I have to start by saying that choosing a product to swap was the HARDEST. Haley has so many great activities in her store! After changing my mind a few times, I landed on her Hands On Greek and Latin Root Activities for Spelling and Defining.
I know it's not technically part of the product I'll use in my classroom, but can we talk about that cover page? So cute. I can't even handle it. I decided to go with this product because my district focuses heavily on root word spelling and definitions. We are expected to have students learn to apply the root word meaning to help breakdown the definitions of words that contain those roots. The CCSS call for "common" root words, but in our literacy program we also dive into some of the more obscure root words. I've been hunting for a way to make my instruction more interactive and hands on, and this product seriously fit the bill.
The activity kit contains the following Greek and Latin root words:
- tele
- photo
- astr
- naut
- miss
- form
- liter
- magn
- migra
- therm
- tract
- dura
- hyper
- vis
- clam
- vid
- ultra
- tra
- aqua
- dynam
- graph
- meter
- ology
- phobia
- ism
- ist
- spec
- scrib
- rupt
- port
- ject
- dict
- able
- ible
- ance
- ence
The pack starts off with word wall cards to be posted on the word wall, glued onto an anchor chart, glued into a notebooks, or printed and cut to send home as vocabulary flash cards. I love the fact that the are multi-use! The word and definition are included for each.
Next, Haley make a note-taking sheet for the root words. It includes a place for the root word, definition, and examples. I love the fact that it can be put in a binder for quick reference for homework. That is where my kiddos usually need it the most! You all know what I am talking about... they go home and magically forget the lesson of the day. Using this in their binders, the students will be able to study to root words and share what they are learning with their parents.
The next part is the best part. Haley has 5 really fun hands on activities for the kiddos to complete to help them really understand the meaning of each root word. These activities can be completed independently or in partners/small groups, depending on your needs. These are perfect for completing during Reader's Workshop stations. I LOVE that they are fun and engaging and will keep my kids on task! I don't want to give away all of Haley's secrets so I won't go into details with the games, but they are definitely worth checking out in her product.
Overall, Haley has made a great activity packet for teaching root words. The focus has been pushed away from rote memorization, and into activities that have been created to help engage students and encourage authentic interaction with the root words. Check it out!
I'm the last stop on the Blog Hop, but if you started in the middle click below to continue on to Vanessa, our first stop, to see her product swap!
