SORTS FOR EARLY DERIVATIONAL RELATIONS
SPELLERS
DIRECTIONS FOR AFFIXES SORTS 1-13
These directions offer some basic guidelines for each sort and show what the final sort will
look like. See Words Their Way: Word Study Phonics, Vocabulary and Spelling for complete
instructions about how to place students, how to conduct sorts, and the follow-up activities
that will assure students practice for mastery over the week. Chapter 2 describes assessment,
Chapter 3 describes organizations and core activities and Chapter 8 describes the
derivational relations stage in detail. Similar sorts, as well as additional sorts with more
information, can be found in the supplemental book: Words Their Way Words Sorts for
Derivational Spellers.
Pretest: To determine how much students already know about these features you may
want to administer Spell Checks 27, 28, and 29 using the Progress Monitoring/Goal Setting
Forms available with other assessment resources at this website.
Notes:
 Sorts for more common prefixes such as in or mis can be found among the last sorts
for the syllables and affixes stage. There are also lists of prefixes in the appendix of
Words Their Way that you can use to create your own sorts
 Always have dictionaries (hardcopies or online) handy to look up the meanings of
unknown words as well as their origins. For example, you can hear the word
pronounced at http://dictionary.com, and find definitions, word origins, and links to
other information.
 Engage students in activities across the week that address the meaning as well as the
spelling of the words
DR Sort 1. Prefixes: anti (against), pro (for or forward), auto (self),
trans(across)
Review the term “prefix” and remind students that a prefix has a meaning of its own and
comes at the beginning of a word. Sometimes there is a clear base word as in antifreeze, but
often the base word is not clear as in promote. Ask students to sort by the prefix and then try
to figure out what the prefix might mean. Use the most familiar words (such as antifreeze and
antiwar) to determine that anti means “against”. The others are less obvious, but define a
few to get started. For example, progress means to “move forward” and promote means to “put
something forward”. With those clues students should be able to see that the other words
have similar meanings. Trans- means “across” (when we transmit a signal we sent it across a
distance) and auto suggests “self” (as in “self- operating” for automatic and “self-propelled”
for automobile). Talk about each word, use dictionaries as needed (students may need to look
up autocrat for example) and draw conclusions about what the prefixes mean. To conclude,
have students underline the prefixes on the key words and write their meanings to serve as
headers.
antifreeze
against
antiwar
antidote
antibiotic
antiseptic
antisocial
antiacid
progress
for/forward
promote
provide
produce
propose
propel
transmit
across
transportation
transfer
transmit
transform
transparent
automatic
self
autograph
autobiography
autonomy
autonomous
automobile
autocrat
DR Sort 2. Prefixes: semi (half, partly), multi (many), en (make into),
circum (around)
This sort can be done in a manner similar to the first sort. Sort before discussing the
meaning of the prefix and ask students to look across all the words in the column to get an
idea of what it might mean. With the students help, define a few words to get them started
if they have trouble. After determining what the prefix might mean, test it on all the words
in the column to establish the meaning connections.
semicircle
half or part
semifinals
semiannual
semisweet
semicolon
multimedia
many
multipurpose
multitask
multimillion
multicultural
multicolored
multiply
multitude
enclose
make into
entangle
endanger
engulf
envelope
enroll
envelop
circumference
around
circumnavigate
circumvent
circumstance
Posttest: Spell check 27 does not cover the prefixes in these first two sorts but you may
want to create a similar assessment with the 8 prefixes covered here.
DR Sort 3. Suffixes: -er, -or, -ian, -ist
Explain to students that in this sort they will be looking at the suffixes that come at the ends
of the words. Show the key word employer and talk about the base word employ as a verb that
describes something you do. Ask students what the –er ending does to the word – it changes
it to a noun or a person who employs others. Repeat this with the other key words to
establish that the suffixes all signal people who do things. Underline the suffixes and sort
the rest of the words. Talk about the meanings of the other words. Note that a conductor
might work on a train or conduct an orchestra. Which words are related to music? Which
ones pay money?
employer
reporter
performer
admirer
inventor
operator
governor
instructor
conductor
guardian
electrician
magician
vegetarian
comedian
musician
artist
bicyclist
cartoonist
specialist
soloist
biologist
DR Sort 4. Suffixes: -ary, -ery, -ory
Ask students what they notice about these words and ask them how they might sort them.
They will probably suggest by the suffix. After sorting into three categories read the words
in each column and listen to the sound. The words with –ery have the same sound as three
of the words that are spelled with –ory. Separate these into a new column as shown below.
Most of these words do not have obvious base words but examine a few that do such as bribe
and bribery or observe and observatory. The endings signal nouns as well as a few adjectives. See
if students can find the adjectives. Talk about or look up the meanings of the words.
solitary
dictionary
primary
temporary
library
military
vocabulary
sanctuary
bribery
grocery
lottery
discovery
nursery
factory
memory
satisfactory
category
territory
mandatory
observatory
laboratory
DR Sort 5. Suffixes: -al, -ial, -ic
These endings turn a noun like fiction into an adjective that means “associated with or related
to” the meaning of the base word. So fictional is related to fiction and is used to describe
fiction. Sort these words in a manner similar to sort 4.
fictional
classical
critical
herbal
personal
global
tropical
tutorial
beneficial
financial
official
industrial
trivial
facial
scientific
realistic
graphic
symbolic
atomic
specific
organic
DR Sort 6. Suffixes: -ful, -ous, -ious
Students should be able to sort these independently and figure out that all these suffixes
signal adjectives that suggest “full of”. Bring students together to talk about the meanings
of words and also the spelling changes in some of the base words. The ending -ful is added
without dropping the e in spiteful since it is a suffix that starts with a consonant but note that
the e in adventure is dropped before adding ous. Ask students to identify the base word in
furious, harmonious, luxurious, studious, and glorious to see that the y changed to an i before
adding ous. If they did not separate the –ous words from the –ious words see that they do that
now.
doubtful
wonderful
respectful
skillful
youthful
poisonous
joyous
marvelous
cancerous
adventurous
gracious
anxious
furious
harmonious
luxurious
spiteful
stressful
glamorous
perilous
studious
glorious
DR Sort 7. Suffixes: -en, -ize, -ify
These suffixes generally change a base word that is a noun to a verb that suggests “to be or
cause to be”. However, -en is a common ending that serves different purposes and in some
of these words it signals an adjective. See if students can separate the verbs and adjectives
that end in –en. Note spelling changes in rotten (double) as well as sharpen and frozen (e-drop)
before the suffix that begins with a vowel.
sweeten (v)
lighten
sharpen
strengthen
shorten
rotten (adj)
broken
frozen
golden
wooden
idolize
memorize
organize
customize
mobilize
fertilize
terrify
simplify
clarify
qualify
identify
Posttest: Spell check 28 can be used at this point to assess these suffixes.
DR Sort 8. Suffix: -ion
The –ion ending creates thousands of words in English, generally changing verbs to nouns
and refers to an “action or process” or the result of an action or process”. Students need
not learn this, but can sense these changes as they use them in a sentence like: We will elect a
new president in the upcoming election. Sort the words by the base words and note how –ion is
simply added in all cases without any spelling change. However, draw attention to the
sound change as final /t/ and /s/ change to /sh/. Ask students to write the base words for
each word to help them see the meaning connection.
election
rejection
attraction
protection
direction
protection
selection
reflection
adoption
desertion
suggestion
desertion
digestion
confession
impression
compression
procession
possession
discussion
expression
DR Sort 9. Suffixes: -tion and –sion (with spelling changes)
Here students will examine more words with the –ion suffix. Challenge them to look for the
spelling changes by thinking about the base word. While the e-drop is not surprising, it is
interesting that words that end in de (explode) drop de and add -sion. Try saying explode-sion
and they may see why this spelling change makes the word much easier to pronounce. Ask
students to write the base word and the derived word to help them make the meaning
connections as well as to highlight the spelling changes.
operation
e-drop
decoration
devotion
donation
frustration
explosion
de to s
division
erosion
conclusion
decision
education
graduation
migration
hibernation
hesitation
location
intrusion
persuasion
provision
suspension
seclusion
DR Sort 10. Suffixes: -ation, -cation, -ition
In this final –ion sort students will see that sometimes extra letters are added before the
ending. They will need to think about the spelling change in the base word to sort these into
the categories. Fortunately for the speller sound offers a good clue for spelling these words.
information
add ation
relaxation
adaptation
flotation
presentation
organization
e-drop + ation
imagination
capitalization
observation
conservation
combination
preparation
application
Change y to i +cation
qualification
unification
multiplication
classification
competition
e-drop + ition
opposition
imposition
definition
DR Sort 11. Affixes with Vowel Alternations
This sort focuses attention on the sound changes that often occur when affixes are added to
base words. In these words the feature will be vowels that alternate between long and short
and long and schwa. Sometimes there is also a change in accent or stress. Match up the base
words and derived words to start the sort. First compare child and children and ask students
what they notice about the sound of the vowel. Then compare invite’ to invita’tion. The long-i
in invite changes to a schwa sound in invitation as the accent shifts to the next syllable.
Unstressed vowels often end up with the schwa sound that can be spelled with any vowel
making them a challenge for spellers. Point out to students that while it is hard to tell what
the second vowel is in invitation, they can hear it clearly in the related word invite. Test this
will all the words, noting how the accented vowel in the base word alternates with either a
short vowel or a schwa sound in the derived word. Mark the vowels in the key words with a
breve, macron or upside down e to designate the schwa sound. Look up some words in the
dictionary to see how accent and the schwa sound are indicated.
child
long
produce
type
know
revise
episode
children
short
production
typical
knowledge
revision
episodic
DR Sort 12. Alternations with Suffix -ity
invite
long
define
reside
compose
combine
relate
narrate
Invitation
schwa
definition
resident
composition
combination
relative
narrative
This sort is similar to 11 with vowel alternations and accent changes when –ity is added. Ask
students to tell you what effect the suffix has on the base word (creating nouns from
adjectives and verbs). Then examine the vowel alterations and accent changes in the pairs of
words. Despite changes in sound the spelling of the vowel stays the same to preserve the
meaning connections.
final
human
minor
practical
formal
neutral
finality
humanity
minority
practicality
formality
neutrality
active
fertile
senile
diverse
sensitive
visible
activity
fertility
senility
diversity
sensitivity
visibility
DR Sort 13. Adding Endings in Two Syllable Words (Doubling and Not)
This sort reviews the spelling changes to the base word and introduces the role of stress.
The doubling rule only applies if the final syllable is accented as in admit’ted but not in the
case of lim’ited. The two words that do not fit any category are not really oddballs in this case
because there is no spelling change before prefixes that start with consonants. You might
want to try this as a Guess My Category sort. Set up the key words and sort several words
before asking students to help you. Read down each column emphasizing the stressed
syllable to help them figure out the categories (This is not easy so offer clues as needed).
Note that while both admit and limit end in a single vowel and a single consonant (-vc) , it is
only when the final syllable is accented that you double the final consonant.
admitted
-vc double
beginner
expelled
propeller
submitted
equipped
rebellion
regretted
limited
-vc nothing
creditor
exiting
leveled
traveled
editor
suffering
complained
nothing
repeated
collector
preventing
regretful
equipment
Posttest: Spell check 29 can be used at this point to assess words with the –ion ending.