Use Greek and Latin roots as clues to the meanings of words

Key Notes :

What are Roots?

Think of a root like the bottom part of a plant. It holds the plant in place and helps it grow. Word roots do the same thing! They’re the basic part of a word, and they give us a clue about what the whole word means.

Common Greek Roots

Meaning & Examples Photo: LightPhotograph (picture made with light) Photosynthesis (plants using light to make food) Tele: Far awayTelephone (sound from far away) Television (seeing far away) Micro: Very small Microscope (tool to see very small things) Microorganism (very small living thing) Bio: LifeBiology (study of life) Biography (story of someone’s life)

Root Photo Tele Micro Bio

Common Latin Roots

Spect Port Form Script/Scrib

Spect: To look Spectacles (glasses to help you see) Inspect (to look at carefully) Port: To carry Transport (to carry something from one place to another) Portable (able to be carried) Form: Shape Form (the shape of something) Transform (to change shape) Script/Scrib: To write Scribble (to write messily) Script (the written words of a play or movie)

See how knowing these roots can help you guess what a word means? It’s like having a secret code!

Practice Time!

Let’s try some words:

• Autograph: What roots do you see? What do you think it means?
• Report: What roots do you see? What do you think it means?
• Deform: What roots do you see? What do you think it means?

Summary

Today, we learned that many English words come from Greek and Latin roots. These roots are like clues that help us understand what words mean. By learning common roots, we can become amazing word detectives and unlock the meanings of even more words!

Let’s practice!