strong>Word Roots and affixes, Book 1, is for students in grades 4 and 5. It is designed for kids to learn and apply the way root words, prefixes, and suffixes are used to create a living language. The goal is to ignite an interest in and fascination about words for students so they may decode unfamiliar words as they read and create new ones as they make language their own!

The purpose and intent of teaching word parts and the ways words are put together is to give students another option for decoding and understanding unfamiliar words and for building new ones. By examining how and why prefixes and suffixes affect simple word roots and already complex words, students can more readily expand their vocabulary. All affixes or roots need not be learned at once; however, by learning to analyze, use and manipulate a number of basic components, students will develop a more efficient and effective set of tools to use when meeting unfamiliar words or inventing their own. This method and strategy will help to reduce the mass of vocabulary that students must learn as single, seemingly isolated words. Students will be able to analyze new words by using this knowledge and the context in which the word appears. How satisfying it will be for the student each time he or she can figure out the meaning of a word using these new skills! It is the puzzle solved.

The lessons and activities in this book align with the following Common Core State Standards*:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.4, 5.4
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.5, 5.5
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.6, 5,6

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4/5 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word.
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
Use context (e.g., definitions, examples, or restatements in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word.
Consult reference materials, both print and digital, to find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.

Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.


Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being and that are basic to a particular topic.

*Authors: National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers
Title: Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Publisher: National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers, Washington, D.C.
Copyright Date: 2010