Does the thought of teaching morphology through Latin bases scare you? Are you afraid you don’t have the depth of knowledge required to teach it to your students? Here are two truths: First, I bet you’re already teaching morphology in small ways. Second, I used to be afraid to teach morphology, too!
When I completed my Wilson certification program, the way I looked at morphology changed dramatically. I developed a deeper knowledge of our language and, to my surprise, my students easily learned the concepts, too! If you’ve ever taught that adding an s to a singular noun makes it plural, you’ve taught morphology. It’s not always complicated!
So please, don’t be afraid to venture into morphology. It will change the way you teach, it will change the way you approach “big” words, and it will dramatically increase student success in reading, spelling, and vocabulary acquisition!
Why should we teach Latin Bases?
Incorporating Latin bases in your phonics instruction provides students with a foundational understanding of how many English words are constructed. Latin bases are the building blocks of thousands of English words, particularly in the academic and technical vocabulary terms your students will encounter as they get older. By recognizing and understanding common Latin bases (e.g., tract, scribe, and pel), students can read and spell unfamiliar words more effectively, understand their meanings, and build a richer vocabulary. Who doesn’t want that for their students?!
This knowledge enhances reading comprehension and spelling skills because students can discover connections between words with shared bases (e.g., contract & attract, subscribe & inscribe). Additionally, it empowers students to become more independent and confident learners by giving them tools to unlock the meaning of complex words.
If you use the Wilson Reading System and are feeling a bit lost teaching the Latin bases, this blog is a must-read for you! If you don’t use Wilson, you’ll still learn ways to incorporate morphology in your literacy instruction. You’ll also be able to use the six strategies I outline below in your instruction, no matter which program you use.
Key Terms Related to Latin Bases
Before diving in, let’s review some key terms I’ll use in this blog.
- Morphology: the way words are constructed with stems, prefixes, and suffixes
- Morpheme: the smallest unit of meaning in a language. The word trees includes two morphemes (tree + s). The word unsubscribing includes 4 morphemes (un + sub + scribe +ing).
- Affix: a letter or group of letters, which is added to either the beginning or the end of a word to form a different word with a different meaning. Prefixes and suffixes are considered affixes.
- Prefix: a letter or group of letters, which is added to the beginning of a word in order to form a different word. Some common prefixes are un- and re-.
- Suffix: a letter or group of letters, which is added to the end of a word in order to form a different word. Some common suffixes are -es, -ing, and –ment.
Source: Collins Dictionary
- A base word is a word that can be used on its own or to create more complex words with the addition of affixes.
- Root words hold the most basic meaning of a word but are often not stand-alone English words.
Source: Reading Rockets
When can you introduce Latin bases?
Once students have learned closed syllable words with blends, they can begin to read the closed syllable bases like –lect– and –tend-. In WRS, students practice reading and spelling the closed syllable bases in Substeps 2.4 and 2.5. At this time, students are exposed to the meanings of the bases but are not expected to memorize them yet.
In Substep 3.1, students are introduced to basic syllable division concepts and they practice words with two closed syllables. This includes prefixes added to base words in two-syllable words like unlock and nonfat. In Substep 3.2, they begin to work with words with two closed syllables that include select Latin bases and common prefixes, such as command (com + mand) and disrupt (dis + rupt). At this point, students begin to use the meanings of the individual morphemes to determine the meaning of the whole word, and this is when the meanings start to stick!
Latin bases will come up again in Step 4, when students work with silent e bases, like –fuse- and –clude-. Similar routines are used to build multisyllabic words like include (in + clude), expose (ex + pose), and expressive (ex + press + ive).
The Nitty Gritty of Teaching Latin Bases with the Wilson Reading System
The previous section outlines the general overview of Wilson’s approach to teaching Latin bases. I can’t offer the specifics because the content belongs to Wilson. However, if you follow the manual, your students will have opportunities to practice reading and spelling multisyllabic words with Latin bases like collect, subtracted, and constructive. If you’re struggling to apply the contents of the manual, please reach out to your trainer, to me, or the Wilson Reading System Facebook group. There are lots of eager and knowledgeable folks in the Facebook group!
Some Wilson teachers like to add homework, independent work, worksheets for substitute teachers, or fun games and activities to supplement their students’ learning. If that describes you, skip the next paragraph and then we’ll talk about specific activities and worksheets you can use to supplement your instruction.
Adding Latin Bases to Your (Non-Wilson) Reading Instruction
Not using Wilson at all? No problem! Using what you’ve learned in this blog, follow these steps.
- Offer a student-friendly definition of morphology and tell your students that they will begin to learn about morphemes.
- Start simple. Show them that they already know and use some morphemes. Dog + s means there is more than one dog. Un + fold means that the shirt is not folded anymore.
- Introduce common closed-syllable bases a few at a time. Teach the spelling and the meaning. Help students brainstorm words that use each base. Discuss how the individual morphemes help a reader understand the meaning of the whole word.
- Introduce common prefixes. This can be done at the same time you introduce the bases, but try to be selective and only introduce a few at a time so you don’t overwhelm your students. Although I cannot offer you a resource for prefixes, here’s a handy reference chart.
- Practice reading and spelling words with the bases using a variety of activities.
6 Ways to Incorporate Latin Bases in Your Literacy Instruction
The following activities are included in the Latin base supplements that align with Steps 2 and 4 of WRS. You can purchase the resources for each step separately or in a discounted bundle. The bundle includes 125 pages jam-packed with teacher support and student materials to help you teach the Latin bases with confidence!
The clipart for these resources was custom-designed for Keep Reading and Learning with the specific goal of illustrating the meanings of the bases. These materials are one-of-a-kind, and their creation was a labor of love!
1. Display Reference Charts or a Bulletin Board in Your Learning Space
A desktop reference chart or a bulletin board on your classroom wall can be valuable tools when introducing students to reading multisyllabic words. These visuals provide an anchor to support their understanding of how words are constructed to convey meaning. Having visuals readily accessible allows students to quickly reference the Latin bases and their meanings, making it easier for them to decode and comprehend complex words. It also reinforces the connection between the base and its meaning, which helps students break down unfamiliar words into smaller, more manageable parts. By incorporating the visuals into daily instruction, you can provide a consistent resource that promotes word recognition, spelling, and vocabulary growth, fostering a deeper understanding of word structures.
2. Brush Up on Your Knowledge of Words with Latin Bases
Personally, teaching the Latin bases was a learning curve for me. Of course, I knew what the word extend meant but did I realize that it literally means to reach or stretch out? Nope! I had to stay ahead of my students by learning how the prefixes and bases came together to illustrate the meaning of each word. And sometimes the translation is not quite literal. For example, the word invent would literally translate to come in. This requires a little abstract thinking to make the connection to an idea coming into a person’s head when they invent something.
To help you stay ahead of the curve, I scoured the Online Etymology Dictionary to create glossaries for you. Each glossary includes 70 words (Step 2) and 39 words (Step 4) with literal definitions and student-friendly explanations of each word. If you’ve ever struggled to explain a word based on its word elements, this glossary will save you! And if you’re curious about a word that’s not in the glossary, I recommend using the Online Etymology Dictionary.
3. Keep it Fun with the “I Have, Who Has?” Game
Playing “I Have, Who Has” with Latin bases is an engaging way for students to reinforce their understanding of word parts while practicing listening and speaking skills. The game encourages active participation as students match Latin bases with keyword illustrations, fostering collaboration and critical thinking. It helps solidify their grasp of morphemes in a fun, interactive format and strengthens connections between vocabulary and word meanings. Additionally, the fast-paced nature of the game improves focus, quick recall, and fluency in recognizing the bases. It’s a perfect way to gamify your Wilson lessons!
4. Use Word Matrices for Morphological Awareness and Vocabulary Learning
Completing word matrices helps students understand how prefixes, bases, and suffixes combine to form a wide variety of words, deepening their morphological awareness. By visually mapping out these word parts, students see patterns in word construction, which enhances their spelling, vocabulary, and decoding skills!
This practice also promotes critical thinking as students analyze how different affixes change the meaning of a word. For example, working with a matrix for the base –struct- (meaning “to build”) allows students to explore words like construct, destruction, and restructure. This hands-on approach helps students make connections between related words, increasing their ability to read and understand complex texts with confidence.
I always make word matrices a guided activity. Students will likely have the vocabulary required to discuss the meanings of words that include phonics patterns they haven’t learned yet. For example, a student in Substep 4.2 can discuss the meaning of the word completing even though they may not know the “e drop rule” for spelling the word. When students build words with complex spelling patterns, I offer them the correct spelling and keep the focus of the discussion on morphology and vocabulary instead. This is one way to teach the concept at hand (Latin bases) while incorporating higher-level or grade-level morphology and vocabulary learning. We know that struggling or hesitant readers tend to fall behind their peers in vocabulary knowledge, but completing word matrices with your guidance is an effective way to expose your Wilson students to higher-level vocabulary.
5. Use Fill-in-the-Blank Worksheets to Support Comprehension and Fluency
Completing fill-in-the-blank worksheets with words containing Latin bases helps students deepen their understanding of morphemes. This activity requires students to apply their knowledge of word meanings in the context of sentences. Additionally, working at the sentence level promotes reading fluency when students read and reread the sentences to ensure they make sense. This rereading improves their ability to decode and comprehend text more smoothly! By connecting morphology to sentence context, students build stronger vocabulary skills and enhance their ability to recognize and use complex words in both their reading and their writing.
Fill-in-the-blank worksheets are also an option for independent work while you complete Word List Charting with individual students in Part 4 of your group WRS lessons. For more tips on small group instruction, be sure to read this popular post!
6. Find Options for Homework, Independent Work, and Sub Plans
Once students have a good grasp of the Latin bases, their meanings, and some words that include them, they can work on some of the less demanding and more fun activities! Word searches and word scrambles are great options for homework because students can complete them independently.
The writing activity Tell a Story! is perfect for sub plans because it requires no special knowledge from the substitute teacher. Students are given five words with Latin bases and directed to compose a short story that includes at least three of the words. This provides your students with the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of the words, plan and compose a paragraph, and apply learned spelling skills to their writing.
Word searches and word scrambles are also options for independent work while you complete Word List Charting with individual students in Part 4 of your group WRS lessons. For more tips on small group instruction, be sure to read this popular post!
Not sure if these resources are right for your classroom?
Read what other teachers have to say! Both Carrie B. and Melissa S. shared that they made bulletin boards for their classrooms with the flashcards. Carrie also uses a second copy of the flashcards at the table during her small group instruction. Vicky B. said, “My students and I enjoyed using this product… a very helpful teaching tool.” Currently, the Step 2 product has a 5-star rating and has been a top seller in my store for five months in a row!
With positive feedback and consistent use by other educators, these Latin base supplements have proven to be helpful additions to structured literacy instruction. Whether you’re looking to enhance your small group lessons, create engaging visual aids, or simply give your students a deeper understanding of word origins, you’ll love how easy and effective these supplements are to use. Give them a try and see the difference they can make in your teaching!
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This post and the noted products are independent of and are not affiliated with, nor have they been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Wilson Language Training Corporation. WILSON®, Wilson Reading System®, Fundations®, Just Words®, and Wilson Fluency® are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of the Wilson Language Training Corporation.
