In this article, the authors make a case for teaching vocabulary in the elementary grades through a focus on the morphological structure of words, in particular English words that are derived through Latin and Greek roots and affixes. The authors present a set of engaging instructional ideas for the use of Latin and Greek derivations to teach…

Teachers can build on students' familiarity with and respect for the Harry Potter books to create source-based vocabulary lessons. The idea is to work with the Latin roots that J. K. Rowling uses to create original names for places, people, and magical charms and then to extend students' knowledge through exploration of additional English words…

When young readers encounter texts that contain too many unfamiliar words, their comprehension suffers. Reading becomes slow, laborious, and frustrating, impeding their learning. That's why vocabulary knowledge is a key element in reading comprehension. To comprehend fully and learn well, all students need regular vocabulary exploration.…

Semantics, the study of the meaning of words, is the sum of the basic elements of four skills, namely, reading, writing, speaking and listening effectively. The knowledge of vocabulary words in lexico-semantics, on the other hand, is essential in every grade level, subject area and assessment for every student. In order to improve students'…

High school teacher Suzanne R. Kail and her students uncover the relevance of learning Latin and Greek roots to enhance vocabulary and spelling. Kail reflects on her experience of combining what might be seen as an old-school practice of memorization with promoting higher level thinking skills and anticipates what she will revise for the next…

This study investigated the effectiveness of using a computer program over six weeks to teach high school students to use Latin and Greek root words for deciphering English terms in order to increase their scores on the verbal portion of the Scholastic Aptitude Test. Results indicated that knowledge of Latin and Greek root words improved students'…

To improve students' self-concept and vocabulary scores, a practicum unit based in Graeco/Latin derivatives studies in varied learning styles strategies was developed for use in an eleventh grade English class (18 students). After the language analysis and preferred modalities of the target class were identified, students were assigned a target…

Three approaches to vocabulary presentation in the second language classroom are described. The examples used are drawn largely from German, Russian, French, Latin, and Greek, but they can be extended to all commonly taught languages, although certain approaches are particularly suited to specific languages. In addition, the goals of a particular…