Tool for the Field: Building Words from Parts

Back to: Module: Helping Students Read

Instructions

1. Draw a line from a prefix to a root word. Write the new word. Write what it means.
2. Draw a line from a root word to a suffix. Write the new word. Write what it means.
3. Draw a line from a prefix to a root word and then from that root word to a suffix. Write the new word. Write what it means.

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As students use prefixes and suffixes to build and figure out words, you can point out chang­es to the root word that might need to be made, such as leaving off the e in the word use to make reusable or doubling a final consonant before adding ‐ing, as in stopping.

Eventually, students should be able to look at words, think about the meanings of the word parts, and use this information to help them decode the words.