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8th grade · English Language Arts · Unit 3 of 14

Word Study

Roots, affixes and connotation

What your child practices

Using prefixes, suffixes and Greek and Latin roots to work out unfamiliar words, reading context clues, and noticing how word choice changes feeling.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) teks student expectation: 8.2(B); 8.2(C) · roots, affixes and idioms

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Prefixes go at the start (re-, dis-, mis-). Suffixes go at the end (-ful, -able).
  2. Greek and Latin roots carry meaning: graph (write), auto (self), bio (life).
  3. Words with similar meanings can have different connotations: slim sounds kinder than skinny.

Example: The root “graph” means write and “auto” means self. What does “autograph” mean? Put the parts together: self + write. Something you write yourself is your signature. Answer: A person’s own signature

Word Study in Texas

In the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), this is unit 3 of 14 in 8th grade English Language Arts, after Literary Devices and before Irony, Satire & Allusion.

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.

Source: Texas Education Agency (TEA)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Which word has the most positive connotation?

    • slim
    • bony
    • skinny
    • scrawny

  2. Question 2

    Which word has a more negative connotation than “curious”?

    • eager
    • inquisitive
    • nosy
    • interested

  3. Question 3

    The prefix “re-” in “rebuild” means…

    • not
    • under
    • before
    • again

  4. Question 4

    Read: “Her reticent nature meant she rarely shared opinions in class.” What does “reticent” most likely mean?

    • very loud
    • reserved, not eager to speak
    • friendly
    • angry

  5. Question 5

    The Greek root “graph” means “write.” What does “autograph” most likely mean?

    • A long story
    • A person's own signature
    • A machine for writing
    • A picture of a car

  6. Question 6

    The Latin root “aqua” means “water.” What does “aquarium” most likely mean?

    • A tall building
    • A place to keep water animals
    • A type of desert
    • A kind of flower

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