Rummy Roots

Four games in one, Rummy Roots is an entertaining way to explore some of the Greek and Latin roots of our language. The deck includes ninety cards: twenty-seven Greek root cards, fifteen Latin root cards, and forty-two cards with the English translations, plus two bonus and four stump cards. It is recommended to start with Pre-Rummy and refrain from moving on through each of the next three levels until everyone is proficient with the roots they are dealing with. If you do so, the results will be a familiarity with 42 Greek and Latin Roots, 193 vocabulary words, and the knowledge to decipher half of over 2000 other words.

The rules are simple. Level one—Pre-Rummy—is played "go fish" style (only instead of fishing, players "go dig" for roots in the "root garden"). This level works well for gaining an acquaintance with the roots and their English correspondences. After gaining the ability to identify each Greek and Latin Root, students (who think they are merely playing a game) can move on to Rummy Roots I. The next two levels are more challenging game-wise and continue to cement knowledge of these roots. These levels are like very simplified versions of regular rummy where players use their cards to form first two-root words in Rummy I and then three-root words as well in Rummy II. In Rummy Roots III, the play gets more exciting and is much more like regular rummy. This level will be fun to play even after students have become familiar the roots. A fun addition to the play is the "stump" cards: when a player plays one against one of his opponents, he picks a word from the Rummy Roots dictionary and if his opponent can't define the word he has to draw two cards and loses a turn.

Rummy Roots is a fun alternative (or addition) to studying out of a book. Learning is disguised as playing, which is what most playing should be anyway. Plus a game is more social than a workbook; it can involve younger siblings or parents and the whole family can learn too!

While this game does help students gain a familiarity with the Greek and Latin roots involved, it is by no means an exhaustive study. It's a fun introduction, but can't be a substitute for a real Latin or Greek course.