By learning root words, students can better understand language. Learning just a few root words can increase word knowledge ten-fold. This post includes both free materials and ideas to make learning fun. Begin with this idea…
Root words are often associated with trees. Make a root word tree by drawing a tree shape. Near the base of the tree, write a root word and its meaning. In the branches of the tree, write as many words as you can think of that are created using the root word.
This free sample video lesson goes over the following six root words.
vit/viv/bio
(live, life)
antibiotic
revive
biography
vivid
grad/gress
(to step)
Congress
gradually
ingredient
upgrade
duc/duct
(lead)
aqueduct
duchess
education
product
cur/curs/cours
(run, go)
corral
corridor
currency
recurrence
pon/pose/posit
(to put)
deposit
opponents
positive
postponed
man/manu
(hand)
manager
manicure
manipulate
manuscript
Free Root Words Activities
This lesson introduces students to six different root words. This mini-lesson is a vocabulary-building exercise for upper elementary and middle school students.
In this mini-lesson, students watch the video. The video goes over how to create root word trees. Next students pause the video to complete either the digital or printable organizer. After completing the organizer, students continue watching the video to check their responses. This mini activity is a great introduction to a lesson on root words.
Activities in this free series are set up as individual lessons making them great to assign through Google Classroom. Click here to download the free activities from Google Drive. This is the digital version. Here you will find the printable version.
More Great Root Word Resources
Activity #1 – Craftivity
I saw a craft pin on Pinterest for making a fall tree out of a small paper bag. [Here’s the link to the original pin.] Ideas started bouncing around in my head about ways to turn this craft into an educational project for my students. I decided that if we used full-sized grocery bags to make larger trees, my students could add apples to their trees. These apples would have enough space to write not only vocabulary words but definitions and sentences with the words as well. I knew my students would enjoy the change from our normal vocabulary routine. Boy, was I correct!
Change up the apple idea with fall-colored leaves or ghosts for Halloween. Get the patterns here.
Activity #2 – Teaching Tip using Association
Students will remember root words if they can associate them with words they already know. For instance, most students know that equal means same size, quantity, or value. Knowing this will help students remember the Latin Root equ/equi. It means same, equal, similar, and even. With this association, students can break down additional words to figure out their meanings.
Here’s a list of examples:
Activity #3 – Free Activities from Gay Miller on TPT
Spoons
Playing “Spoons”” is a great way to practice skills. This game provides practice with the following root words:
- spec(t)
- port
- vok / voc
- vid / vis
The spoons are placed in the center of the table within reach of all players and four cards are dealt with each player. Players take one card from the four dealt and pass it to the player on the left. The player then receives a card passed from the player on their right. All players simultaneously pass a single unwanted card face down to their left, and then take the card that the player to their right passed to them. This continues until someone collects a matching set of four. [Four cards containing the same root word.]
When a player collects a matching set of four cards, nothing is said. Instead, the player quietly reaches for a spoon in the center of the table and as slyly as possible moves one to his/her front. Once a player has taken a spoon, all the other players must do the same, even if they themselves do not have four of a kind. The player left empty-handed is out. When there are only two players left, they are the joint winners.
Free Prefixes, Suffixes, and Root Words
Begin your study by having students create foldable graphic organizers for the prefixes and suffixes. The unit focuses on the following:
-
- inter-
- fore-
- de-
- -hood
- -some
- -ward
After going over the prefixes and suffixes, have students practice by playing games. These games were such a hit that my students asked if they could play them again the next day. Two game activities are included for students to practice with these six affixes. The first is a “Prefix Trail Game” and the second is a “Suffix Card Game.”
Finish your study by having students create foldable graphic organizers for these root words:
-
- form
- auto
- dict
Get your free resource here.
Greek and Latin Root Words Free Sample Week
![This free resource contains materials for students to practice the Greek and Latin root terr with short [10-minute] daily activities.](https://ecdn.teacherspayteachers.com/thumbitem/Greek-and-Latin-Root-Words-Free-Sample-Week-2760229-1554156875/original-2760229-1.jpg)
This free resource contains materials for students to practice the Greek and Latin root terr with short [10-minute] daily activities.
The Routine
Monday – Anchor Chart + Coordinating Student Practice Page
Tuesday – Foldable Organizer
Wednesday – Practice Workbook
Thursday – Card Deck
Friday – Hands-on Game
Each of the four parts contains 8 weeks of practice and one week of review and testing. Purchase all four products to have activities for the entire school year.
This resource is an extra week not covered in the other resources. It covers the following Greek and Latin root: terr
Get your free resource here.
Activity #4
The video lesson is a free sample from my Vocabulary Digital + Printable Interactive Video Lessons & Organizers on TPT.
