(Well, maybe be alarmed, because when is the last time a junior high kid ever actually TOLD parents anything about school?)
What I'm trying to say is, don't be alarmed that I'm teaching them Greek and Latin. I'm not actually teaching them a different language - just another way to better understand our own language! See, nearly 70% of all English words are derived from Greek or Latin root words...so knowing more root words unlocks an abundance of upper-level vocabulary words! And since it's mathematically impossible for me to actually teach all of the vocab words in the world to our kids, this is the next best thing!
For instance, the root word "mal" means bad, unpleasant, or faulty. Now that the kids know that, they can start decoding words like malfunction and malodorous! The root "ex" means out of or from. So now kids can look at a variety of words (exhume? exude? extraneous?) and figure out what that word might mean. When paired with context clues, this is a great way for them to decode unknown words in a challenging text!
I'm all about trying to help kids figure out ways to make reading less daunting and more fun, and unlocking the magic of Greek and Latin root words definitely does that.
So what other magic are we up to these days? Today I showed them the magic of coordinate adjectives...and how they can rotate their position in the sentence with just a little creative comma placement. It seems silly, but like I explained to a student during my last class today - using modifying adjective phrases instead of the standard "that was....." to lead into our adjectives makes our writing more advanced. And who doesn't want to level up as an author?! This is the perfect time to discuss this skill, too, since JK Rowling uses coordinate adjectives like she got them on sale at Meijer during the 10/$10 get the 11th one free sale....
Two take aways from this post: Ask your kid about Greek and Latin root words. Ask your kid about coordinate adjectives. Trust me, it'll be fun!!!
Tomorrow, the kids are writing a pop-essay about the movie and book comparisons we've been doing. A pop-essay is kind of like a pop-quiz...unannounced, sure to evoke terror and grumbles from all involved, and a great way to check on how we are progressing on that skill. Bonus: it's also a good thing to practice before the IAR tests next week! (Plus, now I'll have plenty of things to grade while the kids take their tests! If they have to work, I should be working, too!)
A third take-away: Ask your kid if Mrs. Yeagle is their favorite teacher. Ask today, because the answer could likely be yes. Don't ask tomorrow after the pop-essay....they'll definitely say no then! (HA)