Vocabulary

Vocabulary CurriculumVocabulary Resources

Vocabulary (voh-kab-yuh-ler-ee) -noun, plural = laries
  1. The stock of words used by or known to a particular people or group of persons: His Spanish vocabulary is limited. Technical vocabulary is always expanding.
  2. A list or collection of the words or phrases of a language, technical field, etc., usually arranged in alphabetical order and defined: Study the vocabulary in the third chapter of your textbook.
  3. The words of a language
  4. Any collection of signs or symbols constituting a means or system of nonverbal communication: vocabulary of a computer
  5. Any more or less specific group of forms characteristic of an artist, a style of art, architecture, or the like
[origin: ML vocabularium, n. use of neut. of vocabularius of words, equiv. to L vocabul(um) or "word" + arius or "pertaining to"]

As a young student, I was once given a large hardcover children's dictionary. It was full of brightly colored pictures and had about twenty words per page. I was fascinated by the book and spent hours reading the definitions. Later on, I read quite a bit and thus gained a decent familiarity with words. Occasionally I would ask my mother the question, "What does this word mean?" And she would invariably answer, "Go look it up!" Sometimes I followed through and did, but mostly my lazy side would win out and I wouldn't bother to look up the meaning. While I did have spelling exercises, and I was usually required to look up the definitions of the words on my spelling lists, that was pretty much the extent of my formal vocabulary training. That background has proven to be perfectly adequate for my daily life, but it was a haphazard approach to vocabulary.

By contrast, a number of my friends learned Latin as children—or at least learned Latin and Greek roots. There have been several instances when we have together come across words that we didn't know. I had to search for a dictionary to look it up; they were able to make an educated guess at the meaning of the word, saying, "that root means this, and this root means that, so the word must mean something like..." How I covet that skill!

To be sure, we'll function just fine without learning word roots. In our modern age of computers and the Internet, we have dictionaries galore at our fingertips, and can quickly find the meaning of a word if we need it. But with so much of the English language derived from classical roots (many other languages are, too!), it seems wise to pursue knowledge of those roots. Therefore, nearly all the curricula we carry are root-based.

The main exception to this is the Wordly Wise 3000 series, which teaches a carefully selected list of 3,000 words culled from current popular literature and high-stakes tests.

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49 Items found Print
Active Filters: 8th grade (Ages 13-14), New Books & Materials
Analogies 1
by Arthur Liebman
from Educators Publishing Service
for 7th-8th grade
in EPS Analogies (Location: LOG-EPS)
$12.79
Book of Roots
by Paul O'Brien
from Memoria Press
for 3rd-8th grade
in Memoria Press Latina Christiana (Location: FL-LATCHR)
$26.20
Critical Thinking Detective: Vocabulary Book 1
by Diane Hartsig
1st edition from Critical Thinking Books
in Critical Thinking Vocabulary (Location: VOC-CTP)
$8.99
Critical Thinking Detective: Vocabulary Book 2
by Diane Hartsig
1st edition from Critical Thinking Books
in Critical Thinking Vocabulary (Location: VOC-CTP)
$8.99
Jensen's Format Writing
by Frode Jensen
2nd edition from Master Books
Writing Curriculum for 7th-12th grade
in Jensen's English (Location: GRA-JENSEN)
$21.59 $15.00 (1 in stock)
Jensen's Format Writing - DVD Supplement
by Frode Jensen
3rd edition from Wordsmiths
Writing Curriculum for 7th-12th grade
in Jensen's English (Location: GRA-JENSEN)
$20.00 $15.00 (1 in stock)
Jensen's Grammar
by Frode Jensen
from Master Books
for 7th-12th grade
in Jensen's English (Location: GRA-JENSEN)
$35.99 $22.00 (1 in stock)
Jensen's Grammar - DVD Supplement
by Frode Jensen
from Master Books
for 7th-12th grade
in Jensen's English (Location: GRA-JENSEN)
$26.40 $20.00 (1 in stock)
Jensen's Grammar - Text Only
by Frode Jensen
from Wordsmiths
for 7th-12th grade
$18.00
Jensen's Punctuation
by Frode Jensen
from Wordsmiths
for 6th-9th grade
$15.00
Jensen's Punctuation
by Frode Jensen
2nd edition from Master Books
for 6th-9th grade
in Jensen's English (Location: GRA-JENSEN)
$21.59 $15.00 (1 in stock)
Jensen's Vocabulary
by Frode Jensen
from Master Books
for 7th-10th grade
in Jensen's English (Location: GRA-JENSEN)
$28.79
Megawords 1
by Kristin Johnson & Polly Bayrd
2nd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
in Megawords (Location: SPE-MEGA)
$18.49
Megawords 1 - Teacher's Guide and Answer Key
by Kristin Johnson & Polly Bayrd
2nd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
in Megawords (Location: SPE-MEGA)
$25.69
Megawords 2
by Kristin Johnson & Polly Bayrd
2nd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 7th-9th grade
in Megawords (Location: SPE-MEGA)
$18.49
Megawords 3 - Teacher's Guide and Answer Key
by Kristin Johnson & Polly Bayrd
2nd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
in Megawords (Location: SPE-MEGA)
$25.69
Megawords 4
by Kristin Johnson & Polly Bayrd
2nd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
in Megawords (Location: SPE-MEGA)
$18.49
Megawords 4 - Teacher's Guide and Answer Key
by Kristin Johnson & Polly Bayrd
2nd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
in Megawords (Location: SPE-MEGA)
$25.69
Megawords 5
by Kristin Johnson & Polly Bayrd
2nd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
in Megawords (Location: SPE-MEGA)
$18.49
Megawords 5 - Teacher's Guide and Answer Key
by Kristin Johnson & Polly Bayrd
2nd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
in Megawords (Location: SPE-MEGA)
$25.69
Megawords 6
by Kristin Johnson & Polly Bayrd
2nd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
in Megawords (Location: SPE-MEGA)
$18.49
Megawords 6 - Teacher's Guide and Answer Key
by Kristin Johnson & Polly Bayrd
2nd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
in Megawords (Location: SPE-MEGA)
$25.69
Megawords 7
by Kristin Johnson & Polly Bayrd
2nd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
in Megawords (Location: SPE-MEGA)
$18.49 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Megawords 7 - Teacher's Guide and Answer Key
by Kristin Johnson & Polly Bayrd
2nd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
in Megawords (Location: SPE-MEGA)
$25.69
Megawords 8
by Kristin Johnson & Polly Bayrd
2nd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
in Megawords (Location: SPE-MEGA)
$18.49
Megawords 8 - Teacher's Guide and Answer Key
by Kristin Johnson & Polly Bayrd
121st edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 4th-10th grade
in Megawords (Location: SPE-MEGA)
$25.69
Painless Vocabulary
by Michael Greenberg
3rd edition from Barron's
for 4th-8th grade
in Vocabulary Resources (Location: REF-VOC)
$9.99 $6.00 (1 in stock)
Ridgewood Analogies 5
by George Libonate
from Educators Publishing Service
for 8th grade
in EPS Analogies (Location: LOG-EPS)
$11.79
Ridgewood Analogies 5 - Guide
by George Libonate
from Educators Publishing Service
for 8th grade
in EPS Analogies (Location: LOG-EPS)
$5.29
Vocabulary From Classical Roots B
by Nancy Flowers & Norma Fifer
from Educators Publishing Service
for 8th grade
Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks
in Vocabulary From Classical Roots (Location: VOC-VCR)
$18.69 $9.00 (3 in stock)
Vocabulary From Classical Roots B - Teacher Edition
by Nancy Flowers & Norma Fifer
from Educators Publishing Service
for 8th grade
in Vocabulary From Classical Roots (Location: VOC-VCR)
$35.59
Vocabulary Level B - Student Worktext
3rd edition from Bob Jones University Press
for 8th grade
in BJU Vocabulary (Location: VOC-BJU)
$27.78 $16.00 (1 in stock)
Vocabulary Level B - Teacher Edition
3rd edition from Bob Jones University Press
for 8th grade
in BJU Vocabulary (Location: VOC-BJU)
$30.00 $16.00 (2 in stock)
Vocabulary Riddles Book 1
from Critical Thinking Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Critical Thinking Vocabulary (Location: VOC-CTP)
$8.99
Vocabulary Riddles Book 2
from Critical Thinking Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Critical Thinking Vocabulary (Location: VOC-CTP)
$8.99
Vocabulary Virtuoso - Middle School
by Nancy Forderer
from Critical Thinking Books
for 6th-8th grade
in Critical Thinking Vocabulary (Location: VOC-CTP)
$19.99
Vocabulary Virtuoso PSAT-SAT - Book 1
Vocabulary Virtuoso
by Nancy Forderer
1st edition from Critical Thinking Books
in Critical Thinking Vocabulary (Location: VOC-CTP)
$19.99
Vocabulary Virtuoso PSAT-SAT - Book 2
by Nancy Forderer
1st edition from Critical Thinking Books
in Critical Thinking Vocabulary (Location: VOC-CTP)
$19.99
Word Archeology
by Rebecca Locklear
for 4th-12th grade
in Vocabulary Resources (Location: REF-VOC)
$39.95
Word Explorer Level 1
by Darin Beigie
from Critical Thinking Books
for 6th-8th grade
in Critical Thinking Vocabulary (Location: VOC-CTP)
$15.99
Word Roots Level 1
by Cherie Blanchard
from Critical Thinking Books
for 4th-12th grade
in Word Roots (Location: VOC-WR)
$26.99
Word Roots Level 2
by Cherie Blanchard
from Critical Thinking Books
for 4th-12th grade
in Word Roots (Location: VOC-WR)
$24.99
Word Roots Level 3
by Cherie Blanchard
from Critical Thinking Books
for 7th-12th grade
in Word Roots (Location: VOC-WR)
$25.99
Word Roots Level 4
by Cherie Blanchard
from Critical Thinking Books
for 7th-12th grade
in Word Roots (Location: VOC-WR)
$25.99
Wordly Wise 3000 Book 8
by Kenneth Hodkinson & Sandra Adams
4th edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 8th grade
in Wordly Wise 3000 Vocabulary (Location: VOC-WW3K)
$17.29
Wordly Wise 3000 Book 8 - Answer Key
by Kenneth Hodkinson & Sandra Adams
4th edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 8th grade
in Wordly Wise 3000 Vocabulary (Location: VOC-WW3K)
$9.49
Wordly Wise 3000 Book 8 - Tests
by Kenneth Hodkinson & Sandra Adams
4th edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 8th grade
in Wordly Wise 3000 Vocabulary (Location: VOC-WW3K)
$18.99
Wordly Wise Book 5 - Answer Key
by Kenneth Hodkinson
2nd edition from Educators Publishing Service
for 8th grade
in Wordly Wise Vocabulary (Location: VOC-WW)
$13.89 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Words on the Vine
by Claudia Vurnakes
from Instructional Fair
for 5th - 8th Grade
in Vocabulary Resources (Location: REF-VOC)
$12.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)