WOW! 36 Weeks to a Vibrant Vocabulary
What colour do you see when you hear the word vibrant?
I, personally, see green. Rich, vivid, growing green—the colour of the foliage on well-watered tree at the beginning of summer.
At this point writing this post, I paused and went away to look at the actual definition of vibrant. According to Merriam-Webster, the word means “pulsating with life, vigor, or activity.” I love that! So alive it can’t even keep still—that’s vibrant, for you!
Now how about a vibrant vocabulary? Just what is that? And is it something you can still fit into this year’s school curriculum at the end of August?
A Vibrant Vocabulary is Alive and Growing
Not necessarily finished and mature, but swelling with ever-increasing vitality—that’s the essence of a vibrant vocabulary. It’s living, and pulsing, and growing, every day.
Childhood is the perfect time to build this kind of living vocabulary, because children absorb language in a way few adults can match. Far from being daunted by unfamiliar words, most children are very comfortable with the need to learn—and extremely ready to take on any new vocabulary that presents itself.
Yes, we’ve all been on the embarrassing side of that phenomenon—(“I can’t believe you used that word in front of Great Aunt Elizabeth, even if you did hear me say it at home . . .!) But at the core, this adaptability to new language is the foundation on which a vibrant and lasting vocabulary can be built.
A Vibrant Vocabulary Needs Food
Nothing grows without nourishment. That’s true physically. It’s true spiritually. And it’s true when it comes to vocabulary, as well.
The very best way of learning vocabulary is probably just hearing others speak. The next best (and the most perceptible) method, is reading literature. Books are full of wonderful words. Some of them are familiar. Some are unfamiliar.
As students explore unfamiliar words in the contexts of other, familiar ones, they begin to absorb meaning. That’s why a literature-based vocabulary is so effective.
The Word of the Week Vocabulary Program
SAW Publishing’s Word of the Week (WOW) program is designed to grow a student’s vocabulary against a literary backdrop of Scripture and hymns, as well as classic art and conversational examples.
Each weekly lesson introduces a new word, with material for copy work, memory work, singing, and bonus activities, as well as examples that illustrate the weekly word in conversation while following the ongoing adventures of a series of fictional characters.
The WOW program is broadly geared towards mid-elementary students, but is appropriate for a wide range of ages, making it a perfect resource for multi-level homeschool participation.
How to Sign Up for a Vibrant Vocabulary
The WOW program is a completely free resource. For a detailed overview, or to download a sample lesson, take a look at our introductory post here.
Sign up below to receive the WOW program weekly in your inbox this school year:
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