Help your students learn the meaning of common roots by creating a root definition pair-up. Select some common roots, such as "claim" and "scribe." Open a SMART Notebook file and place these roots around the perimeter of the page. Down the center of the page, create a table with two columns. Leave the far-left column blank and type definitions that correspond with the roots you have scattered around the perimeter on the right. Allow students to take turns venturing up to the board and dragging the roots into the boxes in the left column, placing them next to the correct definition. To make this activity a competitive one, divide students into teams and award points for each correct move.
Help students see how many words feature some of the most common roots, by creating a root word sort. To begin, open a SMART Notebook file and create four or five columns down one page. Leave space at the bottom of the page to serve as a word bank, labeling it as such. At the top of each column, put a common root, placing, for example, "ambi" at the top of one and "medi" at the top of the other. Fill your word bank with words featuring these roots, placing "medieval" and "median" in the bank for instance. When students are ready to tackle the challenge, allow them to move the words into the appropriate columns, testing their skills.
Challenge students to identify the roots in compound words by creating a "What's My Root?" activity. To create this activity, open a SMART Notebook file. Select words featuring roots and affixes to place in your file, typing one word on each Notebook slide. Words like autograph or reimbursement make good selections. Complete the activity by asking students to come up and, using the digital ink pens, underline the root in each word. If students underline correctly, reward them with small prizes like candy. If they make errors, correct them and explain why their original answers were wrong.
Allow your students to have some fun with roots by preparing a build-a-word root challenge. To create this activity, open a SMART Notebook file and type out some different roots, placing each on a separate slide. As you move through your lessons, allow students to come up one at a time and add affixes to each root to transform its meaning. For example, if one slide said "mid" your student could add "riff" to make the word "midriff." To make this activity even more engaging, set a timer for 30 seconds and ask the students to write as many words containing this root as possible in this set time, rewarding the student who comes up with the most extensive list.