Governor’s Teacher NetworkAction Research Project

Increasing Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension of ELL and Hispanic

students through instruction of Latin and Greek Roots

Natalie Holt

Snow Creek Elementary

What is Governor’s Teacher Network “GTN”?

Through an application process, 225 North Carolina teachers were chosen to develop lesson plans and materials to share with other teachers. Another 225 teachers were chosen to develop and work on an action research plan within their own classrooms. The results of the action research will be shared with other teachers through professional development and will be stored on a Wiki in Homebase.

What is action research?

Geoffrey E. Mills in Action Research states that action research is a systematic approach by individuals such as teachers, counselors, and administrators to gain insight on how students learn and best teaching practices. The information gathered through inquiry is used to gain insight, develop practices that are reflective, and to make positive changes in the classroom/school environment. Action research is effective because it is developed and conducted by teachers for themselves and is not imposed on them by others.

How does action research effect positive educational changes?

Geoffrey E. Mills in Action Research states that teacher researchers are different from traditional education researchers because they are committed to taking action and making positive changes in their own classrooms. Mills also states that action research provides meaningful professional growth opportunities and opportunities for reflection and it is democratic and participatory in nature. Teachers have decision-making authority to choose the area of focus, the data to be gathered, analyzed, and interpreted in order to develop an action plan.

The purpose of my action research studyI want to increase the vocabulary and reading comprehension of ELL and Hispanic students in my fourth grade language arts classroom through direct instruction of Latin and Greek roots and student activities.

Professional articles that support my action research

50% to 75% of the English words come from Latin or Greek roots. Students who study these roots become adapt at linking the pronunciation, spelling, and meaning of more challenging words because the roots have consistent patterns.Latin is embedded in the Spanish language. Studying these roots can enhance the ELL linguistic connection and accelerate vocabulary growth. ELL learners are the largest growing population of students in American schools.

Research shows that using Greek and Latin word roots to teach multiple meaning words is more effective than the traditional approach to vocabulary instruction. A single root, or affix, from Latin or Greek can help a student understand at least 20 words. Studies show that proficiency in morphology is a better predictor of a student’s reading achievement than phonological awareness. Students with dyslexia, or those unable to use phonics, are able to analyze words using morphology and compensate for their deficits in phonics. Studying Greek and Latin roots shouldn’t wait for the secondary grades but begin in the primary grades.

Native speakers of the English language are expected to know about 20,000 word families or about 70,000 words. The English language has the largest vocabulary in the world. However, non-speakers of English that are educated, have less than one quarter of the native speaker’s vocabulary. In order for non-native speakers to become successful in the academic areas and be able to communicate they must increase their vocabulary.At the fourth grade level, and higher, words with Latin and Greek affixes appear in students’ reading vocabulary. In the middle grades, students may encounter between 3,000 to 9,000 words per year that derive part of their meaning from Greek or Latin affixes.

Academic texts have a large number of words that are derived from the Latin and Greek roots and are associated with math, scientific, technical, and scholarly topics.When students separate and analyze the meaning of prefixes, suffixes, and roots they are more able to understand the meaning of unfamiliar words. Students need strategies and opportunities to manipulate words.

Direct instruction and practice activities

Students will learn two to three Latin or Greek roots and vocabulary words using these roots each week through direct instruction. Instruction will include use of a weekly Powerpoint which will provide the definition of roots, visual examples, and vocabulary words.

Students will have opportunities for independent and peer practice during reading stationsStudents will use the Internet website www.quizlet.com to practice spelling and identifying the correct definition of vocabulary words. This is a free website which has flashcards, games, and quizzes. Students will maintain a vocabulary journal. In the journal they will record the root, examples of words using the roots, an example sentence, and illustration.

During pair-share students will share the sentences they have created using the vocabulary words and other words they have discovered using the root being studied.

Students will participate in interactive games/activities such as: jeopardy, morpho-bingo, relay race, boggle, etc.

Weekly assessment where students demonstrate correct spelling of vocabulary word and ability to use or identify the correct definition of the vocabulary words.

Determining Student Growth

A pre-test and posttest will be administered which assess the students’ ability to comprehend sentences and/or paragraphs which use unfamiliar words using Latin or Greek roots.Weekly assessments of roots and vocabulary wordsJournals, work samples, and observations

ResourcesThe Catawba County Schools writing plan has instruction on prefixes, suffixes, and roots. These ideas on The Word Wizards – Schoolwide vocabulary were compiled by Lora Drum and stored under linkhttp://www.catawbaschools.net/departments/curriculum/ELAk5/Vocabulary/Forms/AllItems.aspxIt’s also posted on the catawba county homepagehttp://www.catawbaschools.net/departments/curriculum/writingk12/SitePages/Home.aspx

Examples of student bulletin board from Word Wizard

Geometry Math Words

Example of work sample for student journals