BUILDING VOCABULARY

continued from No. 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

How to Learn New Words

Strategies for Building Vocabulary

UNIT 10: LEARN ABOUT COMPOUND WORDS

Two words are sometimes joined together to make a new word. The new word is called a compound word.

Example: flower + pot = flowerpot

If you come across a compound word you don’t know the meaning of, ask yourself these questions:

• What two words make up the compound word?

• Do I know the meaning of one or both words?

• Do the words before or after the unknown word give me a clue to its meaning?

Activity 1

Read the words in my Word Box. Then join each word to a word in the list below the Word Box to make a compound word. Write the two words as one.

1. play _____________
2. see _____________
3. pop _____________
4. suit _____________
5. eye _____________
6. story _____________
7. post _____________
8. scare _____________

Answers:

1. playground; 2. seesaw; 3. popcorn; 4. suitcase; 5. eyeglasses; 6. storyteller; 7. postcard; 8. sca-recrow

Now finish each sentence below with a compound word you have made.

1. The farmer put a _____________ in the cornfield.

2. Jane couldn’t see the chalkboard because she wasn’t wearing her _______________.

3. The class races were held on the _____________.

4. The ________________ worked puppets as she told the story.

5. Jean sat on one end of the _________________ and Joan sat on the other.

6. During the movie we ate two boxes of _________.

7. On his vacation John sent us a ______________.

8. After Sue finished packing her ______________, she left for camp.

Answers:

1. scarecrow; 2. eyeglasses; 3. playground; 4. storyteller; 5. seesaw; 6. popcorn; 7. postcard; 8. suitcase

Activity 2

Read the words in my Word Box. Next read each clue. Find a compound word from the Word Box that matches each meaning. Write each word on the chain puzzle. The last letter of each word is also the first letter of the next word. The first one is done for you.

Clues

1. A tall building
2. A coat worn when it rains
3. Material used to cover a table
4. A pain in the head
5. Something worn on the ear
6. A small fish
7. Schoolwork done at home
8. An opening into which a key fits

Answers:

2. raincoat; 3. tablecloth; 4. headache; 5. earring; 6. goldfish; 7. homework; 8. keyhole

Activity 3

Write a sentence using each compound word below.

1. flashlight ___________________________________

2. haircut ____________________________________

3. airplane ____________________________________

Answers may vary.

Crossword Puzzle

Read the word meanings. Then choose a compound word from the Word Box for each meaning. Write the compound words in the puzzle. Be sure to follow the numbers across and down. The letters in the puzzle will help you.

Across

1. a boat used to save people on a sinking ship
4. a curve of colors seen in the sky after a rain shower
6. a wild plant with small yellow flowers and a long stem
8. a small pocketbook
9. wood for a stove or fireplace
11. light from the sun
13. a boat that is moved by the wind
14. something to help drivers see at night

Down

2. a large chunk of ice floating in the ocean}
3. a room used for fun and games
5. a game in which players pass, kick, and run with a ball
7. in the open air
10. the tracks a train runs on
12. something to eat that is round and yellow

Answers:

Across: 1. lifeboat; 4. rainbow; 6. goldenrod; 8. handbag; 9. firewood; 11. daylight; 13. sailboat; 14. headlight 

Down: 2. iceberg; 3. playroom; 5. football; 7. outdoors; 10. railroad; 12. grapefruit

Test

Show All You Know About Compound Words

Draw lines to match the first part of the compound word to the second part.

see pop scare suit play gold sky rain home table eye story post head ear key golden day life foot

saw case corn crow ground scraper cloth fish coat work ache glasses teller card ring rod hole ball light boat

Answers: seesaw; popcorn; scarecrow; suitcase; playground; goldfish; skyscraper; raincoat; homework; tablecloth; eyeglasses; storyteller; postcard; headache; earring; keyhole; goldenrod; daylight; lifeboat; football

Finish each sentence with a word from the Word Box.

1. The _______________ on Mom’s car burned out.

2. The wind moved the ______________ over the waves.

3. For breakfast I ate a juicy _______________.

4. We held the birthday party in the _____________.

5. The huge ship almost struck the ______________.

6. Mom put her car keys into her ______________.

7. We gathered _______________ for the campfire.

8. The wagon was left ________________ in the rain.

Answers:

1. headlight; 2. sailboat; 3. grapefruit; 4. playroom; 5. iceberg; 6. handbag; 7. firewood; 8. outdoors

Compiled by Erin Bouma

to be continued