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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.”

Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards benchmark: 5.2.1.2; 5.1.1.2 · Latin and other word origins in reading and spelling

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Many long words are built from Greek and Latin roots.
  2. Common roots: tele (far), port (carry), rupt (break), spect (look), micro (small), auto (self), graph (write).
  3. 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 Minnesota

In the Minnesota K-12 Academic 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.

Source: Minnesota Department of Education (MDE)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Use the word parts. What does “visible” mean?

    visible

    vis (see) + ible (able to be)

    • able to be seen
    • to say what will happen before it happens
    • a person who watches an event
    • a vehicle that pulls heavy loads

  2. Question 2

    Which root do all three words share?

    visible • vision • visual

    • mit
    • vis
    • aqua
    • chron

  3. Question 3

    What does the root “spect” mean?

    spectinspect · spectator · spectacular
    • sound
    • look
    • pull
    • foot

  4. Question 4

    What does the root “micro” mean?

    micromicroscope · microphone · microwave
    • write or draw
    • circle or wheel
    • small
    • land

  5. Question 5

    Use the word parts. What does “interrupt” mean?

    interrupt

    inter (between) + rupt (break)

    • done by hand
    • a tool for looking at very tiny things
    • the study of the earth and its rocks
    • to break into a conversation or activity

  6. Question 6

    What does the root “struct” mean?

    structconstruct · structure · destruction
    • self
    • pull
    • build
    • measure

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