Need help with Shurley English Vocab.

[Baseballmom]

I LOVE Shurley English. My son has really improved in his grammar this year using this program. I also like the vocabulary component, but my son is not doing well. He is in 6th grade and doing Shurley 4 and still gets at least half of the words wrong on the test every week. He defines the word and uses it in a sentences, but what else can we add to help with him retain the vocab in this program?
TIA,

[FloridaLisa]

Well, I've used Shurley for years but we don't do the vocab as suggested. Does he understand the meaning of word? Is it possibly the synonym/antonym thing that's messing him up? If so, I'd ask him every week to:

1) first define synonym and antonym -- make sure he's gotten it straight in his mind that he's looking for similar words or opposites.

2) then complete the vocab.

Also, sometimes the Shurley words are not straightforward antonyms or synonyms and it can be a bit tricky is the student is not perceptive to the word connotations.

HTH,
Lisa

[Baseballmom]

Does he understand the meaning of word? No he does not.
1) first define synonym and antonym -- make sure he's gotten it straight in his mind that he's looking for similar words or opposite.



He understands what a synonym and antonym are (I just asked him to make sure!) He has a very low vocabulary. He has several issues that have held him back in this area, mainly several different processing disorders. I need some good ideas to help him understand and then retain the new vocab. he is learning. Does anyone have their kids draw pictures? Any other ideas?

[Sue in St Pete]

FWIW, my son has no LD, does great in grammar, and never retained any of the vocabulary in Shurley. I wouldn't have either.

We are now using Megawords for spelling. There is vocabulary included. I like it much better. They have a variety of activities to help with vocabulary. Crossword puzzles, fill-in-the-blank in a sentence. Even discussing the Latin roots of prefixes and root words.

I don't know that I have been helpful, but I just wanted you to know that even "normal" kids have trouble with Shurley vocabulary. I don't think it's the kid. I think it's the Shurley method (or lack thereof).

[TCoppock]

Have you done flash cards or what about matching games? We are on Shurley 3 and while my son know whether a word is a syn or ant we still have to review some of the meanings of past words.