Word Families: Building Words From a Base Word — Answers
Answer sheet with model answers and success criteria for the 3rd Grade vocabulary worksheet.
Word Families: Building Words From a Base Word — Answers
Part A: Join the family
A word family is a group of words built from the same base word. Circle the word that belongs to the family.
- Ahelpful
- Bhello
- Cheld
Answer: helpful
Helpful is help + ful. Hello and held only start with the same letters.
- Aplate
- Bplayer
- Cplan
Answer: player
Player is play + er.
- Akitchen
- Bking
- Ckindness
Answer: kindness
Kindness is kind + ness.
- Atea
- Bteacher
- Cteam
Answer: teacher
Teacher is teach + er.
- Acareful
- Bcar
- Ccard
Answer: careful
Careful is care + ful.
- Afries
- Bfried
- Cfriendly
Answer: friendly
Friendly is friend + ly.
Part B: Find the base word
Write the base word inside each longer word.
Answer: happy
un + happy
Answer: play
play + ful
Answer: jump
jump + ing
Answer: slow
slow + ly
Answer: paint
paint + er
Answer: kind
kind + ness
Answer: lock
un + lock
Answer: thank
thank + ful
Part C: Build the word
Use a word from the families above to finish each sentence.
Answer: teacher
teach + er = teacher
Answer: careful
care + ful = careful
Answer: unhappy
un + happy = unhappy
Answer: painter
paint + er = painter
Part D: Look-alikes
Some words only look like they belong. Circle the word that is not really in the family.
- Asing
- Bsinger
- Csingle
- Dsinging
Answer: single
Single starts with sing but has a different meaning, so it is not in the family.
- Ahelp
- Bhelper
- Chelmet
- Dhelpful
Answer: helmet
Helmet starts with hel but has nothing to do with helping.
Part E: Your turn
Model answer: play: player, playful, replay. My puppy is very playful.
Success criteria:
- Three words built from the same base word
- Each word is spelled correctly
- One of the words used correctly in a sentence
Marking tips
- Give credit for correct method even when the final answer slips — the working shows where the thinking went right.
- For open-ended tasks, use the success criteria as a checklist rather than looking for one "right" answer.
- Celebrate what went well first, then pick one thing to work on next.