Word Root 4 - The Critical Thinking Company

The Critical Thinking Company's Word Root Level 4 teaches vocabulary by first dissecting the words and defining each part - the root, prefix and suffix. Once the student learns these parts of the words, this knowledge is used to decode unfamiliar words.  There is a pre-test included to get you started and a post-test to use once the text is completed to see how much has been retained.

Students then attempt to master new words through the following lessons: matching words with their definitions, filling in a sentence with the correct word, writing the definitions of words, and writing complete sentences for each word. There are also plenty of review lessons included.  

The program is thorough, but for KingMan he felt something was missing.  It was a bit confusing for him and too much was left out for him to determine the correct answer.  For example, if he determined the meaning of a word incorrectly, then all of the subsequent work would be incorrect as well.  Maybe this was intended as a part of the "critical thinking" process.  But it frustrated KingMan.  In some ways, the lessons assume some knowledge of Latin, which KingMan did not have.  Another frustrating aspect was similarity of meaning.  If a prefix or suffix had similar meanings, how was he to determine which to use?  

For example, KingMan deduced that dogma meant one thing in Word Roots, but when he went to Dictionary.com the definition was different.  For example, in Word Roots dog/dox is defined as "opinion, praise" and ma as "something done."  So when KingMan wrote his sentence, "My dogma about Oklahoma City Thunder has always been overpowering."  He was using "praise and opinion" in the right way.  But when we looked up the definition for the word on Dictionary.com it said, "a principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true."  Kingman's response to me was, "how can it be an opinion and incontrovertibly true?" I  think some additional discussion about the roots would have been helpful in determining proper usage.

Again, this may be a part of the "critical thinking" aspect of the program. If your child enjoys sleuth work, he may enjoy Word Roots.  On the other hand, if you have a straightforward learner, who prefers more explanation, this may not work.

Word Roots is a part of Timberdoodle's 10th Grade Curriculum Kit.

Beginning Word Roots: A Review

Everything has a beginning.  This is how we began our study of root words.  Trees have roots and so do words, I explained to Lionheart, who wondered aloud, "why do I have to do this!?"  I wanted him to understand that the key to unlocking the meaning of new and unfamiliar words is understanding their roots.  Sharing this tidbit made teaching this abstract concept a bit more relevant to his young life.

Word Roots, published the by Critical Thinking Company, was our first adventure into vocabulary study.  More efficient than studying random lists of vocabulary words, Word Roots, instead focuses on prefixes, suffixes and roots.  Understanding the meaning of a specific prefix or suffix helps unlock far more words and their meanings.  For example, in Lesson 15, the root word "port," which means to carry, is the focus.  Pair "port" with the prefixes "ex, im, sup, trans," and 4 more words are decoded.  I encouraged Lionheart to treat it like detective work to make it fun!

The first 3 lessons of the text focus on prefixes, suffixes and roots, separately.  Each concept is defined, followed by simple exercises for practice.  The layout is nice and there is plenty of white space and a few illustrations so as not to overwhelm.  Other exercises include drawing a line from the word to its picture representation, defining the words, and filling in the blank with the correct word.

Lessons 4-7 focus on prefixes and roots, while lessons 8-11 focus on roots and suffixes. Breaking up the concepts in this way decreased confusion for Lionheart and allowed for plenty of practice to attain mastery.

Lessons 12-24 combine all three concepts: prefixes, roots and suffixes.  There are 10 reviews  that increase in difficulty as the child progresses.  One review includes matching the word with the correct meaning and creating words by combining the correct prefix and root word. Another review involves circling the correctly spelled word, for example:  fertile, fertill and furtile. By the last review, the child is asked to write a complete sentence using a word from the choice box.  I expect Lionheart to be pretty challenged by this exercise, especially given the choice of words, which includes "revivify."  I had to look that one up myself!

By the end of the book, with a little hard work, Lionheart should have expanded his vocabulary and  be able to use his knowledge of prefixes and suffixes to decode new words like vivacious, when broken down means viv (live, live) and acious (having the quality of).

Word Roots is a part of the Timberdoodle 4th-6th grade homeschool curriculum package.