I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.
If you've looked into ways to help your child either during homeschool, or during Summer breaks, to keep down any brain drain, more than likely, you've already encountered The Critical Thinking Co.! With workbooks for kids from K through High School, they are our go-to company, for quality workbooks and supplemental resources, to teach kids to THINK. So when we have the chance to check out a upper level workbook that deals with adult reasoning, Critical Thinking Detective - Vocabulary Book 2 , I knew we had to give it a try!
Pattern Explorer Beginning (Grades 3-4)
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Critical Thinking Detective - Vocabulary Book 2 is set for students in grades 5-12, but I would really say it is upper middle school through high school, as the vocabulary work is very intense, and definitely helps to get your student ready for the ACT and Sat tests (in fact, that is where a good part of the words came from)! For Miss Grace, this book will help her stretch not only her vocabulary, but her reading, as being dyslexic, sounding out new words can be hard, and these are not simple ones! So for her she is getting phonics training too! We had gotten quite a few samples from Book 1, via being on their newsletter for the past 2 years, so I knew she would be comfortable with how the book is set up.
There is a link provided for the Merriam Webster’s Online Dictionary, which is great, for Miss Grace (as she pulls it up in her iPad, and has the help for pronunciation, with the onscreen reader). For all students, it gives not only the definition, put the usage, synonyms and antonyms, as well as keeping a history of the words they've looked up (so they can reference it this week's words very quickly)! This also helps to strengthen their research skills!
In this Critical Thinking Detective book there are 12 cases, each made of 2 pages. Theoretically you could use one case per week, giving you a semester's use. Some kids may be overwhelmed with it, and may need to use it for 2 weeks, per case. I would say younger kids especially, would need the extra time, and might want to reverse the order of how the sheets are worked, for better comprehension of the words.
As you can see from the bottom section of the week's worksheets (above), students first attempt to solve the mystery at hand, by deciphering the clues given, which include the vocabulary words. What we did was to have Miss Grace underline the words she didn't know, then go look them up. THEN she attempted to solve the mystery. Some week's mysteries are easier than other! And there was a LOT of discussion with mom, with working out the different clues, when there were opposing clues for the same person. But I really LIKED that aspect- it has helped her reasoning and debate skills!
Then on day 2 (or same day, depending on your child (my hands raised)), your child will do the second sheet. It has a vocabulary box that contains words from the mystery, AND extra words. So it is up to your child to pick the correct words for each blank. Now before you go "Ugh I gotta turn into a human dictionary again!", the answers ARE included at the back of the book! So you may want to pull those out before handing your child the workbook, or like I did, just hand them the pages they need for each lesson!
And be prepared for MORE discussion! LOL- on a couple of sheets Miss Grace found where 2 different words could work for the sentence, and she had to discuss WHICH word should be picked over the other! (I'm seriously thinking this child is gonna end up in pre-law the way she can debate!). Overall, I have seen how her vocabulary is changing, and she is using the words she has learned, not only correctly, but especially when talking with adults.Her reasoning skills have also improved in a more methodical approach, which I knw is from using this workbook!
One of the great things about the workbooks from The Critical Thinking Co. is that they are available in print and digital ebooks. So which ever method works best for your homeschool, you can pick the option you want! And there is a wide range of books, covering ALL categories of learning, so where ever your child needs more work, you can find JUST the book for it!
My fellow homeschool reviewers got to check out a variety of their offerings, including:
Elementary Math Games (Grades 3-5)
Dare to Compare: Math Level 2 (Grades 6-7)
Middle School Math Games (Grades 6-8)
Building Writing Skills - Essential Tips & Techniques (Grades 6-12+)
Vocabulary Virtuoso PSAT-SAT Book 1 (Grades 8-12+)
Vocabulary Virtuoso PSAT-SAT Book 2 (Grades 8-12+)
So if you're interested to see how they handled each of the workbooks above, be sure to click on the picture below to see what they thought of these great resources! But be sure to come back for a special DISCOUNT!
So if you're interested to see how they handled each of the workbooks above, be sure to click on the picture below to see what they thought of these great resources! But be sure to come back for a special DISCOUNT!
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