📖 ReadingGrade 4Lesson 1
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Use Greek and Latin Roots

How to use: Print the PDF before you call your child. Read the lesson once together and talk it through, then the exercises on paper. Correct together with the answer key and the Parent checklist. The next day, your child redoes this lesson here on screen (about 10 minutes) to review it and save progress.

Learning Objectives

  • 1Identify common Greek and Latin roots in unfamiliar words
  • 2Use root meanings to work out the meaning of new vocabulary
  • 3Build words by combining roots with prefixes and suffixes
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Mini Lesson

Many English words come from Greek and Latin roots. A root is the core part of a word that carries its basic meaning. When you know a root, you can often work out the meaning of many new words.

Common Greek Roots

  • graph (write) — biography, photograph, autograph
  • phon (sound) — telephone, microphone, symphony
  • bio (life) — biology, biography, antibiotic
  • geo (earth) — geography, geology, geometry
  • tele (far) — television, telescope, telephone

Common Latin Roots

  • port (carry) — transport, import, export, portable
  • dict (say/tell) — dictionary, predict, verdict
  • rupt (break) — interrupt, erupt, disrupt
  • scrib/script (write) — describe, manuscript, inscription
  • aud (hear) — audience, auditorium, audible
Root Word TreeRoot Word Tree: PORT (carry)PORTtransportportableimportOne root — many words!
Word Parts MapWord Parts MapPrefixchanges meaningRootcore meaningSuffixchanges word type
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When you spot a root you know, cover the prefix and suffix. The root in the middle often gives you the key meaning.

Vocabulary
root
The base part of a word that carries its main meaning.e.g. The root "port" means carry, as in transport.
prefix
A word part added to the beginning of a root that changes its meaning.e.g. The prefix "un-" in "unhappy" means not.
suffix
A word part added to the end of a root that changes its meaning or word class.e.g. Adding "-ful" to "care" makes "careful".
Greek root
A word part borrowed from ancient Greek.e.g. "Bio" is a Greek root meaning life, as in biology.
Latin root
A word part borrowed from Latin.e.g. "Aqua" is a Latin root meaning water, as in aquarium.
word origin
The language a word came from.e.g. "Telephone" comes from Greek roots tele and phone.
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Guided Practice

Read the story. Notice the words with Greek and Latin roots — how does knowing the root help you understand each word?

Mini-book

The Word Detective

Tap Open to start →

Cover

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Exercises

Read each clue. Tap the morpheme tiles in order to build the word.

A person who writes your life story writes a ____ + graphy. (root means "life")

Tile bank

A device that carries sound to your ear. (root: tele = far, phon = sound)

Tile bank

Something easy to carry. (root: port = carry; suffix: -able)

Tile bank

A book that tells you what words mean. (root: dict = say/tell; suffix: -ionary)

Tile bank

The study of the earth. (root: geo = earth; suffix: -graphy)

Tile bank

The science of living things. (root: bio = life; suffix: -logy)

Tile bank

Match each Greek or Latin root to its meaning.

Pick the best answer.

1. What is a root in a word?

2. The root "phon" appears in all of the following EXCEPT:

3. What does the Latin root "port" mean?

4. Using the root "aud" (hear), what does "audible" mean?

5. Which word contains the Greek root "geo" (earth)?

6. What does the root "rupt" mean in the word "interrupt"?

7. Which word is built from the root "dict" (say/tell)?

8. How does knowing a root help you as a reader?

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Parent Checklist

For the parent: after correcting together, check off what your child has really understood

Lesson 2: Identify Homonyms and Homophones →
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