1/24/06

A New and Improved Volume I

I’ve just finished a thorough “makeover” for Volume I. I updated some definitions and graphics, added a few of the latter, provided lines for students’ sentence writing and Think Link answers. I didn’t insert many new words but one that pleased me was semester, meaning half a year, a word I’d never realized was based on the root “semi-”. I decided it deserved Cool Connection status.

I inserted Spanish, French and German Awesome Applications that show the relationship of twenty Real World Words® to English and romance languages, such as: French classique, German klassisch, Spanish clásicola for our English classic and French urbain and Spanish urbana for “our” urban. Not only do these show how words in other languages relate to English, Greek, Latin and German origins, they may give students of those nationalities a slight “I already knew that” edge, a much-needed boost in their class. I also provided many more Periodical Pearls to each lesson.

Also, as many of you had asked, I removed the answers to the chapter quizzes and Think Links from the students’ book. I also integrated the words at the “challenge” level with the words at the other learning levels.

I added a number of pages to the Teacher’s Guide to help teachers correlate aspects of each vocabulary lesson to your states’ standards. You will also see a new checklist of teacher’s instructional duties, a synopsis of the grammar, mechanics and punctuation of English writing and management of Word Web lessons. I also placed lines wherever “Your Notes” occur in most lessons to help keep entries organized.

Two main thoughts came to me while revising Volume I. The first was fun. I became aware of how many references there were in the definitions to Think Links, Cool Connections and other areas of the students’ curriculum. For example, Lesson 16, Micro-: Micronesia, a Cool Connection, relates to social studies and calls for the use of an atlas.

I also realized why Word Web is not just about prefixes, roots and suffixes but is truly a completely integrated vocabulary program. It easily relates words to literature, historical and geographical facts, products and places as well as headlines, billboards and current events in general. In fact, I believe that the daily use of Word Web Vocabulary exercises the mind to the fullest and produces sophisticated and savvy students.

I now hope for two things: first, that I’ve found and corrected all the errata in Volume I, so that our next printing will be fault-free and second, that everyone using Word Web Vocabulary will feel free to inform me of any sort of inconsistency or transgression they may discover.

By now, you probably realize that Word Web Vocabulary is not an ordinary textbook, one compiled by a large publishing company, but rather one created by a real person who maintains a regular dialogue with her consumers. I regard all Word Web Vocabulary users as family and hope that you will contact me as often you like, so that I can pass along your comments to others.

And, that’s my word for now. Ellie

Please contact me (emiller@seepub.com) with questions or comments. I'd love to know how you are making out with Word Web and how your students are doing!

Word Web Vocabulary - recommended on Heidi Hayes-Jacobs' website,
moving vocabulary from the edge of language arts to its center