L is for Latin - A to Z April Challenge

One of the subjects for our homeschooling curriculum is Latin and Greek Root Words. We use English from the Roots Up - Help for Reading, Writing, Spelling, and S.A.T. Scores by Joegil K. Lundquist. There are two volumes of this book; and we are using the first volume.

In Volume 1, there are 100 Latin and Greek root words which are appropriate for elementary through high school students to learn.

Set of cards with root words. 

The cards outlined in red are Latin root words; and

the cards outlined in green are Greek root words.

In addition to the book, there is a set of 3"x5" cards with the root word on one side and various words using the root word on the reverse. Each word also is defined in case a student does not know its meaning.

The back side of one of the Latin root word cards.

What I like about English from the Roots Up is that there are ideas for extending the lessons instead of mere memorization. For example, the teacher notes for the Latin root word aqua (which means water)  includes the following ideas and information:

How about a trip to the aquarium? 

Aqueduct - notice the "e" in aqueduct? It is commonly misspelled since we expect it to be spelled with an "a" like its root, aqua. The Romans were great engineers, and since they needed clean, healthy water in their cities, they built magnificent bridges over land and valleys so cool mountain water could flow by gravity down to the fountains and storage cisterns of the town. Aqueducts can still be seen today. 

Aquarius - There is a series of entertaining stories about the constellations and how they got their names. The Egyptians believed that Aquarius, the water carrier, caused the annual floods of the Nile River. The zodiac sign, Aquarius, comes from the hieroglyph for "running water."

Aqueous humor - This part of the eye is easy to find on a cross-section drawing of the eyeball. A small introduction to anatomy may be in order here.

Aquifer - Notice the "i" in this spelling. Some layers underground are solid rock. Others are porous, carry water, and are called aquifers.

Combining hands-on activities in a variety of subjects - such as science, history, and geography - can make learning root words and expanding one's vocabulary much more engaging. I'm looking forward to working our way through both volumes of English from the Roots Up, and hope that Sophia and Olivia feel the same way too.