Using Word-Part Clues

Classroom Examples of Using Word-Part Clues

More than 60 percent of new words that readers encounter can be broken into parts (morphemes). Because of this, teaching students to identify and use roots, prefixes, and suffixes as clues to meaning is a helpful strategy for vocabulary development. The study of prefixes in grades 3 and above is fairly straightforward since nine prefixes account for 75 percent of words with prefixes and they are almost always spelled consistently and their meanings are clear. Some suffixes, on the other hand, have vague or unhelpful meanings. Similar to prefixes, common suffixes that have consistent spelling and meaning are best for younger readers to study. To be most effective, word-part instruction should teach students the meanings of word parts as well as a strategy for when and why to use them.

[Lehr, F., Osborn, J., & Hiebert, E.H. (2005). A Focus on Vocabulary. Pacific Resources for Education and Learning.]
http://www.prel.org/programs/rel/vocabularyforum.asp

White, T.G., Sowell, J., & Yanagihara, A. (1989). Teaching Elementary Students to Use Word-part Clues. The Reading Teacher, 42, 302-309.

Carlisle, J. F. (2004). Morphological processes influencing literacy learning. In C.A. Stone, E.R. Silliman, B.J. Ehren & K. Apel, K. (Eds.). Handbook on Language and Literacy: Development and Disorders (pp. 318-339). New York: Guilford.

1. Suffixes
Students have a basket filled with suffixes and the teacher places a root word on the overhead. Working in pairs, students select a suffix from their basket and read the new word. Students list their new words.

For details and handouts, see http://www.fcrr.org/curriculum/pdf/V_Final.pdf page 118-125

 

2. Prefixes
Students have a basked filled with prefix activity,
For details and handouts, see http://www.fcrr.org/curriculum/pdf/V_Final.pdf pages 116-117

[Student Center Activities: Vocabulary. (2005). Just Read Florida, Florida Center for Reading Research. Florida Department of Education.]

 

3. Five-step process for using structural parts

  • Divide the unknown word into meaningful parts
  • Think what each part means or think of another word that contains that part and, from that word, formulate a meaning.
  • Combine the meanings of the parts.
  • Try your possibility in the sentence
  • Ask yourself, “Does that make sense?”

[from Anita Archer’s Vocabulary Instruction presentation, Montana Reading First Summer Institute, 2004.]