English Language Arts and Reading.3.2.A.vi

The student is expected to

demonstrate and apply phonetic knowledge by:

 

decoding words using knowledge of suffixes, including how they can change base words such as dropping e, changing y to i, and doubling final consonants; and

beginning reading writing teks talk image

Knowledge and Skills Statement

Developing and sustaining foundational language skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking--beginning reading and writing. The student develops word structure knowledge through phonological awareness, print concepts, phonics, and morphology to communicate, decode, and spell.

Have students use index cards with root words and suffixes written on them. Task students with pairing together new words. The words can be taped together, and any "extra" letters in the root word can be covered up and eliminated or new letters can be written (i.e., changing y to i). Then ask students to read the words aloud. Observe and document whether students accurately decode the words once suffixes have been added.

Further Explanation

This assessment requires students to understand how the use of a suffix changes the meaning and pronunciation of a base word, including how suffixes can change base words such as dropping e, changing y to i, and doubling final consonants. Students should have phonetic knowledge of and experience examining word parts (base word + suffix) in order to correctly decode words with suffixes. This knowledge is acquired through practice and experience reading words with a variety of suffixes. Word work can occur in all modalities to support all learning styles.

a linguistic unit, or word, that can stand on its own and have meaning and can be modified by adding prefixes and/or suffixes to form related words (e.g., teach in teacher; mark in remarking)
Decoding words means sounding them out according to letter-sound relationship conventions. In reading, this concept refers to word identification rather than word comprehension.
When students demonstrate phonetic knowledge, they are reviewing content and determining how principles of sound-symbol relations and sound patterns have been put into action. Students will do this when decoding words they encounter in various formats from activities in the classroom to stories they read for pleasure.
Suffixes are groups of letters that are added to the end of a word to change its meaning. Sometimes the addition of a suffix requires the spelling of the end of a base word to change. For example, the word happiness consists of the suffix -ness (which means "the state of") combined with the base word happy. Thus, the word happiness means "the state of being happy." Students must be familiar with these spelling rules regarding the changes that can occur when adding suffixes.

Research

1. Kieffer, M. J., & Lesaux, N. K. (2007). Breaking down words to build meaning: morphology, vocabulary, and reading comprehension in the urban classroom: when it comes to teaching vocabulary, a little knowledge (of root words, prefixes, and suffixes) goes a long way. The Reading Teacher, 61(2), 134+. Retrieved from https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A169960879/PROF?u=tea&sid=PROF&xid=1af4396d 

Summary: The authors describe the challenges faced by students who have limited academic vocabulary. These students struggle with comprehension as texts increase in complexity. When teachers combine explicit instruction with decoding strategies, students will increase vocabulary skills. The authors break down the meaning of morphology and apply it to instruction.

2. Yurtbasi, M. (2015) Building English Vocabulary through Roots, Prefixes and Suffixes. Online Submission, Global Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, 5(1), 44–51. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?q=Nature+and+function+of+proposals+in+collaborative+writing&pr=on&ft=on&id=ED579889

Summary: Researchers consider that a strong vocabulary contributes to learner success, and consider this specifically for English learners. They focus on building a strong vocabulary through teaching specific Latin roots and their English derivatives, prefixes, and suffixes.