Using Word Roots to Teach Vocabulary

Help intermediate English learners (or middle- high school English students) master academic vocabulary by learning some of the most useful word root and prefix combinations.

Examples and practice with over 30 important Latin and Greek roots, including 3 pages on Greek roots, 2 on sensory roots (aud, vid, spect, etc.) and 1-2 pages each on words made from cedere (access, exceed, preceding, procedure, successive, etc.), and 2 other especially high-value roots, pointing out Spanish cognates (as well as warning about false cognates like sensible, which means sensitive in Spanish.)

The packet includes suggestions for teaching roots and practicing them with several games, including 'memory' (or 'concentration')-- with 4 sets of memory cards to practice 24 words and meanings from the roots in the packet.

It starts with a worksheet reviewing common prefixes and introducing several useful roots. Other practice activities include gap-fills, multiple choice, and matching exercises, beginning with root and prefix combinations that have easy-to-guess meanings based on the root meaning, and going on to important academic words that are not as easy to guess from the root-- with the needed explanations and examples given in the introduction before each practice.

Teaching all the roots in this packet would take about 20 minutes to half an hour for 8-10 days, plus 15 minutes occasionally for review games. The Greek root examples and practice might take 45 minutes. Most of the rest of the worksheets will take 15 minutes to half an hour (or a little longer if you want to brainstorm with the class first). Most of the games need about 15 minutes, and the memory games can be played by early finishers (1-4 students per set of cards) without help once they've been introduced.

CCSS L.5.4b, L.6.4b, L7.4b, L.8.4b, L.9-10.4b