Tools for Instruction
Multisyllabic Words with Prefixes and Suffixes
Fluent readers quickly identify familiar chunks within a word—syllables, endings, base words, word roots, and
affixes. Affixes that appear at the start of a word are prefixes; those at the end are suffixes. As students expand
their awareness of common affixes, including re-, un-, dis-, pre-, -ly, -ful, -less, -able, -ment, and -ion, they can chunk
words efficiently, putting the parts together to say the whole word. One strategy for decoding longer words is
identifying a base word to which one or more affixes have been added.
Step By Step 20–30 minutes
1 Introduce base words with affixes.
• Display the word pay and have students read it. Then display the words repay and payment. Underline re and
tell students it is a common prefix, a word part added before a word. Underline ment and explain that it is a
suffix, or a word part added to the end of a word. Have students read both words with you.
• Display the word repayment. Ask, What three chunks do you see in this word? (the prefix re-, the word pay, and
the suffix -ment.) What is the whole word? (repayment)
• Give a meaning for the word, such as When you make a repayment, you pay someone back for something.
• Explain that a word that looks long may be made of known parts. Point out that finding the base word and
prefixes and suffixes helps make a long word easier to read.
2 Model decoding a word with affixes.
• Display the word unhappily.
• Identify and underline the prefix un- and the suffix -ly. Remind students about the y-to-i spelling change,
and restore the spelling of the base word, happy.
• Point out the three parts in the word unhappily: un happy ly. Say the word again and use it in an oral
sentence to show the meaning of the word. See the example below.
I see three parts in this long word: un happy ly. The word is unhappily. Sonya sighed unhappily when her
mother told her she couldn’t go to the party.
3 Provide practice with decoding words with affixes.
• Display three or four affixes and have students read them aloud. See the examples below.
re- -ful -ment un• Then display a word that contains one or more of the affixes, such as settlement, careful, unthankful, reconnect.
Have students identify the prefix, the suffix, and the base word in each longer word.
• Ask, What is the longer word? Can you show or tell what it means?
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Phonics I Level 3 I Multisyllabic Words with Prefixes and Suffixes I Page 1 of 2
i-Ready Tools for Instruction
4 Provide practice with word building.
• Display a base word and have students read it and write it.
• Name and display one affix at a time, directing students to add it to the word. See the examples below.
end
steady
agree
endless
unsteady
agreeable
endlessly
unsteadily
disagreeable
disagreeably
• Discuss any spelling changes as needed.
• At each step, have students read the new word and discuss its meaning.
Support Special Education Students  As an alternative to independent spelling, distribute cards with the
base word and suffixes written on them. For example, one card will have the base word end, another card will
have the suffix -less, and a third card will have the suffix -ly. Have students arrange the cards to create the target
word. Discuss any words that require spelling changes.
Check for Understanding
If you observe...
Then try...
difficulty in identifying base words with spelling
changes
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reviewing the y-to-i spelling change that occurs
when a word that ends with Consonant-y is followed
by a suffix or an ending that does not begin with i.
Examples: cities, copied, happiness, heavily, steadiness,
silliness, ugliness, beautiful.
Phonics I Level 3 I Multisyllabic Words with Prefixes and Suffixes I Page 2 of 2