Lesson Plan: Prefixes and Suffixes

Objectives:

Students will be able to identify prefixes and suffixes in writing.

Students will know the meaning of each prefix and suffix (pre = before, etc.).
Students will know how to properly incorporate prefixes and suffixes into their own
writing.
Students will understand how prefixes and suffixes are useful in making more effective
writing.
Students will know the concept of root words and how each one can be transformed to
have various meanings.

Target Grade: This lesson is intended for second grade students, but would also be useful in a
class of older students who need to learn this subject. Younger grades may not have enough
experience in writing to do the activity.
Background:

Students should already know how to use and identify nouns and verbs.
The teacher must have a shoebox with root words, a shoe box with suffixes, and a
shoebox with prefixes inside prior to class, and blank bingo sheets for each student, at
least twice as many as the number of students in class.
The teacher should also have a full list of all the root words, suffixes, and prefixes which
are contained in the boxes written up on the board so students can refer to them while
making their words containing prefixes and suffixes.
Explain to students how using prefixes and suffixes can make writing more effective and
exciting. They can be used to take a simple verb, like build, or a noun, like marine, to
create entirely new words with greater meaning, like rebuild or submarine. This allows
students to experiment with bigger words that make them sound impressive without
having to learn new vocabulary and spelling words. Get students excited about the
subject by explaining this to them, and how proud their parents and peers will be when
they hear them use these impressive words.

Materials:

3 Shoeboxes
Worksheet with identification of prefixes, suffixes, and root words.
Lined paper for students to write their own story.
Slips of paper with root words, suffixes, and prefixes
Blank bingo sheets

Assignments:

Teacher should begin by writing a list of more common prefixes and suffixes on the
board and inviting students to use their knowledge to guess what each means, filling in

the blanks for any the students do not know. Use common prefixes like pre, re, and un
and build up to more complicated ones like sub, anti, or under. Use suffixes like ed, y,
and ly and build up to more complex ones like ation, ist, and ated.
Teachers should then give examples of phrases like write again out loud and have
students figure out the combined word, rewrite. Do this until students seem to grasp the
concept and each student has a chance to get some correct.
Students will complete a worksheet requiring them to identify the correct use of prefixes
and suffixes. The second part of the worksheet will require them to circle the root word of
many different words with prefixes or suffixes from a list.
Student will then write their own story on lined paper by taking nouns and verbs and
adding prefixes or suffixes where appropriate. This allows them a chance to apply what
they learned before playing the more complicated game.

Application Activity Description:

Begin by having students make words with prefixes and suffixes from the list on the
white board on their bingo sheet.
Pull the slips of paper out of the shoeboxes one at a time (one root word and either a
prefix or suffix), put the papers together, and have students find the words on their bingo
cards.
When a student has 5 in a row, they can be rewarded with a cute eraser or a similar
appropriate reward.
Play several rounds, providing new activity sheets so students can make more words and
the game can last as long as needed.