Year 3 · SPaG · Prefixes and word families
Year 3 root words, prefixes and suffixes worksheet and PowerPoint
To find the root word and to tell a prefix from a suffix.
Root words, prefixes and suffixes
A root word is the main part of a word. A prefix is added to the start of a root and a suffix is added to the end. Both change the meaning: unhappy (prefix), helpful (suffix).
| root word | happy, help, kind |
|---|---|
| prefix | unhappy, replay, disagree |
| suffix | helpful, kindness, quickly |
Examples
- The root of unkind is kind.
- The root of helpful is help.
Key words
- root word
- the main part of a word
- prefix
- letters added to the start of a word
- suffix
- letters added to the end of a word
- word family
- words that share a root
What is on the worksheet
Every sheet for this lesson has a short teaching box and 12 questions that get gradually harder: 8 fluency questions, then 4 reasoning questions that ask pupils to explain or choose. A writing challenge follows. The questions use the same styles as the key stage 2 grammar and punctuation test (circle, underline, tick, fill the gap, add punctuation, rewrite, explain). They are written for this website, not copied from past papers.
All the answers are on the last page of the same editable Word file. New questions are made every time, so you can print a different sheet for every group or for homework. The same sheet code always gives the same sheet.
Writing challenge: Choose five root words. Add a prefix or a suffix to each one and write a sentence for each new word.
Pupil target: I can find the root of a word.
The PowerPoint
A 20-slide lesson deck for the same lesson: a starter that revisits earlier learning, key words, an I do and a You do question on each slide with a countdown timer, answers that appear one click at a time, and a challenge. Download the root words, prefixes and suffixes PowerPoint.
Where this lesson fits
This is lesson 41 of 53 in the Year 3 SPaG scheme, in the block “Prefixes and word families”.
Other lessons in this block
- Identifying word families
- What is a prefix? (un-)
- Adding super-, anti- and auto-
- Adding sub- and inter-
- Prefixes together
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