Word Power: Vocabulary Strategies
Year 6 students build and apply vocabulary-learning strategies including using context clues, understanding word origins, and recognising word families to expand their language repertoire.
What You Need to Know
Key Concept Diagram
Context clues in the surrounding sentences can help you work out the meaning of an unfamiliar word
Understanding common prefixes (e.g. un-, dis-, pre-) and suffixes (e.g. -tion, -ful, -less) unlocks thousands of words
Word roots from Latin and Greek appear in many English words (e.g. "bio" means life: biology, biography)
A strong vocabulary is built gradually through wide reading, deliberate practise, and using new words in writing
Key Vocabulary
Context clue
Information in the surrounding text that hints at the meaning of an unfamiliar word
Prefix
A group of letters added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning (e.g. un-, re-, pre-)
Suffix
A group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning or function (e.g. -tion, -ful)
Word root
The core part of a word, often from Latin or Greek, that carries the base meaning
Knowledge Check
Select the correct answer for each question. Click "Check Answer" to see if you are right.
Question 1
"Despite the relentless rain, the hikers pressed on." What does "relentless" most likely mean?
Question 2
The prefix "mis-" as in "misunderstand" or "mislead" most likely means:
Question 3
The Latin root "port" means "to carry". Which word group contains only words with this root?
Key Concepts Summary
- ●Context clues in the surrounding sentences can help you work out the meaning of an unfamiliar word
- ●Understanding common prefixes (e.g. un-, dis-, pre-) and suffixes (e.g. -tion, -ful, -less) unlocks thousands of words
- ●Word roots from Latin and Greek appear in many English words (e.g. "bio" means life: biology, biography)
- ●A strong vocabulary is built gradually through wide reading, deliberate practise, and using new words in writing