CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.4b

ELA3rd GradeVocabulary Acquisition and Use

The Standard

Determine the meaning of the new word formed when a known affix is added to a known word (e.g., agreeable/disagreeable, comfortable/uncomfortable, care/careless, heat/preheat).

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts

What This Standard Means

Students need to use prefixes and suffixes to figure out new word meanings. They should start with a base word they know, notice the affix, and explain how the affix changes the meaning. For example, preheat means heat before, and careless means without care.

Mastery looks like reading an unfamiliar word with a familiar base, breaking it into parts, and giving a sensible meaning in context. Students often get stuck when the spelling shifts, like happy to unhappy, or when they know the base word but not the affix. They may also guess from the sentence and skip the word parts.

Ways to Teach It

Give pairs base word cards and affix cards, then have them build words, define them, and use each in a sentence.
Ask students to explain how the meaning changes in redo, unhappy, helpful, and careless using the sentence frame, The affix means...
Show five affixed words on the board and have students circle the base, underline the affix, and write a quick meaning.
Have students find three affixed words on classroom signs, book covers, or directions, then explain how the parts help with meaning.