Today is rung 5 of 8 on this topic
Greek and Latin roots
Can do: Uses roots — port, dict, scrib, aqua, geo, tele, bio — to unlock unfamiliar words.
Why it matters
Well over half of academic English comes from these roots. Learning twenty roots is worth learning a thousand words.
What it looks like when it's wobbly
Vocabulary growth stalls because every subject-specific word is memorised in isolation.
⏱️ Two-minute check
"What do transport, portable and export have in common? So what does port mean?"
Solid looks like: Spots the shared root and gets to carry.
The full activity for this topic · 10 minutes
Root of the Week
- 1Pick one root and write it big on the wall list with its meaning.
- 2Brainstorm every word containing it, and check each meaning fits.
- 3Hunt for it in a real text this week — science and geography are full of them.
- 4Invent a plausible new word from the root and define it.
- 5Review the whole list on Fridays, out loud, fast.
If it's too hard
Roots that are visible in easy words: tele, bio, aqua.
If it's too easy
Combine two roots — telescope, biography — and work out the meaning from the parts alone.
Say this
"You already know three words with that bit in. What do they all have in common?"