Glossary · Word parts and vocabulary
What is a root?
Definition
A root is the core part of a word that carries its main meaning, often from Latin or Greek, such as port (carry) in transport and portable.
Roots are where most of the meaning lives. Port means carry, so import is carry in, export is carry out, and portable means able to be carried. Learn one root and a family of words opens up.
Teachers use root in two ways. Some use it for any core part, including English words like help. Others save it for bound Latin and Greek parts like port, spect and dict, and use base word for free English cores. Either is fine; pick one and stay consistent.
Roots work best taught in families, with real words the student already knows. Starting from transport and portable and then naming the shared part is better than memorizing “port = carry” from a chart.
In a lesson
List import, export, transport and portable. Ask the student what they have in common and what the shared part might mean. Then check the guess against all four words.
Examples
Each word with its spelling units, one per sound.
- importi·m·p·or·t
- exporte·x·p·or·t
- transportt·r·a·n·s·p·or·t
- portablep·or·t·a·b·le
Words come from our lexicon, checked against a pronouncing dictionary. Words a student sees in our assessments are left out.
Why does this matter for the record?
Keep a running list of roots the student knows, with two example words each. It is a better record than a quiz score.
Rate each skill as you teach it
Needs support, Developing, Secure. The rating schedules the review and builds the report.