Suffixes in Use: Finding Bases and Building New Words
| Review Word | PLAYGROUND |
|---|---|
| Focus | A suffix is added after a base. |
| Guiding Question | What does the suffix do? |
| Suffix Families | -ful: full of or having • -less: without • -ing: action in progress in these examples |
| Core Comparison | Same suffix. Different bases. What stayed the same? What changed? |
Objectives and Preparation
- Students will: identify a base and suffix, build and read words in three suffix families, compare what stays the same and changes, and explain what each suffix contributes.
- Prepare: base and suffix word cards or magnetic pieces, board space for three family columns, and optional movement cues for the -ing words.
- Keep the scope narrow: focus on suffixes after transparent, unchanged bases. Save root and base distinctions for a later lesson.
Teaching Sequence
1. Review the Base
Display PLAYGROUND. Have students see it, say it, clap it, and break it into PLAY + GROUND. Identify it as a compound word, then keep PLAY on the board. Say: “PLAY is our base. A base is something we can build on.”
2. Introduce the Suffix Tool
Write BASE + SUFFIX. Ask, “Where does a suffix go?” Recover: after the base. Post the question: What does the suffix do? Explain that the class will keep one suffix fixed while changing the base.
3. Teacher Model: The -FUL Family
Build and read PLAY + FUL → PLAYFUL, HELP + FUL → HELPFUL, and CARE + FUL → CAREFUL. Use the working handle -ful = full of or having, in these words. Ask: “What stayed the same?” “What changed?” “Where is the suffix?” and “What does -ful contribute?”
4. Guided Practice: The -LESS Family
Build and read FEAR + LESS → FEARLESS, TOOTH + LESS → TOOTHLESS, and END + LESS → ENDLESS. Use the handle -less = without, in these words. Invite one or two student suggestions. For each candidate, ask: “What is the base?” “Is -less after it?” and “Does ‘without’ help explain the word?” If uncertain, say: Investigators check what they build.
5. Student Prediction and Movement: The -ING Family
Have students predict and build PLAY + ING → PLAYING, HELP + ING → HELPING, and COOK + ING → COOKING. Pair each with a sentence and action: “I am playing,” “I am helping,” and “I am cooking.” Ask the same comparison questions. Say: In these sentences, the -ing forms show actions in progress.
6. Compare and Close
| -FUL | -LESS | -ING |
|---|---|---|
| PLAYFUL | FEARLESS | PLAYING |
| HELPFUL | TOOTHLESS | HELPING |
| CAREFUL | ENDLESS | COOKING |
Ask: “Where is the suffix in every word?” “Inside each family, what stayed the same?” “What changed?” and “What did the suffix contribute?” Conclude: A suffix is added after a base and can contribute meaning or a grammatical job to the word we build.
Quick Formative Check
Show HELPFUL, TOOTHLESS, and COOKING. Ask each student to point to the suffix, identify the base, read the word, and explain or demonstrate what the suffix contributes.
Teacher Notes
- Move gradually from teacher modeling with -ful, to guided work with -less, to student prediction and movement with -ing.
- Accept speaking, pointing, moving cards, reading, sorting, drawing, or acting as valid participation.
- Do not teach “-ing means happening now” as a universal rule. In the lesson sentences, am + the -ing form shows an action in progress.
- Keep the recurring language simple: “What are we building on?” “What did we add?” “Where did we put it?” “What stayed the same?” “What changed?”
Hold On to This
A base is something we can build on.
A suffix is added after a base.
Same suffix. Different bases.
Find the base. Add the suffix. Build the word. Read it. Compare what happened.