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Hi ladies,

I was wondering how you chose to set up the vocabulary component in BHFHG. The manual explains that you can use either index cards or a composition book with each letter having 2 pages to copy the words.

From what I understand the steps for the vocabulary lesson is finding the word in the dictionary, copying it and the definition, writing a sentence using the word and adding a simple illustration.

Have you found this works better with the cards or in a notebook? The cards appeal to me because they would provide good alphabetization practice. However, do they provide enough room for an illustration and sentence? How do the kids keep the words alphabetized in the composition notebook? Or do you just not worry about that...as long as the word is on the right page it's fine.

Thanks for your tips!

Heather

I made a notebooking page because I wanted the bigger page but wanted to be able to put them in ABC order. This has worked very well for us.

Hi Heather! We used the index cards and recipe box. I liked it because my ds could alphabetize them easily, but the pp's idea would make that easily done with copy paper too. Another kind of unique reason I liked using cards is because drawing/coloring has never been my ds's thing. He was not overwhelmed by a "blank page", and the card gave him just the right amount of room to draw and color without it taking him long to do. On the flip side, I have a nephew who is very artistic, and the cards were good for him because he would have drawn and colored all day otherwise. That being said, I like the idea of a notebook too and may do that this next time to change it up. Whichever one appeals to you best is the one to go for - have fun with BHFHG - we sure did!

In Christ,
Julie

We used index cards in a mini index card binder. It worked great for us. The cards never get lost and it takes a little bit of space. We did not alphabetize them though and this year perhaps we will do that with dividers. Anyway just another way that works.

We used index cards and alphabetized them in a recipe box.

There was plenty of room for Grant to write the definition and sentence on the lined side, then he flipped it and illustrated on the back side.

Kathleen

I am not a big fan of index cards, so we use the notebook. My son has 2 pages per letter of the alphabet in a spiral bound notebook.

We used index cards in with two holes and rings. That worked well for us so my son could practice alphabetizing each time he had to add a vocabulary word.

We chose index cards for the vocabulary in Preparing. The kids like it and they do the definition and sentence on the front and the illustration on the back. This works great for us. I think they might get carried away with the illustrating and then might run out of room with only two notebook pages per letter.

Leah

Thanks for everyone's feedback. What I have settled on is using index cards with the boxes. When I was picking out the boxes this evening I saw alphabetized dividers that fit nicely in the box. So of course I had to get those, too! I think writing on the lined side and drawing on the blank side will work great for my boys. Neither of them are crazy about drawing, so a smaller space will work well for them.

Thanks, Heather

I never thought of having them write on one side and draw on the other - I am such a creature of habit. Thanks for sharing that idea! Oh, and I bought the dividers too, and that made it super easy to alphabetize the index cards.

In Christ,
Julie

Thanks for this post! We'll be starting Bigger in a couple weeks.