Use Greek and Latin roots as clues to the meanings of words

Key Notes :

Understanding Roots:

• Roots are the basic parts of words that carry the main meaning.
• Many English words come from Greek or Latin roots. Recognizing these can help understand the meaning of unfamiliar words.

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Common Greek and Latin Roots:

• Greek Roots:
  • “Tele-“ (far): Example – telephone (sound from far away).
  • “Bio-“ (life): Example – biology (study of life).
  • “Graph-“ (write): Example – autograph (self-written signature).
• Latin Roots:
  • “Bio-“ (life): Example – biography (story of someone’s life).
  • “Port-“ (carry): Example – transport (carry across).
  • “Aud-“ (hear): Example – audio (related to hearing).

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Combining Roots:

• Many words are formed by combining a root with other parts, like prefixes and suffixes.
• Example: “Un-“ (not) + “happy” (root) = “unhappy” (not happy).

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Using Context:

• Students should use context clues from the sentence to help understand the meaning of words with Greek or Latin roots.
• Example: In “The photographer took a picture,” the root “photo-“ means light, relating to capturing images.

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Practice Identifying Roots:

• Provide practice activities where students identify and use Greek and Latin roots in new words.
• Example: Break down the word “microscope” (small + look) to understand it means an instrument to look at small things.

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Building Vocabulary:

• Learning Greek and Latin roots can help students guess the meanings of new words and improve their vocabulary.

Let’s practice!