks.com/

 

I'm not sure if they provide a list of words on their website or not...

 

Thanks! I can't believe I didn't see it when I was checking into Wordly Wise. Ds HATES WW so I hope he'll like VfCR! They do have word lists for each book.