Maryland ELA RF.3.3.c

ELA3rd GradeReading Foundational Skills

The Standard

RF.3.3: Know and apply phonics and word analysis skills in reading (decoding) and writing (encoding) words. Know and apply phonics skills to read (decode) and write (encode) words. Read (decode) and write (encode) multi-syllable words with known letter-sound correspondences. (neighbor, suitcase, fascinate, suggest) Read (decode) and write (encode) words with common prefixes and derivational suffixes. Know and apply spelling rules to write (encode) words with increased accuracy and automaticity.

Read (decode) and write (encode) words with common prefixes and derivational suffixes.

Maryland College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts (2025)

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students find the base word, prefix, and suffix in a word. They use those parts to read the word and spell it when they hear it.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student reads rewrite, helpful, and unhelpful without guessing from the first letter. They spell each word and explain how its added parts change the meaning.
Common Misconceptions: Students may read rewrite as write or leave un off unhelpful. They may spell helpful as helpfull or kindness as kindnes.
How to Assess It: Dictate rewrite, helpful, and unhelpful. Have students write each word, mark its base and added parts, then read it aloud.

Lesson moves

Give pairs cards labeled un, re, help, write, and ful; have them build, read, and write helpful, rewrite, and unhelpful.
Ask how adding re changes write; have students write one sentence with write and one with rewrite.
Play affix match: call out kindness or unhelpful; students match word-part cards, then spell the whole word on mini whiteboards.
Post a library job card saying 'Rewrite unclear labels and be helpful'; students read it, then spell rewrite and helpful without looking.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to RF.3.3.c, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

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