Teaching PrefixesSuffixes

AndRoots

Keith PruittWords of Wisdom Educational Consulting

www.woweducationalconsulting.com

One way to greatly enlarge the vocabulary of students in very short order is through

teaching prefixes, suffixes and root words.

Knowledge of these areas will help to greatly expand student vocabulary.

Let’s first explore the nature of compound words.

Compound Words

• When we add two words together, we form compound words. These may be easily taught to students.

• Patricia Cunningham suggests doing word sort activities by categorizing compounds.

• Apple + sauce• Earth + quake• Draw + bridge• Brain + storm• Basket + ball• Pan + cakes• Ear + rings• Finger + prints

Prefixes

• Un-, re-, in-, dis- are the most common prefixes and when students have learned their meanings, they can learn more than 1500 words easily.

• Start instruction with un-

• Read a selection… • Explain that un carries

the opposite meaning of the word to which it is added.

Prefixes

• UN-

Which of these are prefixes and which are not?

• Unemployed• Uncle• Unstable• Unbroken• Unicorn • Unhealthy• Unlucky• United

Prefixes

• Re-

• Can mean back or again• Which are these? And

which are not a prefix?

• Rearrange• Refund• Reply• Review• Refrigerator• Relocate• Reporter• Rewrite

Prefixes

•In- Dis-• Opposite or not, but

words with in are irregular

• Do sorting exercises with prefixes, not prefixes including the irregular spellings.

• Inspire• Irrational• Immigrant• Improve• Dislike

Prefixes

• Less common prefixes include in, mis, non, pre, en, over, under.

• misinform• Inside• Preview• Overdone• Preteen• Nonliving• Nonrenewable• Underhand• Understand

Suffixes

• Often just called endings the most common are s (plural forms), er (relating to a person or thing that does something), ful, less, able, ible, ist.

• What do these words mean when the suffix is added?

• Fighter• Folder• Helpful• Visitor• Doubtful• Powerless• Suitable• Gullible• Persist

Suffixes

• Here are words using less meaning without

• Here are words using ful meaning full or having

Do the same exercise with -ment, -ance, -ness, -tion. Write riddles of what word am in with several. I end in –tion. We need to do this in math. What am I?

Prefixes

• Un-, re-, in-, dis- are the most common prefixes and when students have learned their meanings, they can learn more than 1500 words easily.

• Start instruction with un-

• Read a selection… • Explain that un carries

the opposite meaning of the word to which it is added.

Roots

• Here are some common roots and their meanings. What words could be taught? Give two examples of each.

• Dict= say• Duct=lead• Fac/fec=do, make• Ject=throw• Loc=place• Meter=measure

• Micro=small• Phon=sound• Photo=light• Port=carry, take• Press=press• Scrib=write• Sens=feel• Spec=look• Struct=build• Tele=far• Tract=drag, pull• Vis/vid=see• Voc=voice, call

If we will spend just a few moments a day working with these words, we can seriously impact the knowledge base of each student.

Keith PruittWords of Wisdom Educational Consulting

www.woweducationalconsulting.com