Teaching Suffixes and Prefixes - Derivational Relations Spellers
Preparing to teach students about suffixes and prefixes? This post will help by providing you with the pertinent information you need before diving into student instruction!
get clear, student-friendly definitions and examples of commonly used prefixes and suffixes
learn the types of suffixes and why it is important for students to know the difference
gain insight about the significance of specifically focusing on the suffix -ION with students
learn the common spelling mistakes or confusions students most often encounter when adding suffixes to root words
walk away with easy-prep resources for how to teach students about prefixes and suffixes in fun and engaging ways
Why is it important to learn/teach prefixes and suffixes?
Students learn to view these prefixes and suffixes as units of language (morphemes) that are used as the building blocks of multisyllabic words. Students examine how prefixes modify the meaning of base words and how adding suffixes to a base word changes the part of speech and the way the word is used in a sentence.
A focus on affixes is important to students’ study of spelling and language as more than 60% of all words in the English language contain Greek or Latin roots. In the fields of Science and Technology, that figure rises to over 90%. It is estimated that the meaning of 60% of the multisyllabic words upper elementary students may encounter can be partially or fully interpreted by chunking the word into morphemes (Whissell-Turner & Fejzo).
In what grade level are suffixes and prefixes taught?
Students can be introduced to some of the more common prefixes and inflectional suffixes as early as late second grade, but they are typically not ready to dive into derivational suffixes until they are between late 4th grade and 6th grade. At this point, the focus shifts from simply spelling words accurately to studying the process of how affixes and bases are put together and the impact they have on meaning and part of speech.
What are prefixes?
A prefix is a group of letters or a single letter added to the beginning of a base or root word (a word that can stand alone and cannot be reduced into smaller parts). Adding a prefix to a root word changes the meaning of the word. Examples of base or root words include happy, honest, and visible. If we add the prefixes un-, dis-, and -in to these words they become unhappy, dishonest, and invisible. In these specific examples, the addition of the prefixes changes the meaning of the words to “not happy”, “not honest”, and “not visible”.
What are the most commonly used prefixes?
When students enter the beginning of the Derivational Relations stage, it is important for them to learn the most commonly used prefixes in the English language, what they mean, and how they change the meaning of the root word they are added to. The prefixes that students study at the beginning of the Derivational Relations stage are listed below with their meanings as well as examples.
un-: means “not” (uneasy, unaware, unknown, undress, unfasten, untidy)
in-: means “not” (insincere, informal, infrequent, invisible, inexpensive, indirect)
dis-: means “not” or “apart” (dishonest, disbelief, disorder, disconnect, disease, disrespect)
mis-: means “badly” or “wrongly” (misspell, misfortune, mistrust, misleading, misbehave)
pre-: means “before” (prefix, prehistoric, preseason, preposition, prewar)
fore-: means “before” (foretell, foreman, foreword, forefathers, foresight, forethought)
post-: means “after” (posttest, postwar, postseason, postdate)
after-: means “after” (afternoon, afterword, afterthought, aftertaste)
re-: means “again” or “back” (replay, reappear, reclaim, reconsider, research, return, react)
* Note: I've linked each of these prefix examples to resources that can be used to teach this concept. You can find the bundle for teaching Suffixes and Prefixes here.
What are suffixes?
Two different types of suffixes are taught to students in the Derivational Relations stage including inflectional suffixes and derivational suffixes. What are the differences?
Inflectional Suffixes are used to indicate tense, number, case, or degree. They typically do not change the grammatical function or part of speech of a word. Examples of inflectional suffixes include -s (plural), -ed (past tense), -ing (present participle), -er, and -est (comparative). The comparative suffixes -er and -est are covered at the beginning of the Suffixes and Prefixes unit.
Derivational Suffixes are used to create new words to change the meaning or part of speech of a base word. These suffixes are used to create new words or change the meaning or part of speech of a base word. Examples include -able (change a verb to an adjective, e.g., drinkable), -ly (change an adjective to an adverb, e.g., quickly), and -ize (create a verb from a noun, e.g., modernize).
What are the most commonly used suffixes?
When students enter the beginning of the Derivational Relations stage, it is important for them to learn the most commonly used suffixes in the English language and how they impact the root word they are added to. The suffixes that students study at the beginning of the Derivational Relations stage are listed below with their meanings as well as examples.
-er: signals a comparison between two things (kinder, stranger, trickier, fancier)
-est: signals a comparison between three or more things (quietest, harshest, murkiest, earliest)
-less: means “without” and creates adjectives (breathless, colorless, thoughtless)
-ness: means “condition” and create nouns (blindness, friendliness, saltiness)
-ary: usually signal nouns or adjectives (imaginary, secretary, ordinary)
-ery: usually signal nouns or adjectives (bravery, machinery, mystery)
-ory: usually signal nouns or adjectives (category, lavatory, inventory)
-en: means “to be” or “to cause to be” and usually create verbs (frighten, straighten, dampen)
-ize: means “to be” or “to cause to be” and usually create verbs (capitalize, symbolize, visualize)
-ify: means “to be” or “to cause to be” and usually create verbs (classify, diversify, simplify)
-ian: means “someone who does” (musician, electrician, clinician)
* Note: I've linked each of these suffix examples to resources that can be used to teach this concept. You can find the bundle for teaching Derivational Suffixes here.
What are some common mistakes and confusions students encounter when adding suffixes?
#1: Probably the most common mistake students make when adding suffixes is not knowing when or how the spelling of the root word needs to change before the suffix is added. This is typically most evident when students are adding suffixes to root words ending in an e or y (when the e needs to be dropped or they needs to be dropped and replaced with i before adding the suffix).
Example → When students are trying to add -ly or -ity to root words ending in e or y, they can sometimes forget the inflected ending rules that they previously learned. Instead of writing merrily, greedily, activity, or sensitivity they may write merryily, greedyily, activeity, or sensitiveity.
#2: Another very common mistake students make when decoding/pronouncing a base word vs. a base word + suffix is forgetting that the accent or stress often changes when a suffix is added to a base word.
Example → When the suffix -ity is added to active, the accent changes from the first syllable to the second in activity.
#3: Finally, although suffixes can be defined, many of them have very abstract meanings and are not easy for students to represent with a clear definition or visual representation. Unlike with prefixes, in which the meanings should be learned and tested, be cautious about not stressing students memorize the definitions of suffixes. Instead, talk about their meanings and impact on the root words they are added to, putting more of a focus on how the suffixes change the way a word is used in the context of a sentence.
Example → The suffix -ment means “result, action, or condition”. While it is valuable for students to discuss the meanings of words that -ment has been added to, such as payment, punishment, and amusement, it is most important for students to glean that -ment changes verbs to nouns and be able to give ample examples.
Why is the suffix -ION important to focus on/teach?
The suffix -ion occurs quite frequently in the English language and can pose a few obstacles for students, therefore is an important suffix to spend an ample amount of time on to best support students.
First, it has many variations including -ion, -tion, -sion, and -ian, and the generalizations for when to add which variation are conditional based on how the base word it is being added to ends. Students need to have ample exposure and time to practice applying the appropriate variation of the suffix -ion based on these conditions. For example,
Add -ion to base words that end in -ic (musician, electrician)
Drop the e and add -ion or -ation to base words that end in -te (operation, decoration)
Drop the d or de and add -sion to base words that end in -de and -d (explosion, expansion)
Add -ation or -ition when you head the short a or short i sound (demolition, relaxation)
Second, when the suffix -ion is added to a base word, it can often have a “softening” effect on the final consonant sound, making it difficult for students to accurately pronounce and spell words that fit into this category. For example, when -ion is added to collect or electric, the /t/ and /k/ sound changes to /sh/ in collection and electrician.
* Note: I've linked each of these suffix examples to resources that can be used to teach this concept. You can find the bundle for teaching The Suffix -ION here.
How do you teach prefixes and suffixes?
Because there are many ways that affixes impact base words, students need ample time and practice to familiarize themselves with the meanings and generalizations and be able to apply them across a variety of words. I think it is important to provide students with a large assortment of activities to keep them engaged and help them solidify their learning.
I’ve created word searches, printable spelling word list activities, and various word study notebook activities centering around suffixes and prefixes, but my students’ favorite way to engage in word study practice is by playing games. Go figure! 😉
One of my favorite games to encourage analysis of how suffixes impact base words is Vocabulary Playground. Vocabulary Playground is a partner-based game where students draw cards that require them to do a variety of word analysis exercises before being able to move forward along the game path.
The word analysis exercises for this particular game where students are learning the spelling difference required when adding the suffix -ion to base words ending in -te and -de include identifying part of speech, generating synonyms and antonyms, creating sentences, brainstorming new words with the same suffix, explaining how the suffix changes the meaning of the base word, and how the pronunciation changes when the suffix is added.
I also love the game Affix Spin & Fill-In, a word board and spinner activity that challenges students to add the appropriate missing suffix within a given sentence. This is a perfect activity for independent practice or to play with a partner and race to see who can complete the most sentences.
I have to mention one more game that is PERFECT for vocabulary development and helping students identify which suffix is appropriate to use based on the root word it is being attached to – Connect 8. Connect 8 is an engaging and strategic dice-rolling game that challenges students to find base words within sentences on a game board where a suffix can be added, or part of speech altered. They must connect eight spaces in any way they can, all while blocking their opponent from being able to do so, to win the game. A student favorite for sure!
You can find all the games and activities I incorporate into our word study routine when students are learning about suffixes and prefixes in the Suffixes and Prefixes Derivational Relations Games and Activities Bundle, Derivational Suffixes Derivational Relations Games and Activities Bundle, and The Suffix -ION Derivational Relations Games and Activities Bundle.
YOU ARE LAYING IMPORTANT MORPHOLOGY GROUNDWORK IN TEACHING YOUR STUDENTS ABOUT THESE AFFIXES!
When it comes to teaching prefixes and derivational suffixes, I believe that the more exposure and practice students get, the stronger readers and spellers they become! Not only does incorporating gameplay into our word study routine provide an additional opportunity for students to practice and apply what is being taught, but adding games and play-based activities adds some much-needed variety and engagement to our word study block.
Looking for more Derivational Relations resources?
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