| Copyright 2006 Julie Shepherd Knapp |
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| The Homeschool Diner's Guide to Homeschooling by Subject Language Arts Vocabulary and Etymology (Word Root) Resources for Homeschoolers by Julie Shepherd Knapp, copyright 2006 Vocabulary-building curriculum, programs, and free online resources for studying Latin and Greek word roots... There are many ways to build vocabulary on a daily basis -- thru conversation, reading good books, looking thru newspapers and specialty magazines, watching TV and videos (educational and otherwise), and listening to books and lectures on tape. There are also many resources for those who are actively trying to learn new words. The two simplest -- the dictionary and the thesaurus -- may be sitting on your shelf already! Many people also enjoy studying the historic and linguistic roots of English words, because if you know the root meaning, you can often figure out the meaning of a number of new words that use that same root. Because some homeschooling approaches, such as Classical Education, call for their students to learn Greek and Latin roots, there are more resources for root words from these languages. Another resource -- some spelling programs are based on lists of spelling words that double as a vocabulary list. Free Online Resources Prefix and suffix wordworks -- elementary to middle school level Rooting Out Words -- free online word root game (elementary level) Latin and Greek Root Concentration -- find the matches Open-Hand Concentration -- an easier matching game Free Rice -- test your vocabulary while helping feed the hungry (with every correct answer the sponsors donate money for rice) Wordmaster's Challenge: Analogies -- high school level More Wordmaster's Challenge: Analogies -- high school level Analogies Jeopardy Game -- upper elementary level Analogy Battleship -- middle to high school level Etymologic -- a free online word-origin game that offers 4 possible origins of a word, then gives the correct answer VocabTest.com -- free online SAT-type vocabulary questions Vocabulary Builder free online from Number2.com Sheppardsoftware.com -- free online vocabulary games Dunk a Duck -- a free online hangman game, a duck makes funny comments while you play and gets dunked if you lose. if you register (FREE) you can enter your own list of words to play with!! Word Vine -- place words on vine to show relationships in meaning Online Etymology Dictionary -- a free online source for word derivations and histories, search by word or browse alphabetically Webster's Dictionary of Prefixes, Suffixes, and Combining Forms -- a free online copy from the Script's Spelling Bee website, print it out! Top 100 words in American Classics -- by Michael Clay Thompson A Word A Day -- by Wordsmith.org, free service delivers a new vocabulary word to your e-mail every day Merriam-Webster Word A Day -- a new vocabulary word e-mailed to you each day for free Kid's Daily Buzzword -- from Word Central by Merriam-Webster, free service e-mails you a new word every day with definition and history of use, also, kids can build their own online dictionary Worthless Word for the Day -- a free online group that sends daily doses of real, but rarely used words, subscribe here Spelling City -- a free online data bank of spelling words you can use to practice by playing games, even add you own spelling lists! Curriculum, Workbooks, and Other Resources Michael Clay Thompson's Etymology Series Building Language Caesar's English 1 and 2 Word-Within-a-Word 1, 2, 3 My favorite resource for learning about Latin and Greek word roots, these books are written in a conversational tone and have just a touch of clever humor here and there. The first book is written for youngsters (grade 2 - 4) who are interested in language -- it compares the Latin word roots in the English language to the architectural remnants of ancient Rome still standing today and teaches 10 Latin roots. The Caesar's English books use excerpts from classic children's literature to illustrate word usage and compare Latin words to modern-day English and Spanish equivalents. The Word-Within-a-Word series is a high-powered high school level vocabulary-building curriculum -- volume 1 has 30 lessons covering 500 stems, both Greek and Latin, followed by 250 words made of those stems. A new Yahoo! Group, MCLTA, has been formed for support in using these materials! English from the Roots Up -- a no-nonsense approach to learning Greek and Latin roots, each page has a root and a list of words that came from that root, flash cards can be made as you go, or bought separately. Jensen's Vocabulary -- a high-powered program teaching 1000+ words over 3 semesters of daily lessons, can be used independently Red Hot Root Words 1 and 2 -- fun workbooks for learning roots, do puzzles, fill-in-the-blanks, and other activities to practice them Words on the Vine -- (5th - 8th) fun roots workbook that includes matching and writing exercises, as well as crafty and drawing activities Word Roots software from the Critical Thinking Company-- match words to roots, assemble words from definitions, apply words in context, successful exercises are rewarded and progress is tracked with the raising of a city, building by building (also available in workbook form) Rummy Roots Game -- play games ranging from Go Fish to Rummy using cards with Latin roots, Greek roots, and English words Word Vine -- place words on vine to show relationships in meaning Additional Resources Introduction to Linguistics -- an online e-book by Michael Gasser, Associate Professor at Indiana University, learn about the science of language The Dord, the Diglot, and an Avocado or Two: The Hidden Lives and Strange Origins of Common and Not-So-Common Words by Anu Garg of A Word A Day Archaeology and Language: The Puzzle of Indo-European Origins by Colin Renfrew -- proposes that the spread of Indo-European languages was tied to agriculture, rather than war and invasion Do You Speak American? Perspectives on Written and Spoken English -- a free online course from PBS.org Sez Who? -- "experts weigh in on the American penchant for creating new words and expressions" Fun Latin -- funny modern phrases translated into Latin Related Issues Developing Verbal Talent by Michael Clay Thompson -- MCT explains how reading high quality books is the best way to learn and grow, from vocabulary, to grammar, to critical thinking Consider participating in the North American Computational Linguistics Olympiad -- a competition (similar to popular math olympiads) involving finding and figuring out patterns in languages. Silva Rhetoricae: The Forest of Rhetoric by Brigham Young University -- examines the art of effective writing and speaking, "...a discipline for training students 1) to perceive how language is at work orally and in writing, and 2) to become proficient in applying the resources of language..." Interested in learning the Latin as a way to learn about the roots of the English language? Visit the Foreign Language section of the Homeschool Diner! |
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| "By words the mind is winged." -- Aristophanes, dramatist (c. 448-385 BCE) "Language is the armory of the human mind; and at once contains the trophies of its past, and the weapons of its future conquests." --Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) The trouble with words is that you never know whose mouths they've been in. --Dennis Potter, dramatist (1935-1994) |