π Understanding Base Words: Grade 2 English Language Arts
A base word is the most basic form of a word that can stand alone and has its own meaning. Think of it as the 'main' part of a word. For example, in the word 'unhappy,' 'happy' is the base word. We can add word parts called prefixes (at the beginning) or suffixes (at the end) to a base word to change its meaning or how it's used in a sentence. Learning to spot base words helps Grade 2 students become better readers and spellers because it allows them to break down longer, trickier words into smaller, more understandable parts. It's like having a secret decoder ring for words!
βοΈ Part A: Vocabulary Match-Up
Draw a line to match each word to its correct definition.
- π‘ Base Word: A word that can stand alone and has its own meaning.
- π Prefix: A word part added to the beginning of a base word to change its meaning.
- β
Suffix: A word part added to the end of a base word to change its meaning or part of speech.
- π§ Root Word: The basic part of a word, sometimes it cannot stand alone. (For Grade 2, often used interchangeably with base word).
- π Meaning: What a word tells us or stands for.
π Part B: Fill in the Blanks
Read the sentences below and fill in the missing words from the box. Some words might be used more than once!
Word Box: base, happy, prefix, suffix, play
My friend felt very __________ today. We can add the __________ 'un-' to make it 'unhappy'. The word 'unhappy' has 'happy' as its __________ word. When you add '-ing' to 'play', you get 'playing'. The '-ing' is a __________. The word 'play' is the __________ word.
π€ Part C: Critical Thinking
- π Look at the word 'rebuild'. What is the base word? What does the prefix 're-' tell us about the word? Can you think of another word that uses 're-' and explain its meaning?