Ever watched a kid freeze in front of a big word like semicircle or dehydrated? Here’s the secret: big words are usually small parts stuck together. Once kids can spot the parts, they can figure out the meaning on their own. That’s exactly what the Advanced Roots and Affixes Game practices!
Meet Lexy, grab your snorkel, and dive into a sunny coral reef where every bubble holds a word and every pop teaches a word part.
Quick challenge before you scroll: what do you think sub means in submarine? Keep your answer in mind. Lexy will tell you in the video!
Watch Lexy play the Advanced Roots and Affixes Game
Play along with the video! Lexy reads each clue and gives your kids a moment to shout the answer first. Pause anytime and let them say the word before she does.
How to play
- Read the clue. A submarine screen at the top shows a clue like “a ship that goes under the sea,” and Lexy reads it out loud.
- Watch the bubbles rise. Big see-through bubbles float up from the sand, each carrying one word. One of them matches the clue.
- Pop the right word. Tap the bubble before it floats away. Pop! The word jumps up onto the screen and Lexy explains each part: “Sub means under, and marine means sea.”
- Oops? No problem. A wrong bubble pops too, Lexy says “try again,” and the right word keeps coming back. No lives, no losing.
- Chase the milestones. Get answers right in a row to unlock 3 in a Row!, 5 in a Row! and 10 in a Row! Make it to the last question with no misses for High Score!, then finish clean for a Perfect Game!
- Earn your stars. Four rounds: Latin roots, Greek roots, prefixes and suffixes, then a bonus round with everything mixed together, faster each time.
What kids learn
Kids practice using Greek and Latin roots, prefixes and suffixes as clues to the meaning of a word (Common Core L.5.4b). It’s great for 5th grade, and for any reader ready to tackle longer words. Here are a few of the word parts in the game:
- sub + marine = under + sea → submarine
- astro + naut = star + sailor → astronaut
- penta + gon = five + angle → pentagon
- fear + less = without fear → fearless
- aud + ible = hear + can be → audible
Try this at home or in class: Pick one word part, like re (again) or less (without). Set a 1-minute timer and see how many real words your kids can build with it. Then trade: can they stump you with a word part?
More practice with roots and affixes
- Greek and Latin Roots Game: tap the critter holding the word that matches the clue.
- Prefixes Pre Dis Mis Game: practice three super common prefixes.
- Word Meanings with Affixes Worksheet
- Word Meanings Affixes Activity
- L.5.4 Common Core Worksheet
- Suffixes List Worksheet
Every game, worksheet and activity in one membership
With a Have Fun Teaching membership you get every game, worksheet and activity on the site, including the Advanced Roots and Affixes Game. Teachers can assign games with a Classroom link, so students can play on any phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer.
Your turn: which big word did your kids break apart first? Pop it in the comments!
