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Hi. I'm wondering if people are having their children memorize the vocabulary words and their meaning or just doing them the one day and that's all.

We do them on the designated day and talk about them if/when they come up during the rest of the unit, but are not actually memorizing the definitions. Just wondering how others are doing this.

Thanks
Camille

We did not purposely memorize the definitions. I honestly feel like my dc know what they mean after writing their own sentences and drawing the pictures. HTH!

My dd is not memorizing them. To be honest, it didn't even occur to me to have her do so! I figure we can always go back and look through her definitions/sentences/drawings later to review.

Erica

I love that vocabulary activity for soooo many reasons. It is just chock full of so many awesome LA skills! The BHFHG plans don't intend for dc to memorize the vocabulary, as vocabulary done for memory's sake can often be quickly forgotten. Rather the vocabulary study in BHFHG teaches many important LA skills that would be drawn upon when a child actually doesn't know a word in his/her reading - i.e. finding the word in the history book (or whatever book a child is using), looking at the word in its context, guessing at its meaning, looking it up in the dictionary to see which definition best fits, being able to use that word in a sentence of a child's own making to show he/she understands its meaning now, illustrating it to further show understanding of the word, and filing the card made alphabetically. All the skills taught (with the exception of creating the actual card and filing it alphabetically) are those that would be used if a child came to a word he/she didn't know when reading. These skills have been an incredible help to my dc, not only in history, but in all subject areas! Memorization is part of the Bible Study box in all guides, as well as part of the poetry and writing in later guides. But vocabulary, both in the the HOD core guides and in DITHOR, is approached as a multi-faceted LA skill to be taught a process that can be used how to expand your vocabulary yourself, whenever you come to word you don't know. HTH!

In Christ,
Julie

my3sons wrote:I love that vocabulary activity for soooo many reasons. It is just chock full of so many awesome LA skills! The BHFHG plans don't intend for dc to memorize the vocabulary, as vocabulary done for memory's sake can often be quickly forgotten. Rather the vocabulary study in BHFHG teaches many important LA skills that would be drawn upon when a child actually doesn't know a word in his/her reading - i.e. finding the word in the history book (or whatever book a child is using), looking at the word in its context, guessing at its meaning, looking it up in the dictionary to see which definition best fits, being able to use that word in a sentence of a child's own making to show he/she understands its meaning now, illustrating it to further show understanding of the word, and filing the card made alphabetically. All the skills taught (with the exception of creating the actual card and filing it alphabetically) are those that would be used if a child came to a word he/she didn't know when reading. These skills have been an incredible help to my dc, not only in history, but in all subject areas! Memorization is part of the Bible Study box in all guides, as well as part of the poetry and writing in later guides. But vocabulary, both in the the HOD core guides and in DITHOR, is approached as a multi-faceted LA skill to be taught a process that can be used how to expand your vocabulary yourself, whenever you come to word you don't know. HTH!

In Christ,
Julie

Julie, I love how your flesh out and explain all the skills that the child is learning through HOD's vocabulary. Thanks so much!

I have to admit that my little guy is not drawing what the word means yet I hope to have him do that by the end of the year though (praying it will happen)

Thanks so much! This will make you feel better about ds - Wyatt's first illustrations were honestly stick figures. Itty-bitty ones. I know because I just looked back at his work from years ago, and I was shocked at his first vocabulary cards! For those students like my oldest ds who are not natural at drawing, I think it's okay to accept any drawing that illustrates they know the meaning of the word. That is the focus rather than a well-drawn picture in this case. HTH!

In Christ,
Julie

Thanks for all your help! Julie-your explanation of why we are doing this is very helpful.

Thanks again,
Camille