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Language! (Roots, Morphemes, readers)

Submitted by an LD OnLine user on

I just got the catalog from Sopris West, and I am wondering how good the Roots manual is. Dd reads at fluent 5th grade level now, but we have embarked on an individualized approach to her spelling (which is moving up from 1st grade level to about 2nd grade level now). We are focused on very simple orthographic rules at the moment, but sooner or later we are going to start addressing prefixes, suffixes, roots, etc. (She currently has no grasp of even simple prefixes.)Anyway, it looks to me as if the Roots manual and the “Morphemes for Meaning” cards could be useful to us down the line a bit. I’d like to get some feedback on them before investing $105, as I’ve already got quite a stack of good materials that just won’t work for dd — who needs both explicit instruction and a logical order of presentation, in order to get reasonable retention. (I’m trying to say that lots and lots of practice doesn’t work for her. She’s a whole-to-part learner who needs a framework for learning. Spelling Power probably works great for other children, but it didn’t give us the results she needs to make the progress she needs right now.)I am also wondering if the Level 2 and Level 3 readers are likely to be worthwhile without the Language! manual. I am always scrambling to find reading material for her. She’s extremely close-minded about her reading (limits herself to Berenstain Bears books and Harry Potter), so I am looking for stories that either might intrigue her, or stories that are short enough that I can insist she read one every day. What I have found is that, even though she can decode on a 5th grade level, she needs to drop down to about 3rd grade level for pleasure reading (except for Harry Potter). I want to provide a variety of things she can read for pleasure — not so much the kinds of things that you “have” to read in school.Mary (long-winded as usual)

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 03/14/2001 - 5:00 AM

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PASSWORD>aaI221mi7wL3II love it and it is only $11 from EPS and is called Solving Language Difficulties. I think it will be just what you are looking for at the right price. It teaches the OG syllable types, how to break down the big scary words. Has some repetition along with the structure you need. The other thing I can do is send you a couple of xerox pages with syllables that you can make cards out of to help her with multisyllable roots. things like tion, cian, sion, all say shun, pre, pro, you get the picture.. This would reinforce her symbol imagery. LMB doesn’t do LiPS as much as Seeing Stars when kids understand the basic code…they move into the sight word recognition with the symbol imagery. What about Master the Code? Doesn’t it do that as well? Patti

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 03/14/2001 - 5:00 AM

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Hi Mary,MTC has a strong spelling component to it using a variety of spelling activities. The last three lessons of MTC, Lessons 21-23, deal with multi-syllables, word roots, prefixes and suffixes. We are on Lesson 12 which deals with the alternative codes for /u/ /a-e/. My dd has needed on average 6 hours for each lesson so at this rate it will probably take us twice as long to get through the program as previously anticipated. Nevertheless, she is making progress. Last week she exclaimed with delight, “This is finally beginning to make sense!” You might want to consider it for your child.Blessings, momo: I just got the catalog from Sopris West, and I am wondering how good
: the Roots manual is. Dd reads at fluent 5th grade level now, but
: we have embarked on an individualized approach to her spelling
: (which is moving up from 1st grade level to about 2nd grade level
: now). We are focused on very simple orthographic rules at the
: moment, but sooner or later we are going to start addressing
: prefixes, suffixes, roots, etc. (She currently has no grasp of
: even simple prefixes.): Anyway, it looks to me as if the Roots manual and the “Morphemes
: for Meaning” cards could be useful to us down the line a bit.
: I’d like to get some feedback on them before investing $105, as
: I’ve already got quite a stack of good materials that just won’t
: work for dd — who needs both explicit instruction and a logical
: order of presentation, in order to get reasonable retention. (I’m
: trying to say that lots and lots of practice doesn’t work for her.
: She’s a whole-to-part learner who needs a framework for learning.
: Spelling Power probably works great for other children, but it
: didn’t give us the results she needs to make the progress she
: needs right now.): I am also wondering if the Level 2 and Level 3 readers are likely to
: be worthwhile without the Language! manual. I am always scrambling
: to find reading material for her. She’s extremely close-minded
: about her reading (limits herself to Berenstain Bears books and
: Harry Potter), so I am looking for stories that either might
: intrigue her, or stories that are short enough that I can insist
: she read one every day. What I have found is that, even though she
: can decode on a 5th grade level, she needs to drop down to about
: 3rd grade level for pleasure reading (except for Harry Potter). I
: want to provide a variety of things she can read for pleasure —
: not so much the kinds of things that you “have” to read
: in school.: Mary (long-winded as usual)

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