The Word Tree Poster and Magnet Set
Congratulations on your purchase of this Really Good Stuff®
The Word Tree Poster and Magnet Set—a word-part strategy
from What Really Matters in Vocabulary by Patricia M.
Cunningham to help students understand that roots contain
clues to word meanings.
This Really Good Stuff® product includes:
• The Word Tree Poster, Write Again® wipe-off laminate
• 16 Leaf Magnets, Write Again® wipe-off laminate
• This Really Good Stuff® Teaching Guide
Objective
Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and
roots as clues to the meanings of words.
Students use root words to help them understand the
meaning of new words but they may often find it difficult to
discern the meaning of the new word based on the meaning of
the root. You can make students aware of Greek and Latin
roots by pointing out relationships that are the most
understandable for students. For example, compound words
have two root words and students understand the meaning of
each word; therefore, they understand the meaning of the
compound word. Other words contain more obscure roots that
need to be explained for students to understand the meaning
of related words containing the root.
Assembling The Word Tree Poster and Magnet Set
Before introducing The Word Tree Poster and Magnet Set,
make copies of this Really Good Stuff® Teaching Guide and file
the pages for future use. Or, download another copy of it from
our Web site at www.reallygoodstuff.com. Hang the Poster on a
magnetic surface where students will be able to interact with
it easily. Stage the Magnets beside the Poster or store them
in a zippered plastic bag along with a dry erase marker.
Introducing The Word Tree Poster and Magnet Set
Make copies of The Word Tree Reproducible and have it ready for
distribution. Use a dry erase marker to label the bottom of the
Poster with the root word you will feature in your lesson. See the
Sample Compound Words Reproducible for examples to help you
get started. Point to the Poster and explain to students that
they are going to be working with a root word today and will fill the
tree with leaves featuring new words that contain that root. Have
a student read the root word out loud from the bottom of the
Poster. Challenge students to come up with new words that
contain the root. Use a dry erase marker to label Leaf Magnets
with their suggestions and have students place the Leaf Magnets
on the tree. As students place their words on the tree, have them
tell the meanings of the new words. After all of the new words
have been placed on the tree, be sure to point out how many
words students know the meanings of because they know the
meaning of the root word. Distribute the reproducibles and have
students fill in the words from the Poster. Have students keep
the reproducibles in their reading folders for reference during
reading and writing assignments. At the conclusion of your
lessons, have students bind their sheets together into a booklet
with a cover and take them home to use for homework
assignments.
Compound Word Game
Label the Poster with a root word that is found in several
compound words. Determine the number of words students need
to name and place the same number of leaves on the Poster.
Divide the class into two teams and have them line up on
opposite sides of the room. Challenge the first person in each line
to raise their hand and tell you a word to write on a Leaf Magnet
when you say, “Go.” Choose the student whose hand went up first.
If the word is correct, label a Magnet with the word, make a tally
mark for the team on the board, and send the first students in
line to the end of the line. If the word is not correct, the student
from the other team gets a chance to answer. If neither student
says a correct word, send them both to the end of their lines and
repeat the process with the next pair of students. When students
have guessed all of the possible words, the team with the most
tally marks is the winner. Variation: Use this activity with a small
group to reinforce compound word meaning. Have students in the
group raise their hands when they think of words.
Greek and Latin Roots
Use the Poster to demonstrate more difficult root words that
need more explanation, such as struct. Label the Poster with
the root word struct and explain that it means “to build”.
Challenge students to think of words they know that have the
root word struct. Here are some suggestions:
structure–to build into a form
construct–to build something
reconstruction–to rebuild something
instructor–one who builds knowledge
destruction–breaking down what has been built
Use the Sample Greek and Latin Roots Reproducible for
additional roots, meanings, and examples. Challenge students
to label Leaf Magnets and define the new words using the
meanings of the root words as clues.
Root Word Challenge
Label the root section of the Poster with a new word each day or
week and challenge students to find words containing the
featured root in their reading. Place the Leaf Magnets and a dry
erase marker near the Poster and tell students that when they
find a word containing the root, they may label a Leaf Magnet and
place it on the Poster. Explain to students that the class will be
reviewing the new words on the Poster and that they will need to
be ready to share the definitions of any new words they write.
Record all of new words on a piece of chart paper labeled Look
What We Can Do with Roots and display it near the Poster.
All teaching guides can be found online:
Helping Teachers Make A Difference®
© 2011 Really Good Stuff® 1-800-366-1920 www.reallygoodstuff.com Made in Guangzhou, China #304972B
Sample Compound Words Reproducible
Helping Teachers Make A Difference®
© 2011 Really Good Stuff® 1-800-366-1920 www.reallygoodstuff.com Made in Guangzhou, China #304972B
Sample Greek and Latin Roots Reproducible
Helping Teachers Make A Difference®
© 2011 Really Good Stuff® 1-800-366-1920 www.reallygoodstuff.com Made in Guangzhou, China #304972B
The Word Tree Reproducible
Helping Teachers Make A Difference®
© 2011 Really Good Stuff® 1-800-366-1920 www.reallygoodstuff.com Made in Guangzhou, China #304972B