Ashley Stowell, Third Grade Teacher
Lesson Name: Word Study
Stage: Early Derivational Relations
Context: These children tested into the Early Derivational Relations spelling stage on the Words Their Way (WTW) Spelling Inventory. They all
but mastered the spelling features associated with earlier spelling stages (including inflected endings in the Syllables and Affixes spelling stage), but
their results revealed an apparent weakness when spelling words with harder suffixes. This week’s word study lesson will focus on mastering this
spelling feature.
Objectives: Become proficient at spelling words with harder suffixes.
Understand:
Know/Do:
Assessment: Spelling test featuring words with harder suffixes.
VA English Standards of Learning:
 3.4
The student will expand vocabulary when reading.
b) Use knowledge of roots, affixes, synonyms and antonyms.
 3.10 The student will edit writing for correct grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.
Weekly Word Study Lessons/Activities
(Based on a daily 30-minute time block)
Monday
Tuesday
(Partners)
(Small Group)
Review and explore
The students will share
suffixes introduced during their words from last
the syllables and affixes
night’s homework and how
stage in more advanced
words with the same
vocabulary.
suffixes have similar
meanings. This will lead
This word study lesson will into a discussion about
incorporate suffixes like –
spelling-meaning
s, -ed, -ing, -er, -est, -ful, relationships in regards to
ness, -less, and -ly.
the use of suffixes. I will
continue the lesson by
“Today we will review
introducing harder suffixes
suffixes that we have been and their meanings.
working with over the
past couple of years. As a
This word study lesson will
reminder, a suffix is a unit incorporate more difficult
of letters such as –ful, suffixes like -ate, -ize, and
ness, or –est that are
–ion. (These we’re
attached to a root word to identified as spelling
modify its meaning, part
opportunities on the WTW
of speech, or tense (past
Spelling Inventory.)
Wednesday
(Small Group)
Continue to introduce
advanced suffixes and their
meanings.
This word study lesson will
incorporate more difficult
suffixes like–able/–ible, ant/-ance, and -ent/-ence.
“Today, we are going to
study the suffixes –able/–
ible, -ant/-ance, and -ent/ence. Please review this list
of words and search for any
spelling-meaning
connections that can be
made to determine the use of
either the –able or –ible
suffix. Does anyone notice
any generalizations that can
be made based on these
Thursday
Friday
(Independent)
Practice spelling words
Take a spelling test to
with harder suffixes.
determine the student’s
ability to spell words with
This word study lesson will harder suffixes and
incorporate all of the
determine the effectiveness
suffixes discussed earlier in of this week’s word study
the week (Tuesday and
lessons/activities and to
Wednesday).
determine the student’s
understanding of
Homework:
Homework:
vs. present). We will be
playing a game with a
partner called ‘Suffix
Spin.” (p. 268) You and
your partner will take
turns picking up a card
from the pile in the center
of the table. You will then
spin the suffix spinner and
try to create a word. If the
word is a real word, the
player writes the word in
their word study notebook
and gains one point. For
example, pretend I select
the word wrap from the
deck. I spin the suffix
spinner and get the suffix
–ing. Is wrapping a
word? That’s right, I
would write the word
wrapping in my word
study notebook. If I spun
the suffix –ful, wrapful
would not be a real word.
I would get zero points
and my partner would
have to spin the suffix
spinner in hopes of
making a real word using
the word wrap. After a
real word is constructed, a
new card is flipped over
for the next player. The
winner is the player who
has the most real words at
the end of the game. You
will have 20 minutes to
play this game.”
Homework: Brainstorm
and record nine words in
your word study notebook.
“As you might have
already noticed, there is a
definite connection
between the spelling and
meaning of words with
suffixes. Words that are
related in meaning are
often related in spelling,
despite changes in sound.
This makes for a great
spelling strategy! If you
are unsure of how to spell
a word, think of a word
that is similar in meaning
that you do know how to
spell. The suffix –ate
means to act upon
something, such as
activate or fortunate. The
suffix –ize means to
become, like familiarize or
civilize. The suffix –ion
means to act or process,
like production and
creation.”
The students will complete
a word sort during small
group to explore the –ion
ending.
“Today we will be
completing a word sort to
explore the –ion suffix.
You will need to sort the
words based on their
spelling patterns. When
you have finished sorting,
please turn to your share
partner and discuss what
you have learned during
this sort- anything that
words? That’s right, if the
suffix is attached to a base
word that can stand alone,
like depend, it is usually
spelled with –able. If the
suffix is attached to a root
word which cannot stand
alone, like cred, it is usually
spelled with –ible. Now, let’s
take a look at these two sets
of words- brilliant/brilliance
and confident/confidence.
What can you tell me about
the use of –ant/-ance and –
ent/ence. Good eye, the
spelling of the root words
brilliant and confident give
you a hint as to which
ending, -ance or –ence,
should be utilized. Now let’s
practice!)
The students will familiarize
themselves with the -ant, ance, -ancy and the –ent, ence, -ency families while
playing the games Defiance
and Patience (p.306).
“Today we will be playing
games similar to ‘Go Fish’
called ‘Defiance’ and
‘Patience.’ One team of three
will play ‘Defiance’ and one
team of three will play
‘Patience.” After 15 minutes,
you will switch decks. The
object of the game is to make
as many groups of two,
three, or four words from
the same derivation and to
be the first to run out of
cards. Same derivational
Three words must end with
the suffix –ate, three words
must end with the suffix –
ize and three words must
end with the suffix –ion.
What is similar about each
group of words? Be
prepared to discuss this
tomorrow.
stands out about the –ion
suffix. After your word
sort is complete, we will
share our generalizations
as a group.”
Homework:
Complete word sorts for
the suffixes –ate and –ize.
Glue the word sorts into
your word study notebook.
words will be words like
attend, attendance,
attendant and radiate,
radiance, radiant and
radiancy. Each player will
be dealt five cars from the
deck. The person sitting to
the left of the dealer goes
first and play continues to
the left. The first person lays
down any sets of cards that
they were dealt and asks
any other player for a card
of a certain derivation, like
‘Matthew, please give me all
of your resistance.’ If
Matthew had cards with
words like resist, resistancy
or resistant he would give
them away. If he doesn’t
have these cards he will say
‘Be Defiant’ or ‘Be Patient,’
depending on which game
you’re playing. At this point,
the asking player must pick
a card from the deck. If he
picks a card that he can lay
down, he continues his turn
by asking another person for
a certain derivation. If the
card matches a different set
of derivations, separate
from the one originally
asked, the player must hold
onto that match until his/her
next turn. The game is over
when someone runs out of
cards. The player with the
most points wins. Players
may play on other people’s
card groups, laying relating
cards down in front of
themselves. I will pass out
the directions and the
scoring guide once you
break up into two teams of
three. Remember, you will
have 15 minutes to play each
game, so use your time
wisely.”
Homework: Complete the
Scholastic spelling wizard
word search featuring words
that are spelled with the
suffixes –ate, -ize, -ion, ant/-ance, -ent/ence and
able/ible.
http://www.scholastic.com/
kids/homework/spelling.htm