My fourth and fifth graders use the Sadlier-Oxford Vocabulary Workshop by Jerome Shostak. There is more than one series available. We choose the 2005-2006 version that has color levels. The 2011 series also has color levels. The colors are purple, green, orange, and blue for elementary grades 3-5 respectively.

What you'll find inside the book:

The forward explains how they set up the book. Some key points include:

• The lessons are designed to help students increase their comprehension and prepare for standardized tests. An example: In the orange level, there is a passage about an artist named Faith Ringgold. Students read the passage and answer multiple choice questions.
• The book provides an opportunity to build grammar usage skills by completing a sentence using the vocabulary words from the unit. Some words need their ending changed.
• Use the words to express themselves. In one of the unit reviews in the orange level, the kids are told to write a sentence using one of the words they are reviewing. They can write about whatever they want as long as the word's meaning isn't changed and it is used in context.
• Understand Latin and Greek roots as they apply to the words presented. In one lesson in the orange level, the root "man" is presented and defined. There is a list of words that have the root "man." The words are defined and the student fills in the blank to create a sample sentence.

The next few pages in the book explain the parts of speech, synonyms and antonyms, how to find context clues, analogies, and a pronunciation key. There is also a diagnostic test so that the teacher may learn where the students' abilities lie.

What a unit looks like:

Most units are divided into six sections: definitions, match the meaning, synonyms, antonyms, completing the sentence, and word associations. In the definitions section, students are provided with the definition, part of speech, synonyms and antonyms. The example sentences require that the vocabulary word be written in the space provided. In match the meaning, word associations, synonyms, and antonyms sections, the student is presented with multiple choice questions. The should also write the answer on the line provided. In the completing the sentence section, the vocabulary words are not on the page itself. A resourceful student will notice that they are on the adjacent word associations page. The words often need an ending change.

Review Units:

There are two different types of review units. The first type comes after every four units. Depending on how often the students are assigned work in this book, the unit review will fall about every quarter. The quarterly reviews include a multiple choice select the word section, a spelling section where one letter is missing from a previously learned word, a multiple choice antonyms section, a comprehension section that includes a reading passage and multiple choice questions, and more.

The next type of review is like a semester review of the previous 8 units. The sections are very similar to the unit and quarterly review sections.

Online Games

I often forget that there are online games. My kids did fine without them, but love it when they get to play hangman, crossword puzzles, word searches, word scrambles, concentration, and more.

I recommend this series because it thoroughly teaches the student the words and periodically has them practices what they learned for long term retention. It is important to note that I haven't used all the levels, only orange and blue (4th and 5th grade). My students use Wordly Wise 3000 in second and third grade. Then, in sixth and seventh grade, they use Vocabulary From Classical Roots.