What is a benefit of teaching students about common affixes in words?

Teaching students about common affixes in words offers significant benefits, especially in breaking down words into manageable parts that can be defined. Affixes—such as prefixes and suffixes—attach to root words and modify their meanings or functionality. By recognizing these components, students can better understand unfamiliar words, as they can analyze the root and the affix separately. This skill not only enhances their vocabulary but also aids in their comprehension of overall text.

For instance, if a student encounters the word "unhappiness," they can deconstruct it into the prefix "un-" (meaning "not"), the root "happy," and the suffix "-ness" (indicating a state of being). This analytical approach allows them to infer that "unhappiness" refers to the state of not being happy, enriching their understanding and allowing them to apply that knowledge to similar words.

This foundational skill plays a vital role in expanding vocabulary and improving reading comprehension, making it easier to tackle more complex texts as students progress in their literacy journey. The other options, while they may provide different insights into word study, do not capture the primary advantage of affix education, which centers on the enhancement of word analysis and comprehension.