T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s For the Teacher ......................................................................................................................... 3 For the Student ......................................................................................................................... 5 Lesson One Nouns ending in –ness ...................................................................................... 6 Lesson Two Nouns ending in –er ......................................................................................... 8 Lesson Three Nouns ending in –ion ...................................................................................... 10 Lesson Four Nouns ending in –ship .................................................................................... 12 Lesson Five Nouns ending in –age ...................................................................................... 14 Lesson Six Nouns ending in –eer ...................................................................................... 16 Lesson Seven Nouns ending in –ant ...................................................................................... 18 Lesson Eight Nouns ending in –ist ....................................................................................... 20 Lesson Nine Nouns ending in –ism ..................................................................................... 22 Lesson Ten Nouns ending in –ment .................................................................................. 24 Answer Key ................................................................................................................................. 26 Acknowledgements Author Robert G Forest, Ed.D. Editor Patrick Roberts 978-1-940783-09-3
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For the Teacher
In this day and age of digital communication, verbal communication has nearly gone by the wayside. Yet understanding how words are formed, as well as how they originate, is an essential part of grammar instruction, as well as building reading comprehension and proficiency in writing. The Word Builders Series provides students with practice in language arts and reading fluency, developing fundamental skills that will last a lifetime. What is The Word Builders Series? Each book in The Word Builders Series shows how words are formed and how word endings change or add to their meanings. Each suffix has a specific function when applied to nouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs. Adding suffixes to words not only influences meaning, but also demonstrates how a word is used in a sentence. Students learn how adding a suffix to a word can change the job that word does in a sentence and what part of speech (noun, adjective, verb, or adverb) to which the word belongs. There are three books in The Word Builders Series, each aligned to meet the vocabulary and language arts requirements of the Common Core Language Arts Standards. • Word Builders: Noun Suffixes • Word Builders: Adjective Suffixes • Word Builders: Verb and Adverb Suffixes The Word Builders Series is also a perfect companion to The Parts of Speech™ Series, available on our website at newtoneducationgroup.com. It is suggested that students complete the lessons in the five resource books included in The Parts of Speech™ Series to gain even more fluency when using The Word Builders Series. Who should use The Word Builders Series? The Word Builders Series is designed for students in grades 5–8. The 12 words chosen for each lesson best represent the companion words formed by adding the featured suffix. English language learners also benefit from understanding how words are formed and how they originate: the added context develops the ability to decode new words and their meanings. Each suffix is a high-­‐use, essential vocabulary-­‐building component. Why is understanding the function of suffixes important? Understanding root words and suffixes is an essential strategy for decoding difficult words as well as discerning the meaning of new words. Understanding the role of how suffixes influence meaning also helps students recognize and apply context and etymological clues, allowing them to make educated guesses about the meaning of unfamiliar words. Suffix instruction is essential component to a strong foundation in language arts and parts of speech. For suffix instruction to be most successful, it should be reinforced throughout a student’s academic career, especially in the middle-­‐school and high-­‐school years. How does The Word Builders Series help students build reading comprehension? Many common suffixes are based upon Latin and Greek words, as well as words from other cultures. As students develop a familiarity with various suffixes, their comprehension in many other subjects improves as well. Science and history terms, as well as terms used in the arts and music, are easier to decipher when students have an understanding of how words are formed. How does The Word Builders Series support ELL instruction? Since numerous suffixes are derived from Greek and Latin roots, ELL students and teachers can benefit from instruction in the meanings of suffixes. ELL students also gain important decoding skills that they can apply to the unfamiliar words they encounter across the curriculum. ©2014 Word Builders: Noun Suffixes newtoneducationgroup.com 4 What are the components of each book in The Word Builders Series? Each book in The Word Builders Series consists of 10 two-­‐page lessons, each lesson focusing on a different suffix. Each lesson has four parts: Part One Students are introduced to a suffix, its meaning, and its application. Students then study 12 companion words that consist of a root word and the suffix. The most common definition(s) of each word is provided, in context with the meaning of the suffix. In this way, students gain an understanding of how each suffix impacts the meaning of a root word. After studying each word, students write the root for each companion word. In some cases, this will take careful decoding and a spelling adjustment; students are encouraged to use a dictionary if they need help. Isolating the root of each companion word in this way provides further reinforcement of the relationship between root word and suffix as well as rules of spelling. Part Two Students use what they have learned about a specific suffix, as well as the 12 root words, to define five additional words on their own. Part Three Students complete 12 sentences using the words introduced in Part One. These sentences provide context so that students gain an even deeper understanding of how the words influence language and meaning. Context also allows students to discern the nuanced differences between words with similar, yet distinct, definitions. Some sentences can be completed with more than one word, but students use their developing skills to discern which meaning best fits each sentence. Part Four The final part of each lesson concludes with Word Travels, where the history and etymology of a word from Part One is featured. Word Travels provides students with a deeper understanding of how language is actually shaped and changed over time. After studying the word history, students are encouraged to use a dictionary and/or thesaurus to find and write three synonyms for the featured word. Answer Key All answers to the ten lessons are provided in the Answer Key. The Answer Key can be used by either the student or the teacher. You may choose to make the Answer Key available to students working in pairs or small groups to correct their own work. Self-­‐correction can be an essential component toward strengthening a student’s skill comprehension. Through self-­‐correction, students often gain insight into what thinking may have led to any errors. By allowing students to check their own work with a partner or in small groups, you provide opportunities for them to discuss their responses and rationales for the choices they made. In this way, students use essential metacognitive skills that provide insight into the way they process information, as well as encourage students to take an active role in their own learning. Extension Activities Extension Activities for The Word Builders Series can be found among the Free Downloads available on our website at newtoneducationgroup.com How can I use The Word Builders Series with my students? The ten lessons in The Word Builders Series are designed to be used in a variety of ways. • Lessons are self-­‐guided so that students can work alone or with a partner at their own pace. • Lessons can be easily incorporated into any current language arts curriculum and be used with more direct instruction. • Lessons can be used in after-­‐school programs, as part of summer school instruction, or during one-­‐on-­‐
one tutoring sessions. ©2014 Word Builders: Noun Suffixes newtoneducationgroup.com 5 For the Student
Welcome to Word Builders: Noun Suffixes. In this book, you will learn about 10 suffixes that add to or change the meaning of words and language. By developing your knowledge and understanding of suffixes, you will become more fluent in language, be better able to understand the meaning of new words, as well as become a better reader and writer. Consider the following Word Builder examples. The word inform is considered a root word and is a verb. The meaning of inform is “to tell or to provide information.” • Add the suffix –er, and a companion word is created—the noun informer. The meaning of this new word is “one who tells or provides information.” • Now add the suffix –ation to inform. Another companion word is created—the noun information, meaning “the result of informing.” • In both examples—informer and information—a suffix is added to the verb inform to create a noun. There are many English root words that become companion words by adding a series of suffixes. If you watch for companion words and learn the meaning of some common suffixes, you will often be able to figure out the meaning of new words. The lessons presented in Word Builders: Noun Suffixes provide practice with 10 suffixes that form adjectives. The 10 suffixes included in these activities, along with examples and meanings, are listed below: 1. –ness 2. –er 3. –ion 4. –ship 5. –age 6. –eer 7. –ant 8. –ist 9. –ism 10. –ment as in business; the state of quality of being busy as in owner; one who owns something as in action; the process of performing an act as in friendship; the condition of being a friend as in storage; the result of storing objects as in puppeteer; one who acts out stories using puppets as in assistant; one who assists another person as in typist; one who types as in magnetism; the effect of a magnet, such as attraction as in statement; the result of stating an idea or facts After completing the ten lessons in Word Builders: Noun Suffixes, you will have the skills necessary to help you become more fluent in several areas of your learning, whether trying to understand a key science term, applying more creative word choices to your writing, or developing more confidence in the areas of language and grammar. ©2014 Word Builders: Noun Suffixes newtoneducationgroup.com 6 Lesson One
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N o u n s E n d i n g i n ‒ n e s s Suffix: -­‐ness Examples: kindness, softness, weakness Meaning: the state or quality of being Part of speech: noun Action: add the suffix –ness to some adjectives to form nouns
1. Study the meaning of each noun. Note the root and the companion word formed by the suffix –al. Then write the root for each companion word. Use a dictionary if you need help. a. business the state of being busy, usually with buying and selling goods _________________ b. calmness the quality of being calm or peaceful _________________ c. dizziness the state of being dizzy or losing one’s balance _________________ d. fairness the state of being fair or just _________________ e. fullness the state of being full or complete _________________ f. gentleness the state of being gentle or kind _________________ g. greatness the state of being great or important _________________ h. joyfulness the quality of being joyful or happy _________________ i. rudeness the state of being rude or impolite _________________ j. silliness the state of being silly or without good sense _________________ k. steadiness the quality of being steady or unmoving; reliable _________________ l. tardiness the state of being tardy or late _________________ 2. Write the meaning of each noun that ends in –ness. Use a dictionary if you need help. a. awesomeness ______________________________________________________________ b. kindness ______________________________________________________________ c. selfishness ______________________________________________________________ d. sadness ______________________________________________________________ e. tenderness ______________________________________________________________ ©2014 Word Builders: Noun Suffixes newtoneducationgroup.com 7 3. Choose the –ness noun from Number 1 that best completes each sentence. Use each noun only once. a. A strong leader is a person whose _______________________ is much admired. b. Suddenly peace and ______________________ settled over the land. c. He questioned the ______________________ of the old wooden ladder. d. Much ______________________ is exhibited by many visitors to the amusement park. e. ______________________ is not a quality to be admired. f. The idea they presented is nothing but nonsense and ______________________ . g. A good judge is someone who always exhibits ______________________ . h. How much ______________________ does the store usually see each day? i. The ______________________ of the tank caused it to overflow. j. The ______________________ of the summer breeze was soothing and refreshing. k. I’m sorry that my ______________________ caused a delay. l. If you spin around and around, you might experience ______________________ . Word Travels
Featured word: business
The word busy goes back to the Old English
word bisig, which meant “occupied.” The word
busyness traces back to the 14th century, when
it meant “anxiety or uneasiness.” The more
common meaning of the word business, “the
state of being busy,” did not appear until the
19th century.
4. Use a dictionary or thesaurus to find three words with meanings similar to business. ________________________ ________________________ ©2014 Word Builders: Noun Suffixes ________________________ newtoneducationgroup.com 8