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Second grader Max has a budding interest in World War II, and it’s always a joy to support his curiosity through reading. Recently, we were reading a custom-made book together, and right on the first page, we came across a word that stumped him: treaty. It’s not unusual for kids to encounter new and unfamiliar words, especially when diving into topics as vast as history. But with a bit of guidance, even tricky words can become fun learning opportunities.
What Does “Treaty” Mean?
When Max stumbled on the word treaty, we paused to chat about what it meant. A treaty is a formal agreement between countries, where both sides agree to specific terms or behaviors. For example, after wars or conflicts, treaties are often used to establish peace. We turned to Vocabulary.com for a kid-friendly definition that helped clarify things for Max. You can find a similar explanation here.
Breaking Down the Word “Treaty”
To help Max truly understand the word treaty, we broke it down into its parts. At Ravinia Reading Center, we use a strategy called word study, where we dissect words into their meaningful components. This helps students not only understand individual words but also see patterns that apply across many words.
In this case, treaty is made up of two parts: the base element treat and the suffix -y. The base word treat is a free base element, meaning it can stand alone as its own word (think of how we use treat when we talk about giving someone a special snack or reward). The suffix -y in treaty is a noun-forming suffix, which turns the base word into a noun that refers to the written agreement between countries.
Making Connections: “Treat” and “Treaty”
So, how do treat and treaty connect? We can think of a treat as something that pulls us in, just like a treaty pulls countries together. The word treat itself is related to how we handle or “pull” others in terms of how we behave toward them. For instance, when we treat someone kindly, we’re handling them in a thoughtful way. Similarly, a treaty is how countries agree to handle or treat each other.
Why Is It Spelled with “EA”?
Next, we turned our attention to the spelling of treaty. Max asked a great question: Why is treaty spelled with the ea instead of something simpler like ee? This question opened up a great opportunity to talk about the many ways we can represent the /i/ sound in English.
While there are multiple ways to write that sound, ea in treaty helps connect the word to its relatives—words like treat and treatment—which also use ea.
This spelling preserves the relationship between the words and reinforces the idea that treaty and treat share a common origin. Understanding these connections helps build Max’s knowledge of word families and reinforces his grasp of English spelling patterns.
Learning Through Word Play
One of the joys of teaching is seeing how words come to life for kids. Exploring the word treaty with Max was not only a fun exercise in language study, but it also tied into his interest in history and his growing love of reading.
Helping children make connections between words and their meanings empowers them to become stronger, more confident readers. For Max, discovering the word treaty was just another step on his journey of learning—and for me, teaching him is always a treat.
If you're interested in more tips on how to help your child improve their vocabulary, check out our resources here. At Ravinia Reading Center, we’re always here to support young readers in their journey to success.
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