The Word Attack Plan: Prefix, Root, Suffix, Context

Learn a four-step routine for decoding and understanding long unfamiliar words.

By middle school, most words you cannot read at a glance are long, and most long words are built from parts. A reliable word attack plan has four steps. One: circle any prefix at the start (un-, pre-, inter-). Two: box any suffix at the end (-tion, -ous, -ize). Three: underline the root that is left and think of words you know that share it. Four: reread the sentence and check that your meaning fits. Try it: 'The two countries signed an intercontinental agreement. ' Prefix: inter- (between).

Suffix: -al (relating to). Root: continent, a word you know. Meaning: relating to more than one continent, between continents. Check: an agreement between countries on different continents makes sense. The plan works for pronunciation too, since saying each chunk separately (in-ter-con-ti-nen-tal) is much easier than tackling eighteen letters at once.

• 1Circle the prefix, box the suffix, underline the root.
• 2Connect the root to words you already know.
• 3Reread the sentence to check the meaning fits.