This workshop is based on the work of Patricia Cunningham and is a 20 minute training session for teachers, but may be used in the classroom with students. Great way of building skills in preparation for mandated tests.

1. Teaching Prefixes Suffixes And Roots Keith Pruitt Words of Wisdom Educational Consulting www.woweducationalconsulting.com

2. One way to greatly enlarge the vocabulary of students in very short order is through teaching prefixes, suffixes and root words. Knowledge of these areas will help to greatly expand student vocabulary. Let’s first explore the nature of compound words.

3. Compound Words When we add two words together, we form compound words. These may be easily taught to students. Patricia Cunningham suggests doing word sort activities by categorizing compounds. Apple + sauce Earth + quake Draw + bridge Brain + storm Basket + ball Pan + cakes Ear + rings Finger + prints

4. Prefixes Un-, re-, in-, dis- are the most common prefixes and when students have learned their meanings, they can learn more than 1500 words easily. Start instruction with un- Read a selection… Explain that un carries the opposite meaning of the word to which it is added.

5. Prefixes UN- Which of these are prefixes and which are not? Unemployed Uncle Unstable Unbroken Unicorn Unhealthy Unlucky United

6. Prefixes Re- Can mean back or again Which are these? And which are not a prefix? Rearrange Refund Reply Review Refrigerator Relocate Reporter Rewrite

7. Prefixes In- Dis- Opposite or not, but words with in are irregular Do sorting exercises with prefixes, not prefixes including the irregular spellings. Inspire Irrational Immigrant Improve Dislike

8. Prefixes Less common prefixes include in, mis, non, pre, en, over, under. misinform Inside Preview Overdone Preteen Nonliving Nonrenewable Underhand Understand

9. Suffixes Often just called endings the most common are s (plural forms), er(relating to a person or thing that does something), ful, less, able, ible, ist. What do these words mean when the suffix is added? Fighter Folder Helpful Visitor Doubtful Powerless Suitable Gullible Persist

10. Suffixes Here are words using less meaning without Here are words using ful meaning full or having Do the same exercise with -ment, -ance, -ness, -tion. Write riddles of what word am in with several. I end in –tion. We need to do this in math. What am I?

11. Prefixes Un-, re-, in-, dis- are the most common prefixes and when students have learned their meanings, they can learn more than 1500 words easily. Start instruction with un- Read a selection… Explain that un carries the opposite meaning of the word to which it is added.

12. Roots Here are some common roots and their meanings. What words could be taught? Give two examples of each. Dict= say Duct=lead Fac/fec=do, make Ject=throw Loc=place Meter=measure Micro=small Phon=sound Photo=light Port=carry, take Press=press Scrib=write Sens=feel Spec=look Struct=build Tele=far Tract=drag, pull Vis/vid=see Voc=voice, call

13. If we will spend just a few moments a day working with these words, we can seriously impact the knowledge base of each student.Keith PruittWords of Wisdom Educational Consultingwww.woweducationalconsulting.com