In this Grade 3 vocabulary lesson from Vocabulary from Classical Roots Book 4, students explore the Latin roots famil and speci to build understanding of eight key words including familiar, familiarity, familiarize, specialist, specialty, species, specific, and specify. Students practice using these words through synonym matching, fill-in-the-blank exercises, and a study of the verb suffix -fy/-ify with related words like clarify, satisfy, and unify. The lesson connects root meanings to word definitions, helping students recognize how shared origins link word families in English vocabulary.
Section 1
The Root 'famil' - All About Family and Closeness
Let's start with words that feel like home! The root 'famil' connects to the idea of the household, family, and things we know well.
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| familiar | (adj.) well known because you have seen or heard it before |
| familiarity | (n.) the feeling of knowing someone or something well |
| familiarize | (v.) to get to know something or make it well known to someone |
Section 2
The Root 'speci' - Being Particular
Now for words that get down to the details! The root 'speci' is all about things of a particular or special kind.
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| specialist | (n.) a person who is an expert in a particular area |
| specialty | (n.) a special skill or area of expertise |
| species | (n.) a group of similar living things |
| specific | (adj.) clearly defined or exact |
| specify | (v.) to state something clearly and exactly |
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Section 1
The Root 'famil' - All About Family and Closeness
Let's start with words that feel like home! The root 'famil' connects to the idea of the household, family, and things we know well.
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| familiar | (adj.) well known because you have seen or heard it before |
| familiarity | (n.) the feeling of knowing someone or something well |
| familiarize | (v.) to get to know something or make it well known to someone |
Section 2
The Root 'speci' - Being Particular
Now for words that get down to the details! The root 'speci' is all about things of a particular or special kind.
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| specialist | (n.) a person who is an expert in a particular area |
| specialty | (n.) a special skill or area of expertise |
| species | (n.) a group of similar living things |
| specific | (adj.) clearly defined or exact |
| specify | (v.) to state something clearly and exactly |
Book overview
Jump across lessons in the current chapter without opening the full course modal.
Continue this chapter