Arkansas Foundations of Reading Test (FORT)

Knowledge of roots and affixes help readers to:

1. Break words into syllables

2. Understand sentence structure

3. Determine word meanings

4. Improve comprehension for both fiction and non-fiction

The correct answer is: Determine word meanings

Understanding roots and affixes is crucial for readers as these components convey significant meaning and provide insights into unfamiliar words. Roots are the base parts of words that carry the main meaning, while affixes—prefixes and suffixes—modify that meaning or indicate the word's function in a sentence. By recognizing these parts, readers can decipher the meanings of new or complex words they encounter. This skill enhances vocabulary development and aids in comprehension, allowing for deeper understanding of texts. For instance, if a reader encounters the word "unhappiness," knowing that "un-" indicates negation and "happiness" relates to a state of being allows them to understand that the word means a state of not being happy. This approach helps in unlocking the meanings of a vast array of words that are built using common roots and affixes. Although breaking words into syllables, understanding sentence structure, and improving comprehension are valuable skills in reading, they do not directly relate to the ability to determine word meanings as fundamentally and specifically as knowledge of roots and affixes does.