By Anthony Biscione

This fall, seven schools and nine academies will enrich their school curriculum with the Latin and Greek Roots Challenge Program. The interactive, fun and schoolwide program is designed to introduce students to Latin and Greek roots and their meanings. Developed by parents John and Maureen Riley, it gives students the discipline to “deconstruct” words into their component roots and, thereby, unlock the meaning of words.

Did you know that over 60 percent of the English language is derived from Latin and Greek? When you consider the fields of medicine, law, theology and the sciences, almost 90 percent of words are derived from Greek and Latin roots.

Roots are the building blocks of the English language. Each week in the Latin and Greek Roots Challenge Program, three Latin and/or Greek roots and their definitions are posted on challenge boards in the classroom. Every root is accompanied by a visual.  The “Challenge” is for students to identify as many English words as they can that contain the Latin or Greek root. In essence, students construct words using their knowledge of roots.

Research shows that foreign language study in general, particularly the study of Latin, contributes to students’ advanced academic performance. According to the 2013 College-Bound Seniors, Total Group Profile Report, students who studied Latin consistently scored higher than other language students and the general population on the reading and writing sections of the SAT for the period of 2003 through 2013. Comparable studies show the favorable impact that Latin study has on vocabulary skills, reading comprehension and even math.

Latin, in turn, is rooted in ancient Greek. The Latin language was heavily influenced by the Greek language, just as much of Roman culture was shaped by the Greek culture and intellectual thought. Therefore, the study of Greek is also highly beneficial in advancing academic performance.

“Understanding root meanings gives students the tool to identify the definitions of new words they encounter. Students learn to look within a word to discover its meaning,” explain John and Maureen Riley.

The Latin and Greek Roots Challenge Program they have developed includes three levels of challenges to reinforce root meanings, beginning with early childhood and continuing through grade eight.

The program will be introduced at Notre Dame Catholic Academy, Our Lady of Guadalupe School, Our Lady of Hope School, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Academy, Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Academy, Our Lady Queen of Martyrs School, Resurrection Ascension School, St. Anselm Catholic Academy, St. Bernadette School, St. Bernard School, St. Catherine of Genoa-St. Therese of Lisieux Catholic Academy, St. Elizabeth Catholic Academy, St. Francis of Assisi School, St. Patrick Catholic Academy, St. Saviour Catholic Academy and St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Academy.

The Latin and Greek Roots Challenge Program has been made possible through the generosity of the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Trust, which will subsidize the majority of the cost of the program with the schools above paying a small portion of the total cost.

Anthony Biscione is senior deputy superintendent of Catholic School Support Services.