The Skilled Reader
(Updated Edition)
by D. J. Henry
Chapter 3: Vocabulary-Building Skills
PowerPoint Presentation
by Gretchen Starks-Martin
St. Cloud State University, MN
© 2005 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers
Word Parts
Root
Prefix
The basic or main part of a word.
Spect means “look.”
The beginning word part.
Inspect means “look into.”
Suffix
The end of the word.
Inspector means “one who
looks into.”
© 2005 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers
Spect = look
In retrospect, after pulling a muscle
running, Manny said, “I should have
warmed up before exercising.”
The fireworks created an awesome
spectacle in the night sky.
© 2005 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers
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Root Words
The
root is the basic or main part of a
word.
Complete this sentence with a word,
using the root word “tract.”
After his leg surgery, Alex was
placed in ____________.
© 2005 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers
Prefixes
A
prefix is added to the beginning of the
root word to make a new word.
Complete this sentence using a prefix
with the root word “mit.”
Some cars _____
dangerous looking fumes.
© 2005 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers
Suffixes
A
suffix is added to the end of a word or
root to make a new word.
Complete this sentence using a suffix
added to the root word “grad.”
Celeste is going to
________ from college.
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Appendix C in Part
Four of your book
lists common root
words, prefixes, and
suffixes.
© 2005 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers
Resources and
References for Words
Dictionaries
Textbook
Aids
© 2005 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers
Dictionaries
Most adults use between 25,000 and 30,000
words, but dictionaries contain over one
million words!
Dictionaries provide:
Guide words
Spelling
Pronunciation
Parts of speech
Definitions
Synonyms
Etymologies (word histories)
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Dictionaries
Some things to look for:
Guide words at the top of the page
Spelling and Syllables
Pronunciation symbols and
accent marks
Parts of speech
Definitions
Synonyms
Etymology
© 2005 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers
Parts of Speech
Adjective
Adverb
Article
Conjunction
Interjection
Noun
Preposition
Pronoun
Verb
Verb Auxiliary
© 2005 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers
Textbook Aids for
Learning Content Words
Specialized
Content Vocabulary
Definitions (sometimes in
boldface type)
Glossaries
Textbook
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Chapter Review
A prefix is a group of letters with a specific
meaning added before a word or root to make
a new word.
A suffix is a group of letters with a specific
meaning added to the end of a word or root to
make a new word.
Guide words are a pair of words printed in
bold at the top of every page of a dictionary.
A syllable is a unit of sound that includes a
single vowel sound.
© 2005 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Longman Publishers
Chapter Review
An accent mark is a dark mark above a word
that indicates which syllable gets the most
emphasis when the word is spoken.
Pronunciation symbols indicate the sounds of
consonants and vowels.
Etymology is the study of a word’s history.
Each content area has its own vocabulary.
Many textbooks provide a special section of
definitions called a glossary.
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