WORD ENDINGS

Perhaps the most mind boggling issue you will see is a child that can’t read a word because an “ending” has been added to it. Such as a word like “making” or “prettier.” As you can see, some of the endings your child will recognize, while others might be trickier. But the key here to remember is that you have already taught your child a few strategies to help them learn the most common endings to words. Now you will teach them common endings from the chart at the end of this blog using the same strategies for the Chunks Word Game (I have highlighted the more common k-2 suffixes in blue):

Playing the End Game can be fun and creative for both you and your child. Most words that your child will come into contact with are verbs (action), adjectives (describing) and adverbs (modifies a verb with place, time, degree) Here’s how you play:

• Ask your child to come up with five words that are NOT a name of someone or something. Give them an example:
• Write each word on half a sheet of white plain paper (you can cut them in half)
• Choose five “endings” from the sticky notes you have written out and discussed as you did in the previous game…(suffixes from the list) – (You are the teacher here so use YOUR BRAIN and pick endings that will go with your child’s words. For example: If she chooses “rabbit” one of the endings you’ll talk about is “s.”)
• Have your child take each ending, read it or sound it out, and add it to the word. For example: The word is RABBIT: the sticky note is “ness” the word is now Rabbitness. This is not a word BUT your child should see that an ending has been applied to the word to make it mean something else or more. You remove the ending sticky to a “NO” pile. You will tell him/her that this is not a word but let’s find another ending. He/She chooses “s” the word is now Rabbits. Explain that this is a word. Leave the sticky note on the white paper and continue on. ING – Rabbiting – NOPE… goes to the no pile because this is not a word.
• Do this practice with each of the words that your child originally picked out to play the game.
• Once the words have been dissected, lay the white sheets of paper out for your child to view. Show him/her how many new words she/he has made by just adding an end to the word.
• To finish the game, have your child open one book and find five words with endings they recognize. Write those words on sticky notes and add them to the snake word wall in the hall.
• Each time your child recognizes a word with an ending, write the word down and add it to the hall wall. Before you know it you will have a very long or very fat snake climbing your hall wall!!

Alphabetical List of Suffixes

(Englishhints.com)

1. -able:Adj (able)– dependable, valuable
2. -al:Adj– original, typical
3. -an:NP (belonging to; see -ian)– Korean, Mexican
4. -ance:N (see -ant 1)– reliance, significance
5. -ancy:N (see -ant 1)– constancy
6. -ant 1:Adj– constant, reliant, significant
7. -ant 2:NP– attendant, participant
8. -ar:NP (person who __; see -er 2)– beggar
9. -ary:Adj– primary, secondary

• -ate:V– coordinate, differentiate
• –ed:Adj or tense (PT)– bored, coordinated, tired
• -ee:NP (person who receives an action)–nominee, refugee
• –en 1:Adj or tense (PT)– eaten, written
• -en 2:V (to make __)– lengthen, tighten
• -ence:N (see -ent 1)– influence, persistence
• -ency: N (see -ent1)– efficiency, emergency
• -ent 1:Adj– efficient, persistent
• -ent 2:NP– resident
• -er 1:CP (Adj)– busier, taller
• –er 2:NP (person who __)– baker, consumer, teacher
• -es 1:pl-PT (N; see -s 1)– candies, dishes, toes
• -es 2:3ps, PT (see -s 2)– fixes, washes
• -est:CP (superlative adj)– busiest, tallest
• -fication:N (see -fy)– modification, simplification
• –ful:Adj (full of)– resourceful stressful
• -fy, -ify:V (to make__ )– classify, modify, simplify
• -ian:NP (see -an)– Brazilian, musician
• -ible:Adj (able)– eligible, visible
• -ic:Adj– basic, sympathetic
• –ing:Adj or tense (PT)– boring, frightening
• -ion:N (see -ification, -sion & -tion)– erosion, resolution
• -ish:Adj (similar to)– boyish, Irish
• -ism:N– communism, federalism
• -ist:NP (group member)– chemist, communist, federalist
• -ity:N– diversity, security
• -ive:Adj– excessive, productive
• -ize:V– characterize, organize
• –less:Adj (without)– effortless, helpless
• -logy:N (study of)– archeology, geology
• -ly:Adv– basically, typically, usually
• -ment:N– assignment, judgment
• -ness:N– awareness, tiredness
• -or:NP (person who __; see -er 2)– doctor, sailor
• -ous:Adj– ambiguous, enormous
• –s 1:pl-PT (N)– clocks, streets, trees
• -s 2:3ps, PT–  eats, thinks
• -ship:N– authorship, relationship
• -sion:N– expansion, vision
• -tion:N– classification, reaction
• -y:Adj (presence of)– cheery, noisy, rainy

 

Book Highlighted: FRANKLIN RIDES A BIKE