MY TURN
The Right Tools Can Lead
More People to Read
Children Who Read Early Become Strong Readers for Life
BY BRITTANY SELAH LEE-BEY
Why is etymology so important?
Reading is crucial to developing foundational
literacy skills. For decades, researchers have
found that reading comprehension is depen-
dent on both language comprehension and
word recognition. Good readers often have
strong word recognition skills and can
quickly decode or identify a word shortly
after seeing it in print. Fluency is also key to
comprehending words.

Another key component to strong reading
skills is language comprehension—background
knowledge, linguistic structures, verbal rea-
soning and vocabulary. Strong vocabulary
skills allow readers to comprehend text and
strengthen word recognition.

Etymology is the study of the origin of
words and how their meanings change over
time. Learning etymology can improve
word recognition as students learn to iden-
tify affixes (prefixes and suffixes) and root
and base words. For example, knowing the
root word “tract” aids in decoding words
like protractor and retraction. Etymology
instruction also contributes to language
comprehension, specifically syntax and
vocabulary. Suffixes indicate a word’s part of speech
or its syntactic function. Knowing roots
and affixes can help readers build vocabu-
lary skills and define unknown words. For
example, knowing that the root word graph
means “to write or draw” unlocks part of the
meaning of words like biography and vid-
eography. Likewise, if a reader knows that
bio means “life,” it can be determined that
a biography is a “writing about a person’s
life.” Readers can add thousands of words to
30 Washington FAMILY FEBRUARY 2023
their vocabulary via word derivations
as 60% to 80% of the English language
derives from Greek or Latin roots.

I wrote “EtymologyRules: Back to
Basics” because of the lack of linguis-
tic and language training for teachers.

Teachers are required to take classes in
content-area literacy for certification
but aren’t required to learn the word
knowledge necessary to foster word
consciousness and, more importantly,
word acquisition amongst developing
readers. “EtymologyRules” seeks to
create word connoisseurs that can con-
fidently and effectively teach linguistic
concepts critical to reading.

Adding etymology to literacy
instruction is particularly effective
for struggling readers and English lan-
guage learners. Since content-area
vocabulary—such as mathematics, science
and English literature—is primarily of Greek
and Latin origin, teaching word origins and
word parts is effective in helping struggling
readers increase their vocabulary. Struggling
readers also benefit from etymology as they
develop word-learning strategies that can be
applied to unknown words.

Children who learn to read at an early age
become strong readers for life. One in six
children who are not reading proficiently by
third grade do not graduate from high school
on time. The rate of graduation is four times
greater than that for proficient readers. The
stakes are even higher for students of color
and those from low-income households.

Therefore, it is critical that children receive
effective literacy instruction at an early age.

Brittany Selah Lee-Bey is the author of
“EtymologyRules: Back to Basics” and a read-
ing specialist in Washington, D.C., who also
promotes the need for effective literacy in under-
served communities. ■
PROVIDED R
eading is a powerful tool that
allows us to learn something
new, visit faraway places and
experience new adventures. It expands
our vocabulary, trains our brains,
increases wellness, lowers stress and
even helps with depression. People
who read are over 25% more likely to
be healthy than non-readers, have a
lower mortality risk and have a reduced
chance of developing dementia.

For many people, reading comes
naturally. For others, not so much.

Low literacy is a serious situation in
our country with millions of people,
including many children, struggling
to read. This often leads to low
self-esteem, feeling ashamed and
powerless and being unable to fully
participate in society.

As a reading specialist, I’ve taught stu-
dents who struggle with reading and fluency,
including those with dyslexia. In addition
to phonics instruction, I teach word der-
ivations and etymology to help students
strengthen their word attack strategies.

Students reading at least two grade levels
below can improve with a systematic word
study curriculum and help from a teacher
with a strong linguistic background who can
navigate them through the complexities of
the English language.