PREFIXES LESSON PLAN
Creator: Marisa Childers
Grade: 4th
Lesson Title: Prefixes
Core Subject: Language Arts
Standards & Objectives:
Standard 4 – Phonics and Spelling. Students apply understanding of phonics and other strategies
to decode and spell unfamiliar words while reading and writing.
Objective 3b – Spell words with roots, inflectional endings, prefixes, and suffixes.
Object 4c – Associate spelling of new words from known words and word patterns.
Introduction:
-We‟re going to begin the lesson without speaking, just reading! [Or whisper read to ESL
students]
-Students read paper:
I have a preexisting plan to pressure you to pretend we’ve got precious prefix presents in
the preface of this book. (Don’t get preoccupied; just open the book.)
[Open a book which contains papers in its preface page & hand out other papers for students to
read]:
I forewarn you that a foreigner out of the forest, with forethought, could force his way in
here for food. Afterward, the aftertaste of the food may give him the afterthought that he
wants an afternoon to write an afterword. Tell him he’ll have to post a request with the
postman (the one who has bad posture) during the postseason.
-What do these sentences mean? Can we figure them out without a dictionary?
Explanation:
-We are going to look at some new prefixes and how they can help us figure out spellings and
definitions of words which contain them.
-Tell me what you know about prefixes already.
[Show „Prefixes‟ chart and read it if needed.]
[Hand out „Prefix / Meaning / Examples‟ charts] –
-Let‟s list some prefixes that you already know, what they mean, and some examples.
-I will start with re- [Teacher writes re- in Prefix column, tells that it means „again,‟ and gives an
example, using it in a sentence: “My math was wrong, so I had to redo it.”]
-Students give a few of their own examples, listing on their charts.
-Now tell me if you know the prefixes pre-, fore-, post-, after-. Write them on charts as they are
discussed:
Pre- means before. So does fore-.
Examples:
prewar -- If you know pre- and you know war, then prewar means_____?
(before the war)
Can you spell it by yourself on your chart?
forethought – If you know fore- and you know thought, then forethought
means_?
(thought before, or thinking ahead) Can you spell it?
After- means after! So does post-.
Examples:
So, afterthought means ___? (a thought that came after) – spell it
And postwar means ___? (after the war) – spell it
-Now let‟s look at the sentences from our paper again. Can you find the words with these four
new prefixes? Circle them. Do the prefixes help you know the meanings? Let‟s list the words
you found and talk about them.
-Do some of the words look like they have prefixes, but they don‟t actually? Which ones?
-Now that you know these four new prefixes, let‟s listen to some more words, spell them, and
talk about their meanings. [Use list of word sort words]
-Students listen to additional words and spell them independently on their charts.
Assessment:
-Observation and listening during discussions and writing
-Words written on Prefix/Meaning/Example chart show understanding and spelling
Diverse learners (ESL):
-Word sort according to prefix
-Round Robin spelling the words to each other and explaining (not just stating) their meanings.
-Tell or write sentences using their word sort words.
-Cooperate in small groups to write a (silly, scary, fairy tale, dramatic, etc.) story using word sort
words.
-Students create their own, original words using prefixes, to demonstrate their understanding (for
example, “foremeal” –meaning: before a meal)
I have a preexisting plan to pressure you to
pretend we’ve got precious prefix presents
in the preface of this book. (Don’t get
preoccupied; just open the book.)
I forewarn you that a foreigner out of the
forest, with forethought, could force his
way in here for food. Afterward, the
aftertaste of the food may give him the
afterthought that he wants an afternoon to
write an afterword. Tell him he’ll have to
post a request with the postman (the one
who has bad posture) during the
postseason.
un
mis
tri
re
dis
pre
super
read
hear
honest
kind
spell
tie
lucky do
take
fair
fire
fit
lead
like
popular
tidy
well
please
place
order
obey
fortune
able
arm
fill
angle
happy
agree
behave
fix
pod
happy
approve
continue
natural
cycle