Use knowledge of common inflections and affixes (-ed, -s, un-, -er) as clues to the meaning of unknown words; understand how the prefix un- changes meaning
Words have parts. Each part gives a clue. A part at the start or end can change the meaning and help you read new books.
Mia read the word played. She saw -ed at the end. She knew it already happened.
When you see a new word, look at its start and end. Word parts can help you guess the meaning.
Word parts like -ed and un- give clues to a word's meaning.
Words are made of little parts. A part at the start is called a prefix. Un is a prefix. It means not. So unhappy means not happy. A part at the end is called a suffix. Ed is a suffix. It tells us something already happened. So jumped means the jump is over. S at the end means more than one. So cats means more than one cat. Er at the end can mean a person who does something. So a helper is a person who helps. When you see a big new word, look for little parts you know. The parts can tell you what the word means.
You can figure out a new word by taking it apart. First, look at the start of the word. Does it have a prefix like un? Un means not. Next, look at the end. Does it have a suffix like ed or s? Ed means it already happened. S means more than one. Then think about the middle part. That is the word itself. Say each part. Then say them together. Now try the word in the sentence. Does it make sense? If it does, you found the meaning.
Sometimes a word is still tricky after you look at its parts. You can check what it means. First, break the word into pieces you know. Think about what each piece means. Put the pieces together and make a guess. Then you can check your guess. You can ask a grown up. You can look in a dictionary. A dictionary tells you what words mean. If your guess was right, great job. If not, now you know the real meaning. Next time a new word shows up, try its parts first. It works like a puzzle.
You have pulled endings off words before, and you have asked what a new word means. Today the word itself hands you clues. Mia is reading a book about the park, and she meets the word played.
Played is built from play plus a small part at the end. What does -ed tell you?
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