Recently, we had the opportunity to review WordBuildOnline – Foundations Level 1 from Dynamic Literacy, LLC. I was very interested in a program that would teach my twins a lot of words! Access to WordBuildOnline Foundations, Level 1, costs $30, there are no time limits. Stay put to read what this program has in offer.
What is WordBuildOnline?
WordBuildOnline is an online program with a license, also known as “WordBuild -A better way to teach vocabulary,”. It was created by word phile Jerry Bailey.
Students in grades two through five are the primary audience for Foundations levels 1 and 2 (or 5th-9th for remedial work). WordBuildOnline is based on morphology, the study of the units of meaning in a language ‐ the roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Just as phonics teaches students to apply their knowledge of the sounds of letters to “sound out” a new word, morphology, or morphics, teaches students to apply their knowledge of the roots, prefixes, and suffixes in English to “mean out” a new word.
Elements, which is the following level above, emphasizes Latin and Greek roots. Children in grades 6 through 10 should use Elements, levels 1 and 2 (or 7th-12th for remedial work.)
What does WordBuildOnline – Foundations Level 1 include?
The most practical prefixes and suffixes in English are the foundation of the Foundations series. Students mix a prefix or suffix with words they already know through a series of exercises, concentrating on how the meaning, spelling, or part of speech changes.
WHO and WHEN: Kids can begin Foundations once they have mastered phonics, which typically occurs in the second to fourth grade, while many older ESL, struggling, and students with learning difficulties benefit immensely from beginning in Foundations.
Scope and Sequence- 
Students at this level have mastered phonics and are prepared to learn how to read for meaning. It could be in the second through fourth grades. Beginners in ESL classes, older students with learning difficulties, or any learner in need of in-depth prefix and suffix knowledge should start here. It includes 155 days of activities, 30 affixes (prefixes or suffixes), and 6 assessments.
The physical components are:
-Teacher Book
– BASICS Student Book
– Student Activity Book
What to expect in your daily lesson?
WordBuildOnline teaches vocabulary through mostly fun games. A lively cartoon character named Lexi, guides the child through the lessons. There are 25 lessons in Foundations, level 1, which covers compound words built with prefixes and suffixes. Each lesson comprises 5 daily activities. They are all short.
Each task takes ten to fifteen minutes to complete . First is a video explanation. The video explains the lesson’s main points and shows the child how to complete the exercises. After the video there are several games such as magic squares, word banks and crossword-type puzzles. A quiz to review the lesson comes last.
Parent dashboard shows a bird’s eye perspective of the child’s progress. The precise responses that the child marked in the various activities are displayed when you click “REVIEW.” Even a button to reset an activity is available, if needed. That’s a good feature to have. It includes the below details-
Date ‐ The date the student did the activity
Affix ‐ The unit of meaning covered
Activity ‐ (Level) (Unit) (Affix) (Activity) (Path) i.e. Foundations 1, Unit 2, UNDER, Affix Square, Novice
Complete? Yes or No.
Score ‐ The number of correct answers
How did we like it?
My neurotypical son could use it to his advantage. He breezed through the lessons completing them in less than recommended time. However, there were some issues in the beginning to understand the flow of the lesson plan and clicking the appropriate buttons to play the game. Eventually, he found his rhythm and could complete his work individually.
The lessons are not adaptive so this may not be a great fit for a neurodiverse child. We had to pause lessons for my other son, as he ended up being overstimulated with the sound, graphics and the delivery pace. If your learner is a fit, it does supplement learning and exponentially increase their vocabulary.
I reckon that Dynamic Literacy’s WordBuildOnline gave our family a pleasant, reliable, dynamic alternative to learn online. It provides a sound methodology that addresses vast vocabulary development as well as word-by-word learning within a well-planned strategy.
Final thoughts-
I hope we have covered some important details on this program if you were looking around to address vocabulary development. Here is how their individual pricing sums up.
If you’re like me and must scour the Internet for further reviews before committing, your task is made simple. Read all the reviews written by my fellow Crew members regarding other levels they have on offer. Further, visit the WordBuildOnline website or the social media pages for Dynamic Literacy instead:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wordbuild/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DynamicLiteracyFacebook: https:/…am.com/wordbuild_online
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wordbuild_online/