Root Words Lesson Plans

Eighth graders practice finding the meaning of words by analyzing the root word. In this root word lesson, 8th graders review a chart of roots, words, and meanings. Students find and list words that have the root of 'geo,' 'terra,' and 'aqua.'

Students collaborate on teams to determine meanings of root words. In this reading comprehension lesson students divide into two teams with a list of root words on the overhead.  The teacher calls out a definition and the teams compete to correctly identify the root word.

Students study Latin root words and their English derivatives. They examine the meaning of words based on the Latin roots, and use an online dictionary to look up the meanings. They place their findings in a spreadsheet that shows the Latin root word, its meaning, the English derivative, and the part of speech.

First graders study prefixes, suffixes, and root words. They identify and apply appropriate word analysis and vocabulary strategies (e.g., word patterns, structural analysis) to identify unfamiliar words. They use synonyms and antonyms to express the implied meaning of a new word.

Fifth graders use Greek root words, suffixes and prefixes, to 'create' polysyllable words. They use the dictionary to identify what the words prefix, suffix, and root or base word mean and define what a syllable is and how one is formed using Greek root words. Finally, 5th graders enter each valid word in their journal or personal dictionary.

Students understand that books reflect the dialect of the location of the book. In this root word instructional activity, students identify and list Appalachian dialect words found in the book Christy. students discuss meanings of the Appalachian vocabulary based on their roots.

Young scholars explore language arts by participating in a root word activity. In this linguistics lesson, students trace the history of different vocabulary terms by identifying their latin and greek ancestry. Young scholars answer study questions about different word histories.

Fifth graders complete work book pages.  In this spelling lesson, 5th graders find root words and identify misspelled words in a paragraph.

Learners study root words. In this word study lesson, students identify the root words from several compound words. There are examples listed in this lesson plan.

Practice adding prefixes and suffixes to root words. Young writers discuss the meanings of root word, suffix, and prefix, and work on creating new words by thinking of words as things that can grow, like a tree.  They create a tree picture that shows how prefixes and suffixes make root words "grow."