Determine the meanings of Greek and Latin roots

Key Notes :

Introduction to Roots:

• Definition: Greek and Latin roots are the base parts of words that often provide clues about the meaning of the entire word.
• Purpose: Understanding roots helps students decode unfamiliar words and expand their vocabulary.

---

Common Greek Roots:

• “Tele” (Greek): Means “far” or “distant.”
  • Example: Telephone (sound from far away)
• “Bio” (Greek): Means “life.”
  • Example: Biology (study of life)
• “Graph” (Greek): Means “write” or “draw.”
  • Example: Autograph (self-written signature)

---

Common Latin Roots:

• “Port” (Latin): Means “carry.”
  • Example: Transport (carry across)
• “Spect” (Latin): Means “look.”
  • Example: Spectacle (something to look at)
• “Aud” (Latin): Means “hear.”
  • Example: Audience (group that hears)

---

Combining Roots:

• Understanding Prefixes and Suffixes: Roots often combine with prefixes (e.g., un- or pre-) and suffixes (e.g., -ed or -ly) to form new words.
  • Example: Unbelievable (un- [not] + believe [root] + -able [suffix])

---

Practice Identifying Roots:

• Break Down Words: Teach students to break down complex words into their root parts and analyze their meanings.
  • Example: Unpredictable → Un- (not) + Predict (foretell) + -able (capable of) = not able to be predicted

---

Context Clues:

• Using Context: Encourage students to use the context of the sentence or passage to help infer the meaning of the root word.
  • Example: “The television lets us see and hear faraway events.” Here, the root tele- helps understand that it involves distance.

Let’s practice!