Vocabulary Cartoons

I love this simple little book! It is such a wonderful idea to use a mnemonics device to learn vocabulary! In our homeschool we've used mnemonics device for learning mulitplication tables, AWANA verses and much more. The people at Vocabulary Cartoons have created a way for students to learn vocabulary through mnemonics device!

Here's the gest of the way it works from the website...


Vocabulary Cartoons works on the principle of mnemonics. A mnemonic is a device that helps you remember something by associating what you are trying to remember with something you already know. A mnemonic device could be in many different forms like; rhymes, songs, pictures to name a few. For example, "Columbus sailed the ocean blue in fourteen hundred ninety-two" is a classic mnemonic rhyme which helps you remember when Columbus discovered America.

Following the mnemonic principle of association, Vocabulary Cartoons link together an auditory (rhyming) word association and a visual association in the form of a humorous cartoon. These powerful mnemonics help students retain the meanings of words longer and with less effort than trying to memorize definitions straight out of a dictionary.

In the example below, the new word FATHOM is associated (linked with) the rhyming word FAT THUMB, which in turn is then presented visually as a humorous cartoon. The more outrageous and bizarre the cartoon, the easier it is to remember.



There are many ways to use this book, but my family simply flipped open the book and picked a word. We read it several times, looked at and then when Dad came home we told him about it, then showed him the cartoon. It was quite effective. Whether or not you're preparing for the SAT's, this book is a great addition to any homeschool library!

You can go here to learn more about Vocabulary CArtoons and see their prices, and you can go here to see what others on The Crew had to say about Vocabulary Cartoons!

Happy Homeschooling!