3rd grade · English Language Arts · Unit 6 of 21
Prefixes & Suffixes
Word parts that change meaning
What your child practices
Learning what prefixes (un-, re-, pre-, dis-) and suffixes (-ful, -less, -er, -ly) mean, finding base words and using new words in sentences.
New York State Learning Standards learning standard: 3RF3; 3L4 · using prefixes and suffixes to read and understand words
How we explain it
Children can open this short lesson before they practice.
- A prefix goes at the start of a word: un- and dis- mean not, re- means again, pre- means before.
- A suffix goes at the end: -ful means full of, -less means without, -er means one who.
- Cover the prefix and suffix to find the base word.
Example: What is the base word in “carefully”? Take off the suffix -ly: careful. Take off the suffix -ful: care. Answer: care
Prefixes & Suffixes in New York
In the New York State Learning Standards, this is unit 6 of 21 in 3rd grade English Language Arts, after Spelling Patterns and before Word Pairs.
Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
What does “dishonest” mean?
dishonest
- honest again
- very honest
- not honest
not honest
Hint: The prefix dis- means not, or the opposite of. So “dishonest” means “not honest.”
Question 2
Which word means “full of color”?
- colorless
- colorful
- recolour
colorful
Hint: Look at the word parts. The suffix -ful means full of. So “colorful” means “full of color.”
Question 3
Which suffix can mean “a person who”?
- -ful
- -less
- -er
-er
Hint: Think of “teacher”: a person who teaches.
Question 4
What does “disagree” mean?
disagree
- agree before
- not agree
- agree again
not agree
Hint: The prefix dis- means not, or the opposite of. So “disagree” means “not agree.”
Question 5
What does the prefix “dis-” mean in “dislike”?
- again
- before
- not
not
Hint: If you dislike something, you do not like it.
Question 6
Which word means “a person who helps”?
- helper
- helpful
- helpless
helper
Hint: Look at the word parts. The suffix -er can mean a person who does something. So “helper” means “a person who helps.”