When prefixes or suffixes are added to a base or root word, they can change the meaning of that word. Students can learn the meanings of prefixes and suffixes so when they encounter a new word, they might be able to figure out the meaning if they know the meaning of the base word and the prefix and/or suffix. So, how do you teach students prefixes and suffixes in speech therapy? Let’s dive in! In this teaching guide, I’ll discuss how and why we teach affixes in speech therapy.
What are Prefixes and Suffixes?
Prefixes and suffixes are word parts added to a base word.
- A prefix is a word part added to the beginning of a word such as “re-” in re- + start = restart
- A suffix is a word part added to the end of a word such as “-ful” in help + -ful = helpful
- An affix is the umbrella term for prefix or suffix
- A base word or root word is the core part of the word that carries meaning
- A base word is the core part that carries meaning and functions as a word by itself (e.g., “heat” in reheat, heater, etc.)
- A root word is the core part that carries meaning but may not function as a word by itself (e.g., “rupt” in erupt and rupture)
These word parts can change a word’s meaning or how it is used.
Why Do We Teach Prefixes and Suffixes?
Knowledge of prefixes and suffixes helps children understand new words. Learning what common prefixes and suffixes mean supports vocabulary development, reading comprehension, spelling, and the ability to figure out the meaning of an unfamiliar word.
How To Teach Prefixes and Suffixes in Speech Therapy
Introduce the concept with examples and visuals
You can introduce the concept of prefixes and suffixes with clear visuals and examples. Using a few different examples can help students understand the concept more easily.
Provide some focused practice opportunities
After introducing the concept of prefixes and suffixes, you can provide some opportunities to put the concept into practice. This is also called a mini-lesson in vocabulary intervention where you focus on a skill and provide short and intensive practice opportunities for the student to understand the concept. They can then use this skill as a tool for reading comprehension when they engage with language in natural contexts such as books, stories, conversations, and everyday activities.
For prefixes and suffixes, I like to provide scaffolding by starting with easier tasks such as using the same prefix or suffix with different base words, then moving to using the same base word and adding different prefixes or suffixes. Then, students can practice finding affixes in short paragraphs. Starting with common prefixes like “re-” and “un-” can be helpful as the student has likely heard or used a word with that prefix before. It can also be helpful to start with base words as they are real words by themselves, then move to root words.
There isn’t one correct order to teach prefixes and suffixes, but I’ll go through a sample mini-lesson you could use with your students and adapt as needed. You could use this for prefixes or suffixes.
1. Using one affix at a time
The student can start with learning one prefix or suffix at a time, and practice adding different base words to the same affix and seeing how the meaning of the base word changes when that affix is added. For example:
- Re + heat = reheat = heat again
- Re + do = redo = do again
- Re + read = reread = read again
Some common prefixes include re- (again), un- (not), dis- (not or opposite of), pre- (before), mis- (incorrectly), and over- (too much). Some common suffixes include -er (a person who), -ful (full of/having a lot of), -less (without), -able (can be), -ly (in a certain way), and -ness (a state or quality).
2. Using different affixes with the same base word
After the student has learned and practiced with a few different prefixes or suffixes, they can use the same base word and add different affixes to see how the meaning of the word changes. For example:
- Re + heat = reheat = heat again
- Pre + heat = preheat = heat in advance
- Over + heat = overheat = heat too much
Practice in meaningful contexts
Once students are comfortable with the concept of combining the meaning of word parts to find the meaning of the whole word, they can practice in context! For example, they can practice finding prefixes or suffixes in paragraphs, and in natural contexts. Language intervention is most effective when it’s contextualized, so that means using natural and meaningful contexts like books, short stories, toys, games, etc. More on that in the next section!
Activities to Teach and Practice Prefixes and Suffixes
Here are some examples of activities you can use to introduce and teach prefixes and suffixes in speech therapy sessions.
Mini-Lesson
As I mentioned earlier, using visuals and a few activity pages can provide short and intensive practice opportunities for the student to understand this language concept before they put these skills into practice with contextualized language intervention.
I’ve created an activity packet with parent handouts, visuals, and practice activities you can use for mini-lessons or for review. It provides scaffolding and practice opportunities to support students as they learn common prefixes and suffixes and practice adding affixes to base words. You can check it out here!
Reading Books and Story Retell
Reading books, comics, short stories, and other types of texts is a great way to create a meaningful context for language intervention.
First, read the story as a whole. Then, go back and find any word that may affect reading comprehension, such as a Tier 2 word or a word the student may be unfamiliar with. If that word has a prefix or suffix, you can talk about the different word parts and help the student find the affix and base or root word to determine the meaning of the unfamiliar word.
Finally, you can read the story again or have the student retell it while using the words they practiced. This gives the student another opportunity to practice and it helps connect structured practice back to meaningful language use.
Adapting Activities to Virtual Sessions
If you are a tele-therapist and provide virtual speech therapy sessions, you could use the digital activities in the Activity Packet or any other teaching materials for the mini-lesson part. Then, for contextualized practice, you could use digital books, writing tasks with the remote control options, or show videos or clips of a TV show.
Carryover and Home Practice
Caregivers and teachers can help students practice prefixes and suffixes during everyday activities, such as reading books, having conversations, completing homework, or participating in classroom activities. When a student encounters an unfamiliar word, if it contains a prefix or suffix, the parent or teacher can help the student use their knowledge of the word parts to determine the meaning of the word.
You can also provide caregivers and teachers with information handouts that summarize how they can support the child’s vocabulary development using prefixes and suffixes.
What’s Next?
Once a child understands the concept of affixes and root words, they can apply these skills within evidence-based language intervention strategies, such as Explicit Vocabulary Instruction. Students can also learn other vocabulary development skills (before or after learning about prefixes and suffixes), such as:
A Step-by-Step Resource for Teaching Prefixes and Suffixes
We’ve discussed how to teach prefixes and suffixes in speech therapy step by step. Whether you’re a speech therapist, parent, or educator, teaching this skill can be simple and effective! If you’re looking for a structured way to introduce and teach this skill, my Prefixes and Suffixes Activity Packet includes teaching visuals, parent handouts, and scaffolded practice opportunities that are perfect to use as a mini-lesson for students to understand this important language concept.
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