Prefixes, Suffixes, Inflectional Endings, and Root Words
Spelling Words Correctly Using Prefixes This strategy will focus on the prefix "re-" to help predict the meaning of words. The same strategy can be used to introduce other common prefixes such as "dis-", "in-" and "im-".
Prefixes and Suffixes Students will create two Mini Books. One will incorporate prefixes and the other will focus on suffixes. Each book will include the meanings, sample words, and two well- written sentences for each suffix or prefix. Also supports Tech COS 12
Making Singular Nouns Plural This lesson involves the use of the Structural Analysis element of the Inflectional Ending "-s" to make singular nouns plural.
Vocabulary Root Word Drawing A Lesson Plans Page lesson plan, lesson idea, thematic unit, or activity in Language Arts and Art called Vocabulary Root Word Drawing.
Forming Possessives Showing possession in English is a relatively easy matter (believe it or not). By adding an apostrophe and an s we can manage to transform most singular nouns into their possessive form:
Word Confusion: Students choose the correct word to complete the sentence in this online game.
Inflected Endings: Some languages, such as Chinese, Hmong, and Vietnamese do not use inflected endings to form verb tenses. Students may need help understanding that adding -ed to a verb indicates that the action happened in the past. Spelling changes in inflected verbs may be difficult for ELLs to master.
Prefixes and Suffixes: Some English prefixes and suffixes have equivalent forms in the Romance languages. For example, the prefix dis- in English (disapprove) corresponds to the Spanish des- (desaprobar), the French des- (desapprouver), and the Haitian Creole dis- or dez- (dezaprouve). Students who are literate in a Romance language may be able to transfer their understanding of prefixes and suffixes much easier than those from non-Romance languages.
E/B, D, E: Help ELLs classify English words into meaningful categories. Use word walls, graphic organizers, and concept maps to group related words, record them in meaningful ways, and create visual references that can be used in future lessons. Teachers can help students group and relate words in different ways. For example, place a large picture of a tree on the wall. Place prefix and suffix cards on the different branches (i.e. prefixes: pre-, re- un-; suffixes: -ful, -less) and root words on the roots (write, view, paint). This visual representation can help students conceptualize that prefixes and suffixes are added on to root words.
E/B, D, E: The teacher creates a display of words containing Greek and Latin roots and adds to it during the school year. ELLs can refer to the display to help in understanding new words. (Example of display: the tree display above, or a poster with three columns - Root, Meaning, and Word, i.e. aqua, water, aquarium)
E/B: Read one's own writing or simple narrative text and begin to produce phonemes appropriately.
E/B: Recognize and produce English phonemes students already know, and possibly use them in simple phrases or sentences.
E/B: Recognize sounds in spoken words with accompanying illustrations
E/B: Use cues for sounding out unfamiliar words with accompanying illustrations
E/B: Blend sounds together to make words, shown visually
D: Remove or add sounds to existing words to make new words, shown visually (i.e. "Cover up the t in cart. What do you have now?")
D: Use letter-sound relationships and word roots to produce and understand multi-syllabic words; E: Use letter-sound relationships and word roots to produce and understand new word families.
D, E: Recognize and use prefixes and suffixes to find meanings of unknown words.
E: Segment illustrated sentences into words and phrases.
E: Identify and analyze sentence and context clues to find meanings of unknown words.
E/B, D, E: When sharing new vocabulary words, make sure to write each word divided into syllables (i.e. dic-tion-ar-y). When introducing each word, sound it out, pausing between each syllable, and then blend the syllables together. Have students repeat after you. Ask students how many syllables the word has. Tell students: Pay attention to the syllables in a word. This will help you spell the word, and it will help you pronounce it, too.
E/B, D, E: Before teaching the phonics skills, introduce the target words orally to students by using them in activities such as chants and riddle games, or asking and answering questions that use the words.
Some of the above ELL suggestions came from the following resources:
WIDA Consortium's English Language Proficiency Standards and Resource Guide, PreK - Grade 12
Scott Foresman Reading Street ELL and Transition Handbook Grades 3-6
A Guide to the Standard Course of Study for Limited English Proficient Students / Grades K-5 (Public Schools of N.C.)