Words on the Vine: 36 Vocabulary Units on Root Words

Each root (mal, mano, gen, etc) has about 5 pages of activities to help seal both the root and its English derivatives into a kid's head. These are often VERY funny. They're short...each page is covered easily in about 1/2 hour. They're reproducable. The skill-level is variable. The humor makes it suitable for a wide range of kids...4th-5th grade through High School. I know that sounds ambitious, but it's really true! Each page has the root and its origin printed at the top. By the end of the book, a kid should know 35 roots and hundreds of new English vocabulary words. Magic!

I've searched in vain for a sequel to this gem. Sadly, so far there isn't one. But whenever Latin gets unbearably dull for my kids, I pull out "Words From The Vine", and we have some fun.


Words on the Vine: 36 Vocabulary Units on Root Words   July 8, 2000
janicen
49 out of 51 found this review helpful

A friend and I are using this workbook (along with English from the Roots Up) with our children, ages 8, 10, and 12. The kids are working on the pages together, one root word per session. Each root has three workbook-style pages (each covering the same 10 words) of varied and fun (and often funny) questions. The workbook pages approach the words from a good variety of angles, taking advantage of different strengths and learning styles. The kids really enjoy it and it has succeeded in making them fascinated with this subject, which is just what I hoped it would do. The only drawback is that there are only 36 roots (350 words) covered. I know we will all be sorry when we finish this fascinating book.

Added summer 2006. I wrote this review 4 years ago, and I still haven't come across another way to learn word roots that is this fun. I wish the author had written a series and not just one book.


Why isn't there a "Words on the Vine 2"?   February 16, 2006
home teacher (Canton, GA USA)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful

My homeschooled daughter began this book in the 5th grade, and we were able to drag it out through the 6th grade. We are now at the end of the book and both sad that there isn't a 2nd one. I don't know of any other workbook, textbook, anything that my daughter was so sad to finish (and before this language arts was her least favorite subject). I highly recommend it for any child as a latin primer and/or vocabulary builder. Great book!!!


Great intro to Word Roots   April 25, 2008
Leslie S. (New Hampshire)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I love this book! I have used it with 3 of my children so far and plan next year to use it wth my youngest. Each of the 36 lessons has 3 activity sheets plus suggestions for further activities. There are a couple of levels of activities, so you could easily return to the book later and do the harder ones as review. In addition, each lesson has other words listed that also share the root, so it would allow for additional work if you wanted to spread out the book over 2 years or use later again. My only complaint, which another reviewer mentioned, is that there is not a Words on the Vine 2-that is a real cirme!


Working well with high schoolers, too!!   September 19, 2008
J. Shurat (Michigan)
I took a chance and decided to use this workbook as bellringers for my 10th and 11th grade English students. It's worked out very well. Many of the words are new to their vocabulary and the kids learn how to use root words to decipher meanings of new words. We go through one unit each week and have a quiz, which they write themselves, every two weeks. I've always struggled to find a good way to incorporate new vocabulary into my daily lesson plans and this has worked great for me so far.