Vocab Fun and Games

I mentioned last month that I've added a vocabulary builder into our Language Arts curriculum. It's been a huge hit with Casia. I'm using a workbook called Vocabulary from Classical Roots by Norma Fifer and Nancy Flowers. It breaks the lessons up into groups of related Greek and Latin roots. For instance, the first couple of lessons deal with the roots that involve numbers. It includes some words with the Greek root 'monos' meaning 'one': monologue, monopoly, and monarch. It also includes words with the Latin root 'unus' which also means 'one': unilateral and unanimous. It continues to add words with the roots 'duo', 'bi', 'tri', 'tres', 'quartus', 'decem' and 'centum'. It seems very well organized and the lessons seem to be sticking. Casia has been finding her newly learned roots in other words she encounters as well.

In addition to the workbook, Casia is also making use of some online resources. She has often used dictionary.com  and thesaurus.com while on the computer to look up words as she works on writing assignments. But recently, Casia has become interested in learning the 'Word of the Day'. A few weeks ago, she also discovered the site's 'Word Dynamo'. She uses it to make lists of her new vocabulary words. With these lists, the site provides her with some games to play to help her learn their meanings. It's free, fun and educational; can't beat that!