VOCABULARY

MrsK40 · Post by **MrsK40** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 2:47 pm

What does anyone think?? We r looking for a good way to expand my sons VOCAB for grammar school entrance and higher SATS marks next year (Y6) . Everyone says more reading, he is very MATHEMATICAL and does not enjoy novels... has anyone had this issue? I've looked at the reading list post, and it's a very subjective thing... everyone likes different books according to their personality.... FACTUAL READING is what I need I think, less fairies/witches/princesses etc ANY IDEAS? I thought of Jeremy Clarkson, but I'm not sure if the content is too adult. He loved the skulduggery pleasant series. was wondering whether to make him write out lists of new words he comes accross, this seems rather boring!!

Charlotte67 · Post by **Charlotte67** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 3:24 pm

My son (Y5) does not much enjoy reading fiction but he does love computer games

. You could try these: http://www.english-online.org.uk/games/gamezone2.htm

He does sometimes find books which he enjoys; current favourites are the Willard Price adventure stories.

jah · Post by **jah** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 3:34 pm

Try him on a newspaper. Obviously I don't know what your regular daily is, but the tabloids (not Sun) have reading age of 11 or 12 and broadsheets of about 15/16. He doesn't have to read every single article but can flick through and find what interests him. Most papers have a different focus on different days of the week, eg Sciences, Arts. Weekend papers might be most interesting to him. Also local evening paper perhaps. Stay away from The Sun which apart from the pictorial matter does not require a sufficiently high reading age (about 9).

Could try BBC Focus magazine for Scientific interest. Not so hard as New Scientist.

My yr 6 son enjoys listening to Radio 4, which leads to quite stimulating conversations at times on diverse topics

MrsK40 · Post by **MrsK40** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 3:56 pm

You are both absolutely right.... computer games and radio 4... great ideas... I do like the newspaper idea... I had thought of trying him on a paper but was thinking too highbrow I think... the tabloids being about the right reading age for him. He does LOVE the computer, as most mathematical/science oriented boys tend to do!! so we'lll give your link a go. These things take some creative thinking!! It's good to talk !!

yoyo123 · Post by **yoyo123** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 4:06 pm

How about games like Scrabble and Upwords, using the dictionary?

Also if he is a reluctant reader, what about 'talking books'? They have an excellent selection in the library and he will be exposed to all sort of genres, it may even tempt him to read other books in the series or by the same author.

runningmum · Post by **runningmum** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 4:17 pm

Countdown on Channel 4 is a good way to encounter a diverse range of words out of context (as expected in several 11+ question types), not to mention, practising mental maths skills.

Rosette · Post by **Rosette** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 7:33 pm

My son also veers towards maths and vocab is quite poor in comparison.

He does like reading Alex Rider, Jim Diamond, etc but he will quite happily skip over words he doesn't know.

Writing lists of new vocab is boring so I've decided to write the list for him and remind him of the new words every so often and use it in our conversations so that eventually they sink in. I've given him those small sticky strips to stick in his book whenever he comes to a new word so that I can explain it to him later.

Post by **hermanmunster** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 8:02 pm

Hi we get word of the day sent from

http://dictionary.reference.com/

.. ocasional US spellings but it is fun trying to use the words!!!

here are a few of the most recent ones:

victuals: supply of food
chaff: seed coverings; detritus
defalcate: take fraudulently
virtuoso: exceptional performer
unwitting: lacking knowledge
erstwhile: former; formerly
denigrate: belittle, attack maliciously
highhanded: with haughty disregard
toady: someone who is servile
osteopath: therapist who manipulates body structure
tome: large scholarly book
froward: willfully contrary
expurgate: to remove offensive parts
myopia: nearsightedness
pinchbeck: something that is counterfeit
interminable: seeming to have no end
burnish: to polish and make shiny
consternation: a sudden dread
tautological: needlessly repetitious
ellipsis: omission of word(s)
hermetic: airtight; protected
nocuous: harmful
beseech: ask for earnestly
peculate: appropriate fraudulently

meagain · Post by **meagain** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 10:19 am

I think using words you wouldn't usually use in conversation is good. Also, talking books - or even better is to download talking stories from the internet for uploading onto an ipod. The web is full of free downloads - I downloaded 'White Fang' and 'Huck Fin' which DD loved. I've yet to find a child who didn't enjoy reading Harry Potter although the first book is a bit slow to get going.
At age 10, my son enjoyed Alex Ryder, Anthony Horrorvitz (sorry about spellings!), Chris Ryan. Freerice.com is great if DS likes computers - it's a little tiresome but simple enough that he wouldn't need to sit for longer than 5 minutes to learn a good number of words.
I also believe my son got a lot of his vocab from watching certain movies which were a little above his age (controversial, I know).
Scrabble was a little too 'slow go' for him although he had an electronic countdown which he loved.