Vocabulary Practice 1 Prefixes Answer Key

[Everardo Frost]

Oneof the five components of our Key Vocabulary Routine is Teach Word Learning Strategies, which includes how to look for clues outside the word (use of context) and inside the word (use of word parts) when encountering an unknown word while reading. Outside clues include rereading the sentences before and after the word and using the context of the text. Inside clues come from recognizing meaningful parts of the word, i.e., using morphological knowledge.

Morphology means the study of word parts, and morphological awareness refers to the ability to recognize the presence of morphemes in words. Research suggests that students can be taught various morphemic elements as a way to determine the meaning of new words (Edwards et al., 2004). Carlisle (2010) analyzed 16 studies about the relation of morphological awareness instruction to key components of literacy development. The findings showed that instruction about word parts was associated with improvements in word reading and spelling, and in determining the meaning of unfamiliar words.

Academic vocabulary that must be learned beyond grade three often consists of words that combine a root, prefix, and suffix (e.g., poly + nom + ial = polynomial; manu + script = manuscript). In the upper elementary grades and higher, there are many opportunities to find words in content reading that contain Greek and Latin morphemes. Children in primary grades can begin to learn how morphemes combine by adding common prefixes and suffixes to short Anglo-Saxon words and also compounding them. For example:

One way to introduce word analysis skills is to teach students how words are made up of word parts, and how words can be related in word families, such as the word family below for the Latin root port (to carry).

There is a significant body of research indicating that instruction of prefixes is beneficial, and many vocabulary researchers recommend instruction of the most common prefixes as the first and best component of word analysis (Graves, 2004; Carlisle, 2007). White, Sowell, and Yanagihara (1989) found that 20 prefixes account for almost 97% of the 2,959 prefixed words that most frequently appear in school reading materials. Given how often these 20 prefixes occur, it makes sense to teach their meaning and use. To access a free list of these prefixes, visit the Keys to Literacy free resources page at our website, and go to the Vocabulary section. You will also find free lists of the following:

Thank you so much for this awesome blog reminding us once again that vocabulary instruction can/ should be engaging! Not looking up words in a dictionary-silently! Using reading research to guide classroom practice- priceless!!

Thank you for your excellent advice on how to teach spelling. I an homeschooling my 7year old because of the covid19 lockdown and I had no idea where to start teaching her. However I knew rout learning was not going to work for her. I will look for activities that have this technique to teach her.

Young children in K and grade 1 are not developmentally ready to read long, multisyllable words that are derived from Latin or Greek. However, they can be introduced to some very basic suffixes such as plural s or past tense ed.

I do not know of a core program just for teaching vocabulary at each grade level. I understand why you would prefer something with lessons already mapped out with specific words to teach. However, effective vocabulary instruction should focus on words that are related to and essential to the content you are teaching, found in the text you are using. Morphology is just one part of vocabulary instruction. You may find helpful this recorded, free webinar from Keys to Literacy: Effective Vocabulary Instruction

Morphology is the study of words and their parts. Morphemes, like prefixes, suffixes and base words, are defined as the smallest meaningful units of meaning. Morphemes are important for phonics in both reading and spelling, as well as in vocabulary and comprehension.

Teaching morphemes unlocks the structures and meanings within words. It is very useful to have a strong awareness of prefixes, suffixes and base words. These are often spelt the same across different words, even when the sound changes, and often have a consistent purpose and/or meaning.

If a word has an inflectional morpheme, it is still the same word, with a few suffixes added. So if you looked up in the dictionary, then only the base word would get its own entry into the dictionary. Skipping and skipped are listed under skip, as they are inflections of the base word. Skipping and skipped do not get their own dictionary entry.

Another example is : run (base form), running (present progressive), ran (past tense). In this example the past tense marker changes the vowel of the word: run (rhymes with fun), to ran (rhymes with can). However, the inflectional morphemes -ing and past tense morpheme are added to the base word , and are listed in the same dictionary entry.

Derivational morphemes are different to inflectional morphemes, as they do derive/create a new word, which gets its own entry in the dictionary. Derivational morphemes help us to create new words out of base words.

Students with reading learning difficulties may have problems with one or more components of literacy (phonology, orthography and oral language). For these students, the teaching of word morphology (a sub-component of oral language) has the potential to help improve both word decoding and reading comprehension, as word morphology transfers to other components of reading (Good et al. 2015). The development of morphemic awareness involves the teaching of prefixes, suffixes and base/root words to build a conscious awareness of morphemic structures in words and the meaning of various morphemes.

Word morphology research focused on teaching students with reading learning difficulties highlights several strategies, which can be used to support students struggling to learn to read (Denston et al. 2015; Fallon and Katz 2020; Good et al. 2015). The research suggests:

Students with learning difficulties who are at different stages in their learning to other students in the class often require more focused word morphology instruction. For students in the early years of primary school it is recommended that structured word morphology teaching includes:

Teaching word morphology to students with literacy learning difficulties from Grade 3 onwards involves consideration of the diverse range of subject-specific words used in texts and the increased complexity of the morphological patterns. To be effective, the teaching of word morphology in these year levels benefits from the inclusion of:

Compound words (or compounds) are created by joining free morphemes together. Remember that a free morpheme is a morpheme that can stand along as its own word (unlike bound morphemes - e.g. -ly, -ed, re-, pre-). Compounds are a fun and accessible way to introduce the idea that words can have multiple parts (morphemes). Teachers can highlight that these compound words are made up of two separate words joined together to make a new word. For example dog + house = doghouse

Highlighting the morphology of words is useful for explaining phonics patterns (graphemes) and spelling rules, as well as discovering the meanings of unfamiliar words, and demonstrating how words are linked together. Highlighting and analysing morphemes is also useful, therefore, for providing comprehension strategies.

These best selling vocabulary activities and literacy centers will help your 2nd and 3rd graders build and practice vocabulary skills including root words, prefixes, suffixes, context clues, homophones and more at any point in the school year.

Center: Students will arrange prefix and suffix cards and then draw a word card to match to one of the suffixes or prefixes. Students will match all word cards to build new words and record their new words on their recording sheets. The recording sheet also has a place for the students to define their new words as well as use their new words in a sentence.

This activity is perfect for a small group activity on teaching context clues to help define and identify unknown words. Students will read 6 passages that have a silly, nonsense word in them. Students will need to figure out what the silly nonsense word actually is by using context clues! This super fun activity comes with the "real" words on word cards for the students to refer to as a word bank as needed! There is a black and white version of the passages, as well, so you can give the students their own copy to underline or highlight the context clues.

Students will arrange contractions word cards and match the hammer cards to the contractions that have the corresponding 2 words that make up each contraction. Students will record the contraction parts as well as the contraction on their recording sheet. They will use their contraction in a sentence.

Students will illustrate, define, and use compound words in a sentence using interactive notebook flip flaps. There is a blank template of this activity, also, for you to choose your own compound words for the students of for the students to choose their own!

Challenge students who already understand the concept to use the new words in a sentence or explain the meaning of the root word, prefix, and new word. Or why not have them choose one of their new words and fill out a vocabulary graphic organizer for the word giving the definition, an example, and a nonexample of the word.

Hang sheets of chart paper around the room and post a prefix card above each one. Individually, or with a partner, have students rotate around the room adding a root word that can be used with the prefix. Words may be used only once.

Place 3 cards at each station, making sure 1 of the cards can use the applicable prefix. Student pairs will rotate through each station and identify the new word, writing their answers on a separate sheet of paper.

3a8082e126