Words Matter

Words Matter features a conceptual approach to teaching mid- to high-level vocabulary. Each chapter introduces ten words linked together by theme, such as humor, light, heat, and friendship. This common thread helps students to compare and contrast words related in meaning or structure. As a result, students have multiple opportunities to form connections and anchor each new word and its meaning in their long-term memory. Readings also focus on topics of social and historical importance so that students expand their cultural literacy along with their vocabulary.

Words Matter features a conceptual approach to teaching mid- to high-level vocabulary. Each chapter introduces ten words linked together by theme, such as humor, light, heat, and friendship. This common thread helps students to compare and contrast words related in meaning or structure. As a result, students have multiple opportunities to form connections and anchor each new word and its meaning in their long-term memory. Each chapter ends with an extended, multiparagraph reading that encourages students to be aware of general context clues rather than focusing only on those in single sentences. End-of-chapter readings also focus on topics of social and historical importance so that students expand their cultural literacy along with their vocabulary. Words Matter introduces students to 240 general vocabulary words in context. Flemming also looks at the source of 25 common allusions, including "high noon" and "last hurrah" to enrich students understanding of more complex phrases. Pre-, Post-, and Advanced Mastery Tests provide students with the consistent but varied repetition of terms necessary to improve their vocabulary skills. A controlled sequence of exercises appears in every chapter. Students progress from cognitively simple activities, such as multiple-choice and matching questions, to sophisticated exercises that require greater critical thinking. Allusion alert features appear in every chapter in order to clarify common references to people, places, and events that students are likely to encounter in their reading. Memory Peg boxes offer a specific learning strategy for each new word. Sidebar discussions include vocabulary that students have just learned to highlight points of historical interest, such as euphemisms in military discourse from World War I to the Vietnam War and Voltaire s final words.