Latin and Greek WORD PARTS

IN DIFFERENT CONTENT AREAS

Many students succeed in learning to read and comprehend simple texts in the early grades, yet struggle to comprehend grade-

level texts in the upper elementary and secondary years (Chall, 1983).

There is a general consensus among researchers that vocabulary,

increasing word length and complexity, and differences in exposure to print each play a role in comprehension (Cunningham & Stanovich, 1991).

As the vocabulary demands of texts increase at the secondary level, many students struggle

with comprehension. The “academic vocabulary” – the words

necessary to learn and talk about academic subjects – becomes more difficult, and is directly related to students’ success or

struggles.

How to attack Vocabulary

• New words to learn across the curriculum• Figuring out words by context (within the text)• Looking at word parts to reveal meaning• Helping students “make connections” through

word part meanings from class to class

Affixes and root words need to be taught. A large percentage of the words and terms

found in the different content areas contain meaningful parts that can be

taught. In fact, Nagy and Anderson (1984) claim that more than 60 percent of the words students meet in academic texts

have meaningful roots and affixes that can be learned through direct instruction.

This is especially true for social studies words, given that Milligan and Ruff (1990) found that 71 percent of the terms in social studies textbooks contained teachable roots and affixes.

For example, teaching students that demo refers to “people” can help students learn democracy, demography, and endemic. Another example is merc, meaning “trade,” as in merchant, merchandise, and mercantile.

What other Social Studies words can you think of that have word part meanings that can be broken down?

HEMI - (half) hemisphere (“half” of a sphere or globe)GEO – (earth) geography (study of the earth) geothermal (earth’s + heat)MONO- (one) monarchy (rule by “one” king or queen)

TYR – (terrible) tyrant or tyranny (terrible ruler or rule)

It is important to teach relationships among words including their shared roots,

prefixes and suffixes.

Encourage “word consciousness,” or students’ awareness of and interest in

their words and their meanings (Graves, 2006).

Making connections between classes

• In Math class, students learn the meaning of word measurements like:

CENTImeter and DECImeter

In Social Studies, they learn that CENTury also means 100. In Science, CENTIpede has 100 legs.

In Science, OCTopus; In Math, OCTagonal; In Music, OCTave…. In Health, OCTOgenearians…All have to do with 8.

Making connections between classes

• In P.E. , a TRIathlon has 3 events. • A BIcep and QUADracep are muscles

representing 2 or 4 parts.In math, they learn about triangles and quadrilateral shapes.In social studies, they study the Bicentennial year.

Making connections between classes

• In Reading, students read BIOgraphy (stories of people’s lives), and then an AUTO (self)biography they write about their own life. Then they study about life in BIOlogy.

They study anto (opposite) nyms (name),Syn(same) nyms (name) and the author’s PSEUDOnym (fake name) is not his real name.

In math, there are sym(same)metrical shapes.

What do you really know about these words?

• Orthodontist• Orthopedic• Pedometer; pedicure (manicure); curator• Triceratops• Exobiologist• Hypodermic• Subterranean; extraterrestrial• decapitate

Teachers should engage students in grouping words by prefix and suffix.

Provide a cumulative word wall with prefixes and suffixes grouped by meaning

will reinforce these lessons.

WORD PARTS HANDOUTS

• Generating words with common word parts across many content areas.