Being an upper elementary school teacher, it’s easy to assume that students do not need additional lessons on affixes. However, implementing prefixes and suffixes activities can help students master vocabulary reading strategies. Knowing the meaning of affixes can help students understand the meaning of unknown words.
As discussed in a previous post, regularly implementing root words, affixes, and their meanings into the curriculum is extremely beneficial. We know it’s impossible to teach students every word in the English language. Exposing students to these words parts allows them to unlock the meaning of many unknown words.
Introduce Prefixes and Suffixes with a Video
Showing a quick video is always a fun way to introduce a topic. Using one with a jingle, well, it’s even better.
The first video is great for 2-3 grade and ELL or ESE students who are just being introduced to prefixes and suffixes for the first time.
The second video, is a fun way to reintroduce the lesson to 4th and 5th graders. It explains what prefixes are and gives several examples in the form of a rap song.
Introduce Prefixes and Suffixes with a Book
If you prefer to share a read aloud, there are a few you can share with your students. The following are fun for introductory lessons or small groups.
- What is a Suffix? by Brian P. Cleary
- What is a Prefix? by Brian P. Cleary
- If You Were a Suffix by Marcie Aboff
- If You Were a Prefix by Marcie Aboff
Expose Students to a Variety of Prefixes and Suffixes
Next, you’ll want to expose your students to a variety of Greek and Latin prefixes and suffixes. How you choose to do this is up to you. You can spread them out by introducing a new affix each week, a few of them a day, or all in one shot, Boot Camp style.
Once you decide on how to introduce the words, you will want to make sure you give students opportunities to record the affixes and their meanings and interact with them.
Prefixes & Suffixes Posters and Charts
Having some prefix and suffix posters that students can refer to and that you can use as an instructional tool is a good idea. Some students will need to be able to go back and reference the information a few times before mastering the affixes.
Boot Camp Style
A boot camp style of instruction is great for those classes or groups of students who can grasp the affixes quickly. They may already have been previously exposed and just need a refresher.
For this type of lesson, splitting the prefixes and suffixes into different day can be helpful. It can also be helpful to have students group prefixes and suffixes that have similar meanings together.
Affix of the Week
If you have students who are learning English as a second language or students who need a little more time to master affixes, implementing Affix of the Week might be a great way to progress.
Provide Opportunities to Interact with the Prefixes and Suffixes
In order to provide them with multiple opportunities to interact with the prefix or suffix, you can provide them with a graphic organizer such as the one pictured below. In this type of organizer, students write the affix and its meaning in the middle, then provide four examples of the affix in a word supported by an illustration and it being used in a sentence.
Students can work on these independently, with a partner, or in small groups referring to an online dictionary when needed.
Offer More Practice Opportunities
Provide students with practice opportunities such as looking through magazines for words with affixes and cutting them out. Once they’ve cut them out, they can glue them into their notebook, underline the affix, write its meaning, and write the meaning of the word.
You can also have students cut them out and then sort the words by prefixes and suffixes. Then, sort them be meaning.
Offer Review Opportunities
Whether through cut and paste activities, digital prefix Boom Cards, suffix Boom Cards, or task cards, offering students the opportunity to review their prefixes and suffixes through various activities is advisable.
You can offer these opportunities in the following ways:
- word work centers
- early finishers activities
- home learning
- independent practice time
- small group instruction
Classroom Transformation
Ending the your root and affixes units with a surgery room classroom transformation is an impactful way to assess students mastery. Students work together to read a definition. Then, they work together to find a prefix, root, and suffix that make a word to match the definition.
I'd love to use the graphic organizer
This is really helping kids that dont understand prefix and suffiex.