3/23/06

Making Connections

“The knowledge imposes a pattern...for the pattern is new in every moment.” T.S. Eliot

If I didn’t know better, I’d have thought that Mr. Eliot was reading from Word Web Vocabulary! The knowledge that many words are connected to other words by a common prefix, root or suffix is often surprising to students. Even more surprising at times, even for adults, are a few of what I call Cool Connections®, those words such as monk or biscuit that are tied by origin to mono- and bi-, respectively. Although their relationships are unexpected, they do reveal the same pattern as monotone, monocle; bivalve and bilateral have to their respective prefixes.

“Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened...” Isaiah 35:5-6

For those of you who’ve been receiving Ellie’s Word for several years, you’ve no doubt picked up on my frequent mentions of connecting vocabulary to the world around us. So again, I want to point out that the recently ended Winter Olympics was a quadrennial event, one that happens every four years. I hope those of you who are currently using Volume II, which contains the “quad-” prefix, picked up on that. What other quadrennial events are there? (U.S. presidential elections and other countries’ elections; leap year and possibly February 29 festivities; many sporting events worldwide, including the World Cup Soccer matches.)

“As knowledge increases, wonder deepens.” Charles Morgan

We’ve all experienced that great feeling when the more we learn about a subject, the more we enjoy and appreciate it. With Word Web, these occurrences happen frequently, especially the more lessons each student covers. It becomes easier and easier after a bit of time for a student to see a word and make connections to other words. That’s one of the reasons why I choose sports teams’ names, acronyms and architectural features for some volumes’ vocabulary words. Once students start thinking about just one of these, they begin noticing others, creating awareness and wonder.

“Ownership of words and concepts requires a series of exposures to the words.” Barbara Kapinus

Often, it takes more than one encounter with a root word to awaken a person’s senses to all its possibilities and to realize that many words are formed in a similar manner. Word Web assures this exposure by its repetitiveness of lesson format. Every new lesson begins with a prefix, root or suffix with explanations and examples of those words which are related. Each lesson builds in at least one way on the previous. This is how all learning takes place.

Won’t you share with me your own experiences in deepening your understanding of a word or concept? I’d love to read them! Send them to emiller@seepub.com.

That’s my word this time. Ellie

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