We all hear about word study in the younger elementary grades, but what about those students who still struggle with vocabulary in the upper elementary grades? What about those kids who need pushed beyond their grade level in word study?
Our focus needs to be on word parts, breaking words up into manageable parts, to help students gather vocabulary knowledge faster and more effectively. Phonics and decoding in the older elementary grades can be embarrassing or difficult for students who already progressed past 3rd grade. Studying word parts as a whole class or independently, can be more effective in helping students gather knowledge of a variety of words and their meanings. Knowing word parts can be applied to all reading and difficult vocabulary across contexts.
Greek roots and Latin stems are one of the more effective ways to teach word parts in the upper elementary classroom. These root words are the beginning of much of our language and can push students to think deeply about vocabulary both in and out of reading contexts.
So what strategies do I use?
I have started to study one, just ONE, Greek root or Latin stem each day with my students. We call this our "Word of the Day" rather than focusing on one specific vocabulary word. The students learn the root word, definition, and example words that contain this root. This study is done independently in addition to their morning work assignments.
As we go throughout our day and week, we identify places we see this root word in other contexts.
Vocabulary instruction at its finest! Learning vocabulary in context of other instruction. This might be students noticing this word in book they are reading, a science article we read as a class, or on their math worksheet as we practice adding fractions.
End of the week practice! I always try to include a fun activity that summarizes the root words for the week. We do a Kahoot, interactive Google Slide, or puzzle activity that reviews the root words we learned that week. This also provides summative feedback for me on what the students learned that week!
The end of the week practice may take an extra 5-10 minutes out of our normal day, but this is totally worth it for the vocabulary learning that takes place.
Check out the Greek Roots and Latin Stems Word Wall that I use to display our "Word of the Day."
If you are interested in more root words, puzzles, and interactive activities (many of which I use as my end of the week review), click HERE or the images below.
Want puzzle activities to pair with any grade level appropriate root words? These are a great way to review the definitions of root words! Check out my 4th, 5th, or 6th grade root word puzzles. All of these are included in the Greek and Latin Roots Puzzle Bundle.
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