Years 5 and 6 English · Key Stage 2 · Reading – word reading
Years 5 and 6 reading: using roots, prefixes and suffixes
By Years 5 and 6 most children can read the words in front of them, and the National Curriculum has just one statement left about word reading. It asks children to use what they know about root words, prefixes and suffixes, and where words come from, to read new words aloud correctly and to work out what they mean. This is how children cope with the longer, more formal vocabulary in the books and subject texts they now meet.
Roots, prefixes and suffixes in reading, explained
Almost every long word is built from smaller parts. The root carries the main meaning, a prefix at the front changes or adds to it, and a suffix at the end often changes the word’s job or tense. “Unforgettable” is a good example: a root, “forget”, with the prefix “un-” and the suffix “-able”. A child who can spot those pieces can both say the word and guess what it means, even if they have never seen it before.
Knowing a little about where words come from helps too. Many longer words in English are built from Latin and Greek roots. “Auto” comes from a Greek word meaning “self”, “bio” means “life” and “graph” means “write”, so “autobiography” is, quite literally, a person’s own life written by themselves. The same pieces appear in “biology”, “autograph” and “photograph”. The National Curriculum lists the prefixes and suffixes children learn in its spelling appendix, and in Years 5 and 6 children apply what they know to words they meet in reading, in their topic work and in other subjects.
That one statement has two parts. First, reading the word aloud accurately by breaking it into chunks, saying each chunk and putting them back together. Second, understanding the word by looking at its parts and checking that the meaning fits the sentence. The National Curriculum also stresses that children should look at all the letters in a word, so “imitation” isn’t read as “invitation” and “conscience” isn’t read as “conscious”. Fast, confident readers can slip into guessing from the first few letters and the word’s shape.
By this age the curriculum says that almost all children should need no more direct teaching of word reading, because they read fluently. If your child is still struggling to read words accurately, the curriculum is clear that it should be looked into and taught urgently. A conversation with the class teacher is the right first step. Children who read easily, on the other hand, are not finished: working out new words from their parts is a skill they keep using for the rest of their schooling.
Words your child will hear
- Root word
- The main part of a word that carries the core meaning, such as “form” in “reformed”.
- Prefix
- Letters added to the start of a word that change its meaning, such as “mis-” in “misread”.
- Suffix
- Letters added to the end of a word, such as “-ous” in “famous”.
- Morphology
- The study of how words are built from smaller meaningful parts.
- Etymology
- The study of where words came from and how they have changed.
- Syllable
- A beat in a word: “au-to-bi-o-graph-i-cal” has seven.
- Context
- The words and sentences around a word, which help show what it means.
What the National Curriculum says
In Years 5 and 6, pupils should be taught to:
- Apply their growing knowledge of root words, prefixes and suffixes (morphology and etymology), as listed in English appendix 1, to read aloud new words that they meet
- Apply their growing knowledge of root words, prefixes and suffixes (morphology and etymology), as listed in English appendix 1, to understand the meaning of new words that they meet
Objectives from the National Curriculum in England, © Crown copyright, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Try it: tackling a new word
Your child reads this sentence and meets a word they haven’t seen: “The museum displayed an autobiographical letter written by the explorer.” How can they read and understand “autobiographical”?
- Don’t guess from the first few letters. Look at the whole word and find the suffix at the end: “-ical”, which usually makes an adjective, a describing word.
- Look for the prefix at the start: “auto-”, which comes from a Greek word meaning “self”. You may have seen it in “automatic” or “autograph”.
- Look at the middle. “Bio” relates to life and “graph” relates to writing. Put the chunks together and read each one aloud.
auto - bio - graph - ical self life write (describing)
- Say the word again, smoothly, with the main stress on “graph”: aw-toe-by-oh-GRAF-ik-al. Check that every letter has been read.
- Work out the meaning from the parts: “to do with a life story written by the person themselves”. Then check it fits the sentence. A letter that is autobiographical tells part of the explorer’s own story.
“Autobiographical” means to do with a person’s own life story, as told by themselves.
Common mistakes and how to help
Reading a long word by its first few letters and guessing the rest
Fluent readers read very quickly and the brain fills in gaps. So “imitation” becomes “invitation” and “conscious” becomes “conscience” without the child noticing.
What helps: Slow down and read the word in chunks. Ask “does that make sense and does it match every letter?” A good habit is to point to the end of a word and check the last letters are accounted for.
Assuming a prefix always means “not” or “opposite”
Children learn that “un-” and “dis-” reverse a meaning, so they assume every prefix does. But “re-” means “again” and “sub-” means “under”, and “in-” can mean either “not” or “in”.
What helps: Collect prefixes and sort them by meaning: “sub-” and “inter-”, for instance, are about position. “Inflammable” means it can burn, the same as “flammable”, so some words need extra care.
Finding a small word inside a bigger word and assuming it is part of the meaning
“Carpet” isn’t a car with a pet, and “pirate” has nothing to do with a rat. Spotting a small word inside a bigger one is a useful trick for younger readers, and the habit lingers.
What helps: Look for real prefixes, suffixes and roots rather than any small word. If the meaning doesn’t fit, the chunk is probably a coincidence. Use a dictionary to settle it.
Reading a word aloud perfectly but not knowing what it means
Saying a word and understanding it are separate skills. A child may decode “subterranean” correctly and still have no idea it means underground.
What helps: Ask “what do you think that means, and why?” Use the parts (“sub” under, “terra” earth) and the sentence together, then confirm in a dictionary.
How to help at home
- Word of the day. Choose a long word from a book, a news story or a museum label and break it into parts together. Say what each part means and then guess the whole meaning before checking in a dictionary.
- Build a word family. Pick a root such as “form”, “graph” or “port” and see how many words you can make with prefixes and suffixes, like “reform”, “formal”, “transport”, “portable”. Talk about how the meaning shifts each time.
- Reading aloud together. Take turns reading a page from a non-fiction book or a longer story. When your child stumbles on a word, don’t supply it straight away. Ask them to split it into chunks and try again.
- Dictionary detectives. Look up a word that interests your child and read the note on its origin if there is one. Children often remember a word more easily once they know that “television” joins Greek “far” and Latin “sight”.
Related topics
Builds on
- Years 3 and 4: Reading new words from their parts
Leads on to
- Key Stage 3: Reading widely: Shakespeare and beyond
- Key Stage 3: Understanding challenging texts
- Key Stage 3: Reading critically: language and structure
- Key Stage 3: Drama, comparison and authors
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