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Vocabulary lists from daily good enough?
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We have never implemented an “official” vocabulary class since starting homeschool. We simply explain the words as they come up. I was wondering if we could just “create our own” lists as we come across these sticky words in Bible, History, Science, whatever. Then we could quiz on them until mastered. Iis this good enough in your opinions? I guess we just totally forgot to make a vocab curricula, to our shame. We are still trying to figure all this out!!!
We do not have a vocabulary curricula, either! This Charlotte Mason quote really describes a child’s acquisition of vocabulary as a more natural thing, when the child is exposed to quality, varied living books:
I would have children taught to read before they learn the mechanical arts of reading and writing…A child does not lose by spending a couple of years in acquiring these because he is meanwhile “reading” the Bible, history, geography, tales, with close attention and a remarkable power of reproduction, or rather, of translation into his own language; he is acquiring a copious vocabulary and the habit of consecutive speech. In a word, he is an educated child from the first, and his power of dealing with books, with several books during the course of the morning`s “school,” increases with age. – Charlotte Mason
I don’t think there is any shame in not creating a vocabulary list. Thank you for reminding us of Charlotte’s words, jawgee!
We have never used a vocabulary list and my kids are constantly getting complements on their wonderful vocabulary. It is really just absorbed through good reading and an educational atmosphere. I am often amazed at the words they have picked up through their reading!
No busywork required.
I have one child who is an above average reader and his vocabulary is excellent…maybe surpassing his sister who is 3 yrs. older. My older child just doesn’t seem to pick it up as much, so I’ve started a voc. program w/her since she’s in 7th gr. and it was starting to concern me. I’d say if they’re doing fine w/reading, don’t worry about it:)
@momto2blessings, would you mind sharing the vocab program?? You could pm me if you like. thanks
My3boys….we just starting using Wordly Wise. I’m also using the words as a once a week spelling list (and we do Spelling Wisdom 2x/week). We also do English from the Roots Up w/our co-op. This doesn’t take much time….my goal is for the kids to know the 100 Latin/Greek roots before SAT’s and practice putting the roots together to see how larger words are formed. Hopefully this will be a good combo. I wish I would have started the WW when my eldest was younger…
Could you explain how your co-op is using EFTRU?? You can pm if you like to not hijack the thread
. I have the book, and although I liked it, I went w/ Getting Started w/ Latin, which is very easy, but my oldest could use more in that dept.thanks
I have been making a list from different things we are reading, my oldest is doing well w/that, looking them up in the dictionary, finding synonyms, making his own sentence w/it.
My 2nd son was having trouble finding words so we just recently started Wordly wise. He finds it a little hard, we’ll see how it goes…
Just got to read after hectic day… thank you for your replies! I guess we are OK and didn’t even know it! Seriously, I appreciate all your input; I constantly have to reassure myself that we are doing things right for the kids. “We only get this one chance” the onlooking skeptics remind me….
Vocabulary programs and even lists are unlikely to have long term retention. Looking up words and spending lots of time seeing them IN CONTEXT will lead to better retention, plus it’s endlessly less tedious. Read good books, LOTS of good books. Read books with deliberately rich vocabularies. If you need to look up an occasional word, do so, then go back to the original literary sentence and read it again, a few times if necessary. Then be alert for that word again. With what delight your children will greet that word when they meet it again! It’ll be an old friend. They’ll remember it into old age when their friends have long since forgotten the words on their lists. Oh, and mom, make sure you put the effort into the word yourself, and then see how many times you can use it–correctly–while the children listen! Sometimes it’s almost like speaking in code, and the kids will delight in it.
THE ONE EXCEPTION: Very technical vocabularies like upper level science. We TRIED this the “natural way” but we never could use all those pesky words in everyday life with the precision necessary to make them intelligible in their scientific senses. Sigh. So we resorted to straight-up list memorization for those. It’s tedious, but you just can’t really fit lots of “natural” practice with “meiosis” and “mitosis”. LOL We DID try. And we are a fairly odd family–but not odd enough to use “alkylate” or “regelation” in everyday conversation. LOL
This is good for me to read, thanks for starting this tread, I always question how much of what we are doing my kids actually retain.
I think I might drop it.
@momto2blessings, I’d like the info. on using EFTRU with a co-op, too. Thanks.
@tailormade….I taught this to a group of 8-10 kids, ages 8-13ish. At a tyrpical meeting I’d teach 5 new roots. They’d bring 3×5 index cards and write the root in big letters on the blank side. Then they’d outline in red for Roman(Latin) or green for Greek(the book recommends this). I’d also have them write the meaning of the root on the back side of the card, top line. The fun part was breaking into 2 teams…I’d gather all past and new cards and whichever team answered correctly first got the card, trying to be the team to win the most cards.
I’m going to teach this again next year and I also plan to have them get some practice combining roots to make larger words….even making up silly words. Like if they know ‘geo’ is earth and ‘phobia’ is fear, ask them what would geophobia mean, etc. Hope that helps some:) Blessings, Gina
. I have the book, and although I liked it, I went w/ Getting Started w/ Latin, which is very easy, but my oldest could use more in that dept.
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