5th grade · English Language Arts · Unit 5 of 11
Greek and Latin Roots
Word parts that unlock meaning
What your child practices
Learning common Greek and Latin roots (like tele = far, port = carry, rupt = break) and using them to figure out long words such as “spectator” or “interrupt.”
Alaska content standards learning standard: RF.5.3; L.5.4 · Greek and Latin roots
How we explain it
Children can open this short lesson before they practice.
- Many long words are built from Greek and Latin roots.
- Common roots: tele (far), port (carry), rupt (break), spect (look), micro (small), auto (self), graph (write).
- Find the root, then think about the rest of the word.
Example: What does “spectator” most likely mean? The root spect means look. -or means a person who does something. Answer: a person who watches
Greek and Latin Roots in Alaska
In the Alaska content standards, this is unit 5 of 11 in 5th grade English Language Arts, after Context Clues and before Complex Sentences.
Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.
- 5th grade guide for Alaska parents
- Printable 5th grade English Language Arts sheet
- Alaska report cards explained
Source: Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
What does the root “tele” mean?
teletelephone · telescope · television- foot
- pull
- hear
- far
far
Hint: Think about what these words have in common: telephone, telescope, television. The root “tele” means “far.”
Question 2
What does the root “struct” mean?
structconstruct · structure · destruction- send
- small
- build
- sound
build
Hint: Think about what these words have in common: construct, structure, destruction. The root “struct” means “build.”
Question 3
Which root do all three words share?
dictionary • predict • contradict
- dict
- scrib
- tract
- hydr
dict
Hint: Look for the letters that appear in all three words. Then think: what do dictionary, predict, contradict have in common in meaning?
Question 4
What does the root “photo” mean?
photophotograph · photocopy · photosynthesis- water
- light
- pull
- write or draw
light
Hint: Think about what these words have in common: photograph, photocopy, photosynthesis. The root “photo” means “light.”
Question 5
Which word has a root that means “foot”?
- vision
- autograph
- pedestrian
- portable
pedestrian
Hint: The root “ped” means “foot.” Look for “ped” hiding inside one of the words.
Question 6
Use the word parts. What does “visible” mean?
visible
vis (see) + ible (able to be)
- able to be seen
- a tool for looking at very tiny things
- living or growing in water
- a person's own handwritten signature
able to be seen
Hint: Put the meanings of the parts together: vis (see) + ible (able to be).