Get Back to Your
Roots!
Intentional Word Study with Greek and Latin Roots
Tiffany Rose & Cheryl Harrel
WABE Conference, Yakima, WA
April 19, 2013
Rationale
• English language has 1,200,000 –
2,000,000 words!
• Estimated that technology is contributing
20,000 new words a year
• 90% of English words with more than 1
syllable are Latin based
• Most of remaining 10% are Greek based
• Single root can help us understand 5-20
related English words
Rationale, cont.
Reading Comprehension
“Decades of research have consistently
found a deep connection between
vocabulary knowledge, reading
comprehension, and academic
success…vocabulary [is] a bridge between
the word level processes of phonics and the
cognitive processes of comprehension”
(Rasinsky, et al, 2008, p. 15).
Five Common Misconceptions
• Misconception 1: Definitions do the trick
• Misconception 2: Weekly vocabulary lists
are effective
• Misconception 3: Teachers should teach all
hard words, especially those printed in
bold or italics.
• Misconception 4: The study of Latin and
Greek roots is too hard for young learners
• Misconception 5: Word learning can't be
fun.
Common Core State Standards
• Determine or clarify the meaning of
unknown and multiple-meaning words
and phrases by using context clues,
analyzing meaningful word parts, and
consulting general and specialized
reference materials, as appropriate.
• (CCSS L4)
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
• L.3.4.
• Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an
unknown word with the same root
• (e.g., company, companion).
• L.4.4.
• Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes
and roots as clues to the meaning of a word
• (e.g., telegraph, photograph, autograph).
• L.6.4.
• Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and
roots as clues to the meaning of a word
• (e.g., audience, auditory, audible).
• L.7.4.
• Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and
roots as clues to the meaning of a word
• (e.g., belligerent, bellicose, rebel).
• L.9-10.4.
• Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that
indicate different meanings or parts of speech
• (e.g., analyze, analysis, analytical; advocate, advocacy).
Common Core State Standards
• Demonstrate understanding of figurative
language, word relationships, and
nuances in word meanings.
• (CCSS L5)
Common Core State Standards
• Acquire and use accurately a range of
general academic and domain-specific
words and phrases sufficient for reading,
writing, speaking, and listening at the
college and career readiness level;
demonstrate independence in gathering
vocabulary knowledge when
encountering an unknown term
important to comprehension or
expression.
• (CCSS L6)
A Little Bit of History…
The earliest Greek civilizations
lived around 3,000+ years ago.
Some historians put the earliest dates of
Greek society around the time of the first
Olympic games – 776 B.C.
Others extend the beginning
to circa 1000+ years B.C.
GREEK INFLUENCE
The Greeks loved philosophy
and art , were interested in
science and medicine,
and were deep thinkers
who loved to discuss
politics. English absorbed
words from ancient Greek
for these intellectual subjects.
Historical side note on Greek
influence…
The probable origin of the
caduceus to symbolize the
medical profession…
Caduceus, continued…
A Little Bit More
History…
The Roman Influence…
The Roman Empire
circa 44 B.C.
… lasted until circa 1453 A.D.
Romans, who spoke Latin,
came from Rome (now
Italy).
Romans conquered and
controlled all of these lands for
hundreds of years.
Those who have the power
determine the language.
The people of the conquered lands had to learn
many Latin words to be able to communicate
with the people who ruled over them.
Latin became the language of religion, medicine,
business, and law.
Kinds of Roots
• Base root words
• Affixes
• Prefixes
• Suffixes
Roots
affixes
bases
prefixes
suffixes
Parallel Latin and Greek Roots
Parallel Latin & Greek bases
Definition
water
Latin
aqua-
Greek
hydro –
foot, feet
ped-
pod –
earth
terr-
geo -
Broadening the Cognate
Approach
English
Innovative
Spanish
Inovador
nov
Nuevo
Nueva
Novice
Novelty
Renovate
Base Root
• “vis/vid” examples as base roots –
vis/vid are not words by themselves,
but they are roots that mean “see”.
• Experience the Consensus Board!
Some examples…
• A visionary sees ahead to how the project could
unfold.
• A visor protects your eyes from the sun.
• The vivid colors were so bright, we could see them
clearly from far away.
• Readers with a good imagination visualize the action
or setting of the story.
• Because it was so foggy, the visibility was very poor.
• It is so fun to watch YouTube videos of the screaming
goats!
• The girl felt invisible as she started her first day at
the new high school.
Prefixes
• Prefixes – give direction, negate, or
intensify
• Most English prefixes derived from
Latin (about 25)
• The four most frequent prefixes
account for 97 percent of prefixed
words in printed school English…
• dis-, re-, un-, & in-, im-, il-, ir-
Parallel Latin and Greek Roots
Parallel Latin and Greek prefixes
Definition
against
around
many
over
under, below
Latin
contra-, contro-,
circu-, circummultisuper-, sursub-
Greek
anti –
peri –
poly –
hyper –
hypo -
Directional Prefixes
• Most of the prefixes students encounter
in school texts are directional in nature.
• Examples:
• at-, ad- = to, toward, add to
• de - = down, off
• dis - = apart, in different directions
• con- = with, together
• re - = again
Suffixes
• Least important component in terms of
understanding a word’s meaning
• Usually used to indicate a part of speech
• Only a few suffixes merit intensive scrutiny
• - ology = “study of”
• -er = “more”
• -est = “most”
• -ful = “full of”
• -less = “without, lacking”
• -able, -ible = “can, able to”
Word Spokes Activity
Instructional Routine
• 10- 15 minutes, 3 – 5 times per
week
• Routine – allows focus on content
with a predictable set of activities,
that minimizes time spent on
directions or procedures
And if you’re into Marzano…
The first three steps are to assist the
teacher in direct instruction.
• 1. Describe
• 2. Restate
• 3. Draw/Sketch
The last three steps are to provide the
learner practice and reinforcement
• 4. Engage
• 5. Discuss
• 6. Games
Divide and Conquer
• Word dissection – helps students see the
root in the context of words so they can
learn how to identify it and use its
meaning to determine the meaning of an
unfamiliar word
• Focus on new root and connect to familiar
• Scaffold conversation through examples
you provide
• “Struct” activity
Activity
• Construct
• Construction
• Obstruct
• Deconstruct
• Infrastructure
• Reconstruct
(Latin base stru, struct; prefixes con-, de-,
infra-, ob-, re-, )
Word
Prefix:
Root:
Suffix:
Prefix Definition
Root Definition
Suffix Definition
Other words with
this prefix
Other words with
this root
Other words
with this suffix
Extend & Explore
• Students practice with game-like
activities
• Word Theater (charades)
• Odd Word Out
• Wordo (like Bingo)
• Scattergories
• Rummy Roots
Word Sort Activity
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Structure
Construct
Construction
Obstruct
Deconstruct
Infrastructure
Reconstruct
Instructor
Instruction
Instruct
Reconstructionist
Getting Started
• Early elementary – start with compound
words and show how they can be broken
apart
• Then add negating words with prefixes
(un-, in-)
• Then add directional words with prefixes
(pre-, re-)
• Then add easy suffixes (-er, -est, -able)
• Bases
Final Thoughts
Considering what we have
discussed today, what routines
might you establish in your
classroom, even as you go back to
your classes next week?
References
• Beck, I. L., McKeown, M. G., & Kucan, L. (2013). Bringing words to life:
Robust vocabulary instruction (2nd ed.). New York, NY: The Guildford
Press
• Honig, B., Diamond, L., and Gutlohn, L. (2000). Teaching Reading
Sourcebook: For Kindergarten Through Eighth Grade (Core Literacy
Training Series). Novato, CA: Academic Therapy Publications
• Marzano, R. J. (2010). Teaching basic and advanced vocabulary: A
framework for direct instruction. Boston, MA: Heinle Cengage Learning
• Overturf, B. J., Montgomery, L. H., Smith, M. H., (2013). Word nerds.
Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishing
• Padak, N., Bromley, K., Rasinski, T. V., & Newton, E. (2012). Vocabulary:
Five common misconceptions. Educational Leadership, 69. Retrieved
from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educationalleadership/jun12/vol69/num09/Vocabulary@-Five-CommonMisconceptions.aspx#figure1
• Rasinski, T. V. , Padak, N., Newton, J., Newton, E. (2011). The Latin-Greek
connection: Building vocabulary through morphological study. The
Reading Teacher, 65 (2), 133 -141.
• Rasinsky, T., Padak, N., Newton, R. M., & Newton, E. (2008). Greek and
Latin roots: Keys to building vocabulary. Hunington Beach, CA: Shell
Educational Publishing