This document provides information on how to improve reading comprehension through understanding word structures and meanings. It discusses how most academic words are derived from Latin and Greek roots, prefixes, and suffixes, and that understanding these basic elements can help learn new words. It defines morphological terms like morpheme, prefix, suffix, and root. It provides examples of common prefixes and suffixes and their meanings. It encourages learning the most common roots and utilizing context clues to decode unfamiliar words. The document suggests writing a personal narrative or memoir to practice these skills and reflect on meaningful life experiences.

1. How to decode words
Increase spelling, vocabulary, and reading
comprehension
*
Essential Question: How does the knowledge
of word structures and word meanings effect
reading comprehension?

2. *
Have you heard the word before?
If so, where?
What class?
And what did you do with it?

3.  The average high school graduate knows
approximately 50,000 words.
 This means that average students learn roughly 2000-
3,000 words a year.
 This translates to 8 words a day, 7 days a week, 52
weeks a year - including weekends or summers.
Shrinking lexicons
(your mental dictionary)

4. *
*Half of all “high-frequency words”
every day words,
and two-thirds of all academic and technical
words are derived from Latin or Greek.
*So learn the meanings of roots, prefixes, and
suffixes and these basic elements make it
easier to learn new words.

5. *
Morphology is the study of words

6. Morphology
Morpheme - the smallest unit of language that carries
information about meaning or function (builder has 2
morphemes: build and -er)
Simple words - contain only 1 morpheme (mom)
Complex words - contain more than 1 morpheme
(blueberry)
Free morpheme - a morpheme that can be a word by
itself (boy, car)
Bound morpheme – can’t stand alone – always parts
of words (cats  free morpheme) (“-s” bound
morpheme)

7. Root form/Base form: a word with no prefix or suffix added; may
also be referred to as a base word act, brain, dog
Stem form: a word where an affix has been added re-act
Affix: meaningful part of a word attached before or after a root or
base word (prefix, suffix or infix)
Prefix: an affix which is placed before the stem of a word re-, un-,
dis-
Suffix: an affix which is placed after the stem of a word -able,-ive,
-ly
derivation: a word formed from an existing word, root, or affix:
electric, electricity
Basic Terms

8. Susan Ebbers 2005 8
*
unable review inedible (implant illegal, irresponsible)
distrust
enlighten
(empower)
nonsense introvert microchip
misguided submarine prefix interrupt forewarn
derail transfer supersonic semicircle antitrust
pseudonym counteract dysfunctional hyperactive abstract

9. *
Somewhat Positive
pro- co- bene-
super- com- be-
en-,
em-
ad- am-
Often Negative
dis-,
de-
non- sub-
in- un- mis-
mal-
anti,
contra
a-

10. *
Derivational suffixes change the part of speech
*words ending with –tion are often nouns
*words ending with –ive are often adjectives
*words ending with –ish are often adjectives
*words ending with –ity are often nouns
What about -ment, -ous, -ness?

11. Look Inside THEN Look Outside
pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
1. Look inside the word for known word parts:
prefixes, roots or combining forms, suffixes.
2. Use the analogy strategy—“I don’t know this word,
but I know pneumonia and I know volcano, so this
word might have something to do with lungs and
heat.”
3. Look outside the word at context clues, visuals
The coal miners, coughing and wheezing, suffered
from pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.

12. *
*Learn to use context clues effectively
*Study and practice most common root
words
*Study and practice most frequently
used prefixes and suffixes

13. *
Autobiography
All About Me (You)

14. *
What constitutes a personal
narrative ?
What is the purpose of personal
narrative writing?
*

15. *
*Brainstorm words that pop into your head when you
hear the word “memoir”

16. *
*A type of autobiographical nonfiction where
a writer takes a reflective stance in looking
back on a particular time in his or her life.
*A short text focused on a single incident that
is meaningful to the author.

17. *
*To reveal something important about yourself or
your life.
*To leave something of you behind for others
*To bear witness (to say, “I was there when…”)
*To learn something about yourself
*To celebrate an important person or event in your
life

18. Characteristics
• They are snapshots of a time in your life that is MEANINGFUL and
UNIQUE to YOU
• Reveals the FEELINGS of the writer
• Has MEANING; shows what the author LEARNED from the
experience
• Focused on ONE EVENT; about one point in the author’s life
• About the AUTHOR’S EXPERIENCE more than about the event itself

19. *
*Memoir isn’t the summary of a life; it’s a
window into a slice of life.
*Different people may experience the same event in
different ways.

20. *
Write a partial autobiography, focusing on a specific
period of your life, such as elementary school, early
childhood, even infancy (though you may have to be
creative for that one).

21. *

22. Page 2 of planning organizer (in DocSharing)

23. *
This Assignment will take some time – so don’t fool
around and procrastinate.
Tomorrow we look at some examples of Memoirs and
discuss how to complete your memoir

24. Like the girls – Be Excited about Writing