Building a Better Vocabulary

The curriculum builds systematic knowledge of Greek and Latin roots and etymology, which provides foundational knowledge for understanding English vocabulary.

The course draws heavily upon Greek and Latin roots and teaches etymologies, such as the Latin root malus meaning bad/evil, and provides historical context for word origins

The curriculum provides direct, explicit instruction through teacher-led video lectures with clear explanations of vocabulary principles.

Flanigan explicitly teaches five vocabulary learning principles and directly explains word meanings, etymologies, and relationships in structured 30-minute lectures

This curriculum excels at explicit vocabulary instruction using morphological analysis, semantic relationships, and multiple exposures to word meanings.

Flanigan teaches five key principles including morphology, context, and semantic chunking; provides synonyms and related words; and encourages vocabulary notebooks for retention

The curriculum does not include structured writing instruction, focusing exclusively on vocabulary development.

The program consists of video lectures on vocabulary with no mention of writing activities or composition instruction

The curriculum provides some instructional guidance through the detailed guidebook but limited comprehensive teacher training materials.

The 291-page guidebook includes the lecture content, review questions, answers, and glossary, but no specific teacher professional development is mentioned

The curriculum includes some review opportunities through end-of-lesson questions and encourages student vocabulary notebooks for practice.

The guidebook contains 4-11 review questions per lesson with answers, and students are encouraged to maintain vocabulary notebooks

This vocabulary-focused curriculum does not involve reading whole books or excerpts as it is structured around video lectures.

The program consists of 36 video lectures teaching vocabulary through root words and etymology, with no mention of text reading

Text complexity is not applicable as this is a vocabulary-focused video curriculum rather than a text-based reading program.

The program uses video lectures and a guidebook rather than complex texts for reading comprehension

Phonics instruction is not applicable as this curriculum targets grades 9-12 students who are beyond the phonics instruction stage.

The course is designed for teens and adults, focusing on vocabulary expansion rather than decoding skills