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English · Grade 5

Morphology and Academic Vocabulary

Learners become word detectives: they split words into prefixes, bases and suffixes, use Greek and Latin roots as clues, and read sentences around a new word for definition, synonym, antonym and example clues. The last lesson teaches the academic words that appear in school directions, such as analyze, compare and summarize.

  • 4 lessons
  • About 80 minutes
  • Word detective check: 8 questions
  • Ways to answer: fill in the blanks, choose an answer, highlight a text, match pairs, sort into groups and arrange tiles
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What learners will discover

  • Use common prefixes and suffixes (un-, re-, dis-, mis-, pre-, -ful, -less, -able, -ment) to work out the meaning of a word.
  • Use common Greek and Latin roots (such as port, rupt, struct, dict, spect, graph, tele, bio, geo) as clues to meaning, and check them against context.
  • Use definition, synonym, antonym and example clues in a sentence or paragraph to work out an unknown word.
  • Explain what academic task words (analyze, compare, contrast, summarize, infer, evidence) ask a reader or writer to do.

Lessons

  1. Prefixes and suffixes change meaning 7 steps4 practiceabout 20 min
  2. Greek and Latin roots as clues 7 steps5 practiceabout 20 min
  3. Context clues in the sentence and around it 7 steps4 practiceabout 20 min
  4. Academic words in directions 6 steps3 practiceabout 20 min
  5. Word detective check 8 questions at the end

Keep exploring

Games to practice with

  • Memory LanternsFlip glowing lanterns to find pairs that belong together.
  • Sentence TheatreYour words direct the show: change a word and the stage changes too.
  • Missing ChapterA page has gone missing. Use the clues to put the right one back.

More 5th grade reading

Guides for grown-ups