Decoding and Spelling
Big Words
Antidisestablishmentarianism
Teaching Common Prefixes and
Suffixes
• 4 prefixes un, re, in and dis,
accounts for 58 percent of prefix
words
• 16 other prefixes account for 95
percent of all other the prefix words
• Suffixes s/es, ed and ing, account
for 65 percent of suffix words
• 11 other suffixes account 87 percent
of all the suffix words
Word Detectives for Prefixes
• Write 9 words that start with “re” on
note cards
• 3 of the words mean back
• 3 of the words mean again
• 3 have no apparent meaning
Back
Again
No Meaning
rebound
redo
record
return
replay
responsible
replace
rework
reveal
“UnPeelable”
• These “unpeelable” prefixes do
not leave recognizable words
when they are “peeled off”.
• Con- Construction, Concrete,
Conversation
• Em- Employee, Embassy
• Ex- Explain, expensive
• Per- Personality, and Permanent
Word Detectives for
Suffixes
People Who Do
Do
reporter
teacher
manager
“More”
fatter
richer
greater
Things That
copier
computer
heater
No Meaning
under
after
winter
Teaching Common Roots
• Root is a morpheme, the basic part of the word to
which affixes are added
• Start off with the word play
• Write the word on the board
• Tell students that a word like play can become a
big word when parts are added to the beginning
and ending of a word
Replay
Plays
ballplayer
Overplay
Player
Outplay
Played
misplay
playfullness
The Nifty Thrifty Fifty
• Examples for words that are familiar to
children that have prefixes and/or suffixes.
• http://www.deerriver.k12.mn.us/documents/
games/nifty50.htm
How to figure out a big word
• Different People like different kinds of
entertainment.
• The “big” in this sentence is entertainment
• Cover up everything but enter• Cover up everything but –tain• Repeat with –ment
Big Word Collectors
• Topic Board
• Say it better word
- little words that can turn into big
words that mean the same thing
• Encourage students to make their
own topics and look up big words
that relate to the topic