Curriculum, Education, Grammar, Homeschool, Vocabulary

Dynamic Literacy, LLC: Wordbuild Online Review!

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

We are testing family and this year when I noticed right away there was a substantial amount of vocabulary on the exam. For the last 2 years, we have worked on vocabulary-building activities through workbooks and curriculums. I was thrilled when the Crew was offered to review Dynamic Literacy, LLC: Wordbuild Online .

In all honesty, I had never heard of Wordbuild Online until we were presented with the opportunity to review it. At first glance at the website, I was very impressed with the scope and sequence. Wordbuild Online really concentrates on the prefixes and suffixes, Greek, and Latin roots. There are 3 foundation levels reviewing prefixes and suffixes with 25 units per level. After your student masters, these 75 exercises the students will move on to the Elements level which also has 3 levels of 25-36 units of Greek and Latin roots.

The company started all of our Crew accounts at the foundations level and to be honest with you I thought this was a great idea. Having my son started at the beginning was fine with me because I wanted him to take advantage of everything this online platform had to offer. Starting from the beginning also let me know where he was in his knowledge of roots and where I needed to focus our attention. Students are given a placement test at the beginning as well students watch an introductory video about the English language.

Students are recommended to work the 10-15 min lessons 5 days a week. I highly recommend that you do these lessons consecutively. I made this mistake in week one of us using the program and thereafter we worked consistently. Foundations level 1-3 are students 2- 5th grade, but I personally feel students should start at the beginning Wordbuild Online instead of jumping directly to the Greek and Latin roots. Foundations and Elements break the lesson down into 5 different activities. The requirement for

  • Day 1 Affix Square (Foundations)
  • Daty 2 Affix Adder (Foundations )
  • Day 3 Magic Square (Foundations) / Stair Steps (Elements)
  • Day 4 Comprehension Booster (Foundations) / In Other Words (Elements)
  • Day 5 Question Assessment (Foundations) /10 Question Assessment (Elements)

What We Think!

My SON LOVES this program! It is the first thing he does after breakfast, he has been very consistent with the platform. He learning and reviewing so much and enjoying watching himself get better. At first, he was getting a rating score of 2’s and I was concerned maybe we needed to do some review. I just sat back and just observed his work and I realize that Wordbuild Online was presenting these lessons in a different way than he was used to seeing them as pretty basic. Wordbuild Online was teaching him definitions and vocabulary and having him really dissect these words in sentence comprehension. Those few 2’s started turning into 4’s because he had found his rhythm and gotten over the learning curve.

I really like how Wordbuild Online presents the affix, then students define it in their own words using a new word. Then they work on sentence comprehension by using the new word and picking the correct use in the sentence. The students continue to work on many more activities that increase vocabulary, spelling, and review. I love the parent dashboard that is simple and you can reset it if you want your student to rework an affix.

Since using Wordbuild Online the last few weeks our current vocabulary curriculum has taken the backseat because he really prefers this over his book. When it comes time for the Crew to vote for the best vocabulary curriculum for the year we are definitely casting our vote for Wordbuild Online.

Be sure to check out the other Crew reviews of Dynamic Literacy, LLC: Wordbuild Online by clicking the banner below.

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wordbuild/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DynamicLiteracy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wordbuild_online/

3rd Grade Curriculum, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, Curriculum, Education, Homeschool, Language Arts

Progeny Press: Wagon Wheels Study Guide Review!

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

We added the Progeny Press guide to our Language Arts studies for our Black Pioneers study in December, we were excited to receive the Wagon Wheels Study Guide this time to review. Wagon Wheels Study Guide is a digital download that includes the student activity sheets and a separate answer key. The study guide is recommended for grades 1-3rd grade but my 4th grader will be fine doing this.

The book Wagon Wheels is for students in grades 2nd – 4th, you could possibly stretch the book to 5th grade for its historical content. The story takes place during the time after the civil war when freedmen and their children migrate west to Kansas in search of settling in Nicomdemus Town, land provided from the Homestead Act of 1862. The Muldie boys cross the plains and lose their mother along the way. The three boys and their father reach the town and build themselves a dugout and brace for the harsh winter. The Muldie family encounters the Osage Nation and they rescue them from hungry and they are able to survive. The dad must leave to find work and the Muldie boys (11, 8, and 3) are left to fend for themselves and the support of the community to continue their new life. The book is based upon the memoirs of Lulu Sadler Craig.

Wagon Wheels Study Guide provides brief background information on the Homestead Act of 1862 as well as the synopsis of the book the Wagon Wheels. Students are also given before and after they read activities, vocabulary, grammar, and literary terms to work on. The study guide also provides an external link to other activities to stretch the study guide. In the study guide, you will find 4 questions that do have Bible scriptures attached to them but I didn’t feel as if they were indoctrinating.

The reading comprehensions are divided into 2 chapters sections and the questions require in-depth reflection. Students will answer 7-10 questions in each section. For a 1st grader, the writing may be a bit much, so you can do those questions verbally and they would do fine. Some of the activities include crossword puzzles and drawing, and cooking.

I personally read the book Wagon Wheels for this review and went over the study guide sheets and questions myself. We plan to study Black Pioneers in December so I didn’t let my son do the activities or read the story. I looked over everything and this will definitely be part of our study and I will come back and update my review. I would have liked to see more book resources in the back of the guide about black pioneers, cowboys, Osage Nation.

Be sure to click the banner below to check out the other crew’s reviews of Progeny Press study guides.

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/progenypress
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/progenypress
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/progenypress
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/progenypress