Example activities of highlighting morphemes for phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension
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PageContentMorphologyisthestudyofwordsandtheirparts.Morphemes,likeprefixes,suffixesandbasewords,aredefinedasthesmallestmeaningfulunitsofmeaning.Morphemesareimportantforphonicsinbothreadingandspelling,aswellasinvocabularyandcomprehension.
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Whyusemorphology
Typesofmorphemes
Compoundword
Exampleactivitiesofhighlightingmorphemesforphonics,vocabulary,andcomprehension
Whyuse morphologyTeachingmorphemesunlocksthestructuresandmeaningswithinwords.Itisveryusefultohaveastrongawarenessofprefixes,suffixesandbasewords.Theseareoftenspeltthesameacrossdifferentwords,evenwhenthesoundchanges,andoftenhaveaconsistentpurposeand/ormeaning.
TypesofmorphemesFreevs.boundMorphemescanbeeithersinglewords(freemorphemes)orpartsofwords(boundmorphemes).AfreemorphemecanstandaloneasitsownwordgentlefatherlicencepicturegemAboundmorphemeonlyoccursaspartofaword-sasincat+s-edasincrumb+edun-asinun+happymis-asinmis-fortune-erasinteach+erIntheexampleabove:un+system+atic+al+ly,thereisarootword(system)andboundmorphemesthatattachtotheroot(un-,-atic,-al,-ly)system=rootun-,-atic,-al,-ly=boundmorphemesIftwofreemorphemesarejoinedtogethertheycreateacompoundword.Thesewordsareagreatwaytointroducemorphology(thestudyofwordparts)intotheclassroom.Formoredetails,see:
CompoundwordsInflectionalvs.derivationalMorphemescanalsobedividedintoinflectionalorderivationalmorphemes.Inflectionalmorphemeschangewhataworddoesintermsofgrammar,butdoesnotcreateanewword.Forexample,thewordhasmanyforms:skip(baseform),skipping(presentprogressive),skipped(pasttense).Theinflectionalmorphemes-ingand-edareaddedtothebasewordskip,toindicatethetenseoftheword.Ifawordhasaninflectionalmorpheme,itisstillthesameword,withafewsuffixesadded.Soifyoulookedupinthedictionary,thenonlythebasewordwouldgetitsownentryintothedictionary.Skippingandskippedarelistedunderskip,astheyareinflectionsofthebaseword.Skippingandskippeddonotgettheirowndictionaryentry.
Skip
verb,skipped,skipping.tomoveinalight,springymannerbyboundingforwardwithalternatehopsoneachfoot.topassfromonepoint,thing,subject,etc.,toanother,disregardingoromittingwhatintervenes:Heskippedthroughthebookquickly.togoawayhastilyandsecretly;fleewithoutnotice.From
Dictionary.com-skip
Anotherexampleis:run(baseform),running(presentprogressive),ran(pasttense).Inthisexamplethepasttensemarkerchangesthevoweloftheword:run(rhymeswithfun),toran(rhymeswithcan).However,theinflectionalmorphemes-ingandpasttensemorphemeareaddedtothebaseword,andarelistedinthesamedictionaryentry.
Run
verb,ran,run,running.togoquicklybymovingthelegsmorerapidlythanatawalkandinsuchamannerthatforaninstantineachstepallorbothfeetareofftheground.tomovewithhaste;actquickly:Runupstairsandgettheiodine.todepartquickly;taketoflight;fleeorescape:torunfromdanger.From
Dictionary.com-run
Derivationalmorphemesaredifferenttoinflectionalmorphemes,astheydoderive/createanewword,whichgetsitsownentryinthedictionary.Derivationalmorphemeshelpustocreatenewwordsoutofbasewords.Forexample,wecancreatenewwordsfrombyaddingderivationalprefixes(e.g.re-en-)andsuffixes(e.g.-or).Thusoutofwecangetre+act=reacten+act=enactact+or=actor.Wheneveraderivationalmorphemeisadded,anewword(anddictionaryentry)isderived/created.Fortheexample,thefollowingdictionaryentriescanbefound:
Act
nounanythingdone,beingdone,ortobedone;deed;performance:aheroicact.theprocessofdoing:caughtintheact.aformaldecision,law,orthelike,byalegislature,ruler,court,orotherauthority;decreeoredict;statute;judgement,resolve,oraward:anactofParliament.From
Dictionary.com-act
React
verbtoactinresponsetoanagentorinfluence:Howdidtheaudiencereacttothespeech?toactreciprocallyuponeachother,astwothings.toactinareversedirectionormanner,especiallysoastoreturntoapriorcondition.From
Dictionary.com-react
Enact
verbtomakeintoanactorstatute:Parliamenthasenactedanewtaxlaw.torepresentonorasonthestage;actthepartof:toenactHamlet.From
Dictionary.com-enact
Actor
nounapersonwhoactsinstageplays,motionpictures,televisionbroadcasts,etc.apersonwhodoessomething;participant.From
Dictionary.com-actor
TeachersshouldhighlightandencouragestudentstoanalysebothInflectionalandDerivationalmorphemeswhenfocussingonphonics,vocabulary,andcomprehension.Formoreinformation,see:
Inflectionalmorphemes(docx-249.2kb)
Derivationalmorphemes(docx-249.39kb)Prefixes,suffixes,androots/basesManymorphemesareveryhelpfulforanalysingunfamiliarwords.Morphemescanbedividedintoprefixes,suffixes,androots/bases.Prefixesaremorphemesthatattachtothefrontofaroot/baseword.Suffixesaremorphemesthatattachtotheendofaroot/baseword,ortoothersuffixes(seeexamplebelow)Roots/Basewordsaremorphemesthatformthebaseofaword,andusuallycarryitsmeaning.
Generally,basewordsarefreemorphemes,thatcanstandbythemselves(e.g.cycleasinbicycle/cyclist,andformasintransform/formation).Whereasrootwordsareboundmorphemesthatcannotstandbythemselves(e.g.-jectasinsubject/reject,and-volveasinevolve/revolve).Mostmorphemescanbedividedinto:Anglo-SaxonMorphemes(likere-,un-,and-ness);LatinMorphemes(likenon-,ex-,-ion,and-ify);andGreekMorphemes(likemicro,photo,graph).Itisusefultohighlighthowwordscanbebrokendownintomorphemes(andwhicheachofthesemean)andhowtheycanbebuiltupagain).Forexample,thewordmaybeunfamiliartostudentswhentheyfirstencounterit.Ifis brokenintoitsmorphemes,studentscandeduceorinferthemeaning.Soitishelpfulforbothreadingandspellingtoprovideopportunitiestoanalysewords,andbecomefamiliarwithcommonmorphemes,includingtheirmeaningandfunction.CompoundwordsCompoundwords(orcompounds)arecreatedbyjoiningfreemorphemestogether.Rememberthatafreemorphemeisamorphemethatcanstandalongasitsownword(unlikeboundmorphemes-e.g.-ly,-ed,re-,pre-).Compoundsareafunandaccessiblewaytointroducetheideathatwordscanhavemultipleparts(morphemes).Teacherscanhighlightthatthesecompoundwordsaremadeupoftwoseparatewordsjoinedtogethertomakeanewword.Forexampledog+house =doghouse
Examples
lifetimebasketballcannotfireworksinsideupsidefootpathsunflowermoonlightschoolhouserailroadskateboardmeantimebypasssometimesairportbutterfliesgrasshopperfirefliesfootprintsomethinghomemadebackbonepassportupstreamspearmintearthquakebackwardfootballscapegoateyeballafternoonsandstonemeanwhilelimestonekeyboardseashoretouchdownalongsidesubwaytoothpastesilversmithnearbyraincheckblacksmithheadquarterslukewarmundergroundhorsebacktoothpickhoneymoonbootstraptownshipdishwasherhouseholdweekendpopcornriverbankpickupbookcasebabysittersaucepanbluefishhamburgerhoneydewthunderstormspokespersonwidespreadhometowncommonplacesupermarket
Exampleactivitiesofhighlightingmorphemesforphonics,vocabulary,andcomprehensionTherearenumerouswaystohighlightmorphemesforthepurposeofphonics,vocabularyandcomprehensionactivitiesandlessons.Highlightingthemorphologyofwordsisusefulforexplainingphonicspatterns(graphemes)andspellingrules,aswellasdiscoveringthemeaningsofunfamiliarwords,anddemonstratinghowwordsarelinkedtogether.Highlightingandanalysingmorphemesisalsouseful,therefore,forprovidingcomprehensionstrategies.Examplesofhowtoembedmorphologicalawarenessintoliteracyactivitiescaninclude:Sortingwordsbybase/rootwords(wordfamilies),orbyprefixesorsuffixesWordDetective-Studentsbreaklongerwordsdownintotheirprefixes,suffixes,andbasewordse.g.Findthemorphemesinmulti-morphemicwordslike:dissatisfiedunstoppableridiculouslyhydrophobicmetamorphosisoxygenatefortificationsWordBuilder-studentsaregivenbasewordsandprefixes/suffixesandseehowmanywordstheycanbuild,andwhatmeaningtheymighthave:Prefixes:un-de-pre-re-co-con-BaseWords:playhelpflexbendbluesadsatSuffixes:-ful-ly-less-able/-ible-ing-ion-y-ish-ness-mentEtymologyinvestigation-studentsaregivenmulti-morphemicwordsfromtextstheyhavebeenreadingandareaskedtoresearchtheorigins(etymology)oftheword.Teacherscouldusewordslikeprogressive,circumspect,revocation,andstudentscouldfindoutthemorphemeswithineachword,theiretymology,meanings,anduse.
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