Vocabulary Cartoons, Elementary Edition by New Monic Press is a vocabulary book designed for 3rd-6th graders. The book contains 210 vocabulary words, each with its own cartoon and rhyme to help memorization, as well as review questions every 10 words to help reinforce what's been learned.
I was interested when I received this book, because my formal attempts at vocabulary with the kids in the past had been big failures. We had previously tried the "index card" method - I would have them copy a word on one side, the definition on the other, and through the week, we'd review them. But the words never really seemed to "stick", and it was drudgery for all of us. Eventually, I gave up on trying to "teach" vocabulary, and up until now had been hoping that a more natural method (just explaining big words as we came across them in context of reading) would sink in some.I was pleasantly surprised by the effectiveness of this book! I did not cover every single word (since the age range is 3rd-6th grade, I felt some words just weren't necessary to teach yet), but the words we did cover - the boys remember! They really like the cartoon pictures that accompany each word, and the rhymes are easy for them to remember. When one struggles over remembering a word, all I have to remind them of is a part of the rhyme, or a hint at the cartoon, and the definition of the word usually comes right back to them!
The layout of the book is easy to follow. Each page has a word, its pronunciation, its definition, and a "sounds like" hint which is the rhyming word. Then there is a humorous cartoon picture with a funny rhyming sentence underneath, describing the cartoon and using the vocabulary word. This is followed by several example sentences using the vocabulary word, often in different contexts so that it is easy to explain if there are several ways to use the word.
We did a word each day and the actual lesson took less than 5 minutes! Then we would spend a few minutes going over random words we'd done previously, so I could check what they remembered. As I mentioned earlier, I was very impressed by the retention, especially since we had such little success with previous methods! It was not drudgery for me or the kids - I thought it was painless, and the kids actually thought it was fun! They enjoyed the cartoons and silly rhymes.
Since we did not cover every single word, I didn't utilize the review questions that came after every 10 words, but I believe they would be very helpful, especially if a child is going through the book more independently (which could easily be done). I appreciate that Vocabulary Cartoons has a wide grade range, because it makes it a book that can be used gradually over several years, and not something that has to be purchased numerous times or really pushed to "get it all done" in one year's time. I enjoyed the freedom to choose which words I felt would be good for the boys to know now, and to save the rest for as they mature over the years.
The book is only $12.95 which is, in my opinion, a great price for such an effective tool that covers multiple grades! They also offer a multiple-book discount, which would be useful in a co-op setting or for more traditional classroom use.
Want to see more for yourself? Here are some sample pages, and here is a complete word list. Also, if your children are above elementary age, they continue the series through High School level, including SAT Prep!
For a vocabulary product that is reasonably priced, effective, and able to span several years, I highly recommend New Monic's Vocabulary Cartoons! Be sure to check and see what other TOS Crew members thought about it over at the TOS Homeschool Crew blog!
Disclaimer: I was given this product speficially for the purpose of reviewing here on my blog as a member of TOS Homeschool Crew. I received no other compensation in regards to this review.
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