Multisensory Monday: Prefix and Suffix Chunks

Once students are ready to read and spell words with prefixes and suffixes, many more words become available to them. Oftentimes, these words are unfamiliar. Teaching students to read in word chunks (after they have mastered sounding words out sound-by-sound and then chunk-by-chunk), improves the efficacy of their reading.

Materials:

If you are looking for a simple activity to help students learn to read with prefixes and suffixes, grab a compartment paper plate, scissors, markers, and three different colored sheets of paper. Cut the paper into small strips. On one color, write different prefixes. Write base words on another paper color. On the remaining color, write suffixes. Remember to only use prefixes, base words and suffixes that the student has been taught.

Multisensory Activity Instructions:

Place the prefix word papers face-down in one of the smaller plate compartments. Place the base words face-down in the larger compartment. Put the remaining suffix cards face-down in the remaining smaller compartment as shown below:

Instruct the student to draw one card of each color and arrange them in prefix – base word – suffix order. Once the word is in order, the student should read the word aloud. To make the activity more fun, award points for any real words that are formed:

Students should continue drawing word cards and building and reading words:

If reading words with both prefixes and suffixes is challenging:

Students could build words with just prefixes and base words …

… or just base words and suffixes.

Enjoy!

~Tammi Brandon, M.Ed., CDP

Tammi Brandon is a Master Instructor and Education Consultant with Brainspring Educator Academy.

Bring Brainspring Orton-Gillingham multisensory instruction to your classrooms, transforming struggling K-12 readers into skilled learners through our effective, evidenced -based approach.

For more information please visit brainspring.com or call 1-8007323211