I remember seeing something on this board about a program called Wordly Wise. I believe it’s a vocabulary program, would it be appropriate for a 10 year old dyslexic.
I remember seeing something on this board about a program called Wordly Wise. I believe it’s a vocabulary program, would it be appropriate for a 10 year old dyslexic.
You don’t say whether your son is deficient in vocabulary or has an age level vocabulary that could stand improvement. If he is deficient, Worldly Wise books A, B, and C would be worthwhile. These correspond roughly to second, third, and fourth grade. Level A may seem too low for a ten-year old, but if he’s deficient, it would be certain to include many words he doesn’t quite know and, thus, not be a waste of time. He could go through these books fairly fast—they have pictures and fairly short questions as well as crossword puzzles for reinforcement.
As for the higher level Worldly Wise books, I wouldn’t take them on for a dyslexic (although it is an excellent vocabulary series.) They have a lot of text and challenging reading passages using the words. Also, they don’t have pictures. At these higher levels Worldly Wise is a lot like serious schoolwork.
If his vocabulary is close to grade level, I might do the C Worldly Wise
and follow up with Vocabulary Cartoons by Sam, Max, and Bryan Burchers. These are billed as suitable for ages 9 to 12, but will have only a few familar words for most kids this age (e.g., climate). Each page has one large cartoon that incorporates a visual mnemonic for remembering the meaning of the word along with a definition and a couple of sentences using the word.
I have taken an ambient learning approach for these. My dh photocopied the whole book and blew the pages up to fill 8 1/2” x 11” sheets. We hang five at a time on the kitchen wall and try to fit them in during mealtime conversations. Vocabulary Cartoons I has 210 cartoons (words)—I think the second volume may have around 240. They are available to be bought together on Amazon for $21.
Other ideas for building vocabulary that are quasi-fun (though believe me the kids see through this) are playing Blurt!, a word game that comes in either a board form or a travel version. (Both have two levels of play, one aimed at younger children.) Another good game for learning Greek and Latin roots is Rummy Roots. Along these lines, you may wish to look into English from the Roots Up, which teaches Latin root words. You can buy cards with this that some people also paste up on the kitchen walls. I have not seen this product myself but have been weighing the purchase.