How to decode words

Increase spelling, vocabulary, and reading comprehension

*Morphology 101

Essential Question: How does the knowledge of word structures and word meanings effect reading comprehension?

*What do you know about

Morphology?

Have you heard the word before? If so, where? What class? And what did you do with it?

· The average high school graduate knows approximately 50,000 words.

· This means that average students learn roughly 2000-3,000 words a year.

· This translates to 8 words a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year - including weekends or summers.

Shrinking lexicons

(your mental dictionary)

*Here is a short cut!

*Half of all “high-frequency words” every day words,

and two-thirds of all academic and technical words are derived from Latin or Greek.

*So learn the meanings of roots, prefixes, and suffixes and these basic elements make it easier to learn new words.

*Define Morphology

Morphology is the study of words

Morphology

Morpheme - the smallest unit of language that carries information about meaning or function (builder has 2 morphemes: build and -er)

Simple words - contain only 1 morpheme (mom)

Complex words - contain more than 1 morpheme (blueberry)

Free morpheme - a morpheme that can be a word by itself (boy, car)

Bound morpheme – can’t stand alone – always parts of words (cats free morpheme) (“-s” bound morpheme)

Root form/Base form: a word with no prefix or suffix added; may also be referred to as a base word act, brain, dog

Stem form: a word where an affix has been added re-act

Affix: meaningful part of a word attached before or after a root or base word (prefix, suffix or infix)

Prefix: an affix which is placed before the stem of a word re-, un-, dis-

Suffix: an affix which is placed after the stem of a word -able,-ive, -ly

derivation: a word formed from an existing word, root, or affix: electric, electricity

Basic Terms

Susan Ebbers 2005 8

*Most Frequent Prefixes in HS Texts

unable review inedible (implant illegal, irresponsible)

distrustenlighten

(empower)nonsense introvert microchip

misguided submarine prefix interrupt forewarn

derail transfer supersonic semicircle antitrust

pseudonym counteract dysfunctional hyperactive abstract

*Prefixes: Meaning and Connotation

Somewhat Positive

pro- co- bene-

super- com- be-

en-, em- ad- am-

Often Negative

dis-, de- non- sub-

in- un- mis-

mal- anti, contra a-

*Derivational Suffixes

Derivational suffixes change the part of speech

*words ending with –tion are often nouns

*words ending with –ive are often adjectives

*words ending with –ish are often adjectives

*words ending with –ity are often nouns

What about -ment, -ous, -ness?

Look Inside THEN Look Outside pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

1. Look inside the word for known word parts: prefixes, roots or combining forms, suffixes.

2. Use the analogy strategy—“I don’t know this word, but I know pneumonia and I know volcano, so this word might have something to do with lungs and heat.”

3. Look outside the word at context clues, visuals

The coal miners, coughing and wheezing, suffered from pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.

*So what exactly do you need to do?

*Learn to use context clues effectively*Study and practice most common root words*Study and practice most frequently used prefixes and suffixes

*Memoirs

Autobiography

All About Me (You)

*Unit Essential Questions

What constitutes a personal narrative ?

What is the purpose of personal narrative writing?  

*Unit Essential Questions

*When I say “memoir” you say…

*Brainstorm words that pop into your head when you hear the word “memoir”

*Memoir is…

*A type of autobiographical nonfiction where a writer takes a reflective stance in looking back on a particular time in his or her life.

*A short text focused on a single incident that is meaningful to the author.

*What is the purpose of memoir?

*To reveal something important about yourself or your life.

*To leave something of you behind for others

*To bear witness (to say, “I was there when…”)

*To learn something about yourself

*To celebrate an important person or event in your life

Characteristics

• They are snapshots of a time in your life that is MEANINGFUL and UNIQUE to YOU

• Reveals the FEELINGS of the writer

• Has MEANING; shows what the author LEARNED from the experience

• Focused on ONE EVENT; about one point in the author’s life

• About the AUTHOR’S EXPERIENCE more than about the event itself

*Event vs. Experience

*Memoir isn’t the summary of a life; it’s a window into a slice of life.

*Different people may experience the same event in different ways.

*Your Assignment

Write a partial autobiography, focusing on a specific period of your life, such as elementary school, early childhood, even infancy (though you may have to be creative for that one).

* You will FIRST complete theplanning organizer (in DocSharing)

Page 2 of planning organizer (in DocSharing)

*Before you go

This Assignment will take some time – so don’t fool around and procrastinate.

Tomorrow we look at some examples of Memoirs and discuss how to complete your memoir

Like the girls – Be Excited about Writing