📖 ReadingGrade 2Lesson 7
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Build Families of Related Words

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Learning Objectives

  • 1Recognize that words sharing the same root word belong to the same word family
  • 2Find the root inside a related word by covering prefixes and suffixes
  • 3Match root words to their word-family members
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Mini Lesson

Words can belong to the same family — just like people in a family share the same last name, words in a word family all share the same root word. Knowing one member of the family helps you understand them all!

What is a root word?

  • A root word is the base word that a family is built from.
  • Word family members are made by adding prefixes, suffixes, or endings to the root.
  • Example — root word play: plays · played · playing · playful · player · replay

Why word families help you read

  • If you know heat, you can read heater, heating, heated, reheat, preheat.
  • If you know kind, you can read kindly, kindness, unkind, kinder, kindest.
  • Spotting the root inside a long word is like finding a friendly face in a crowd!

How to find the root

  • Cover any prefix at the front and any suffix or ending at the back.
  • What is left is the root word — the meaning engine of the whole family.
  • Example: un + kind + ness → root = kind
Word Family Tree for PlayA word family tree showing the root word play in the center with six family members branching out: plays, played, playing, player, playful, and replay.Word Family: playplayplaysplayedplayingplayerplayfulreplayGold = has a prefix or suffix you have learned!
The root word "play" at the center with six family members — plays, played, playing, player, playful, and replay.
Finding the Root WordThree examples showing how to find the root word by covering the prefix and suffix: unkindness has the root kind, reheating has the root heat, and playfully has the root play.Find the root!unkindnessroot =kindreheatingroot =heatplayfullyroot =play
Three words with their root highlighted — unkindness (kind), reheating (heat), playfully (play).
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Ask yourself: "What root word do I see hiding inside this word? What other family members do I know that share the same root?"

Vocabulary
Root word
The base word that a word family is built from; it carries the core meaninge.g. kind is the root of kindness, unkind, kindly
Word family
A group of words that all share the same root worde.g. play, plays, player, playful, replay all belong to the play family
Prefix
A small word part added to the front of a root word that changes its meaninge.g. un- in unkind, re- in replay
Suffix
A small word part added to the end of a root word that changes its meaning or forme.g. -ness in kindness, -ful in playful
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← Lesson 6: Use Context Clues to Work Out Word MeaningsLesson 8: Vocabulary Games and High-Frequency Word Practice →