Wordly Wise 3000 is a Student Vocabulary book and accompanying teacher guide designed for students in the fourth grade (Book 4) and fifth grade (Book 5). I used Book 5 with my ten-year-old son, Isaac, who was appropriately challenged by its content. I used Book 4 with my son who is currently in the fourth grade.

I myself am a former high school English teacher. I am now homeschooling my four children, and despite my education background, find that covering all the basics of teaching our language is not as easy as it seems.

Each book has 20 lessons. Each lesson is about 10-12 pages long. The lesson begins by introducing the lesson’s 15 vocabulary words. This includes definitions and sample sentences for all vocabulary words. After that there are usually about six different “activities” that a student must complete before finishing a unit. These include some combination of the following activities:

• Finding Meanings: In this section, students are given four different phrases and must pick two that go together. For example, in the following example the answer would be BA: (a) one that is quite large; (b) A considerable amount is; (c) An increased amount is; (d) one that is reduced.
• Using Words in Context: In this series of questions, a student is given four different sentences using the same vocabulary word. They must decide whether each sentence uses the word incorrectly or correctly.
• Just the Right Word: In this part of the lesson, your student must choose a word from their lesson that can replace the phrase in bold.
• Applying Meanings: The student is asked: “Which of the following can be concluded?” They must then decide whether the answer is: (1) a speech (b) a meeting (c) an agreement or (d) a project. It gets tricky because more than one answer is allowed.
• Making Connections: “Which word or words go with hate?” Would the answer be (a) embrace (b) despise (c) detest and (d) release? Oh, and remember! You can have more than one correct answer.
• Completing Sentences: The book provides the first part of the sentence. Your student provides the rest.
• Determining Meanings: Another learning opportunity requires students to circle the letter next to each answer choice that correctly completes the sentence. Each beginning part of the sentence includes a vocabulary word.
• Word Study: Four words are given. Your student chooses the two that are synonyms.
• Vocabulary in Context: This section includes a long passage (often about five paragraphs). Vocabulary words are placed in bold text throughout the passage. Students are then asked several questions about what they read and specifically these questions center around their vocabulary words used in context.
• Vocabulary Extension: This activity uses one of the words from the list and asks the student to provide to write about that word. For example, the word used in one lesson was Students were asked: “If your teacher asked you to develop an idea in your writing further, what would you do?” They are then encouraged to talk to their partner about the question and write two to four sentences to answer it.
• Fun & Fascinating Facts: Some lessons have some interesting information following the lesson. This might include a discussion of how the word chord and cord are homophones and what that means. It might also center around the word entrance and how there are two difference pronunciations and how the different pronunciations lead to a different meaning of the word.

At the end of every three or four lessons, there is a puzzle for the student to complete using vocabulary from the previous lessons.

With each student book, a teacher/parent has the option of purchasing a teacher’s edition. This includes an answer key, review exercises, tests, and an answer key. While you could use this product without the teacher’s book, not having the answer key would have been challenging for me.

I know firsthand that these books are being used in schools throughout the United States. I can see why. They are incredibly thorough and well-done. It is absolutely worth every bit of the just under $14 charged for the student book. You will not regret this purchase!

-Product review by Wendi Kitsteiner, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, January 2019