Literacy
Unlocking the Mystery
of
Language Acquisition
The doors of language Learning
 Door #1: Listening
 Door #2: Speaking
 Door # 3: Reading
 Door #4: Writing
What is Literacy?
1. Reading
2. Writing
Stages of Learning
 Grammar Stage: K-4
– Collect, memorize, gather information
 Logic Stage: 5-8
– Connect Facts: Critical Thinking (Why?)
 Rhetoric Stage: 9-12
– Expression with fluency, grace, eloquence,
persuasiveness
Areas of Language Study
 Academic English
 Vocabulary Building/Spelling
 Grammar & Structure of Language
 Why Study a foreign language?
Academic English
 The fabric of textbooks and manuals
 Highly organized though processes
 Specialized vocabularies
 More complex than pleasure reading
 Mostly grades 9-12
Vocabulary Building
 Why the strong emphasis on vocabulary
building?
 Quote from Johnson O’Connor
How do you build vocabulary?
 40-60 repetitions of a word in context
 Study of root words & derivatives
 Prefixes and Suffixes
 Read! Read! Read!
 “The Sin of Silent Reading”
English Word Pyramid
 10 words 25%
 50 words 50%
 100 words 60%
 1000 words 85%
 10,000 words 98%
10 Most Useful Words in English
a
an
be
for
have
in
of
that
the
to
We Remember
10%
20%
30%
50%
70%
90%
Reading
Hearing Words
Looking at Pictures
Watching a Movie
Looking at an Exhibit
Watching a Demonstration
Seeing it Actually Done
Participating in a Discussion
Giving a Talk
Doing a Dramatic Presentation
Simulating the Real Thing
Doing the Real Thing
Learning Grammar and Structure
 “Bathed” in the sounds of the language
 Patterns of grammar and Spelling
– Shurley Method for Grammar instruction
 Exceptions to the Rules
 Idioms
Language Learning Games
 Bingo
 Tic-Tac-Toe
 Vocabulary Bees
 Spelling Bees
 Concentration – Memory Match
 Chain Drills
 Foldables
 Drama
Why Latin?
Isn’t Latin “Dead”?
Fact #1
60% of English words have Latin Roots
Most spelling has stayed the same or vary
similar
Fact #2
90% of all words 3 syllables or more come
from Latin
Large quantities of technical and specialized
terms (medical, academic English, etc)
Fact #3
Romance Languages are spoken by
750 million people in 57 countries.
Language and Logic
Latin study provides
Rules
Order
Structure
that can be transferred to other areas of study.
Resources
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English From the Roots Up – Joegil Lundquist
Vocabulary from Classical Roots—Norma Fifer & Nancy
Flowers
Victory Drill Book – August C. Enderlin, editor
Everyday Words from Classical Origins –Perfection Learning
Vocabulary Development Using Roots and Riddles – Claudia Vurnakes
Vocabulary: Latin I – Frode Jensen
Ways Children Learn – Geeta Rani Lall
An ESL Teacher’s Handbook – Don Edic for LEI
A Natural History of Latin – Tore Jensen
www.memoriapress.com
(source for Latin, logic and classical education materials)
www.promotelatin.org
(website of the National Committee for Latin and Greek)
Also:
The Shurley Method – Brenda Shurley and Ruth Wetsell
The Well-Trained Mind – Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer
Questions?
 Answers