Maryland ELA RF.4-5.3.b
The Standard
- RF.4-5.3
- 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. Read (decode) and write (encode) words with prefixes and derivational suffixes. Read (decode) and write (encode) words containing Greek combining forms. When appropriate, consider the etymology (word origin) of unknown words to support reading (decoding) and writing (encoding). Use knowledge of spelling rules, syllable types, morphology, and etymology to Write (encode) words with accuracy and automaticity.
Read (decode) and write (encode) multi-syllable words.
Maryland College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts (2025)
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students read longer words by finding syllables and familiar word parts. They also spell longer words they hear, keeping the syllables in order.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can read disagreement by recognizing dis, agree, and ment. When spelling it, they write every part in the right order and check it against the spoken word.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may guess a long word from its first few letters instead of reading through it. They may leave out an unstressed syllable when spelling, such as writing unexpected without the second e.
How to Assess It
- Ask students to read relocation and disagreement aloud. Then dictate transportation and unexpected for them to write.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs letter tiles to build construction, add re, then mark and read each syllable in reconstruction.
Ask students to write which parts of disagreement helped them read and spell it, using dis, agree, and ment in their answer.
Play a card sort: students group replaying, disagreement, and construction by syllable count, then flip the cards and spell each from dictation.
Hand out a school lunch menu; students circle longer food names, read them aloud, then write three on a pretend grocery list.
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Printable RF.4-5.3.b Worksheet

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Related Standards
- RF.2.3.b
Read (decode) and write (encode) words with inflectional suffixes.
- RF.3.3.b
Read (decode) and write (encode) multi-syllable words with known letter-sound correspondences. (neighbor, suitcase, fascinate, suggest)
- RF.2.3.d
Read (decode) and write (encode) words with common prefixes and derivational suffixes.
- RF.4-5.3.c
Read (decode) and write (encode) words with prefixes and derivational suffixes.
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