A Challenging Suffix - worksheet included
Recently, I have had three of my students advance into Silent Elephant “e”, Part 14, Level 1. It is an exciting time for my kiddos, their parents and me, as their teacher!
When children have progressed to this level in Silent Elephant “e”, they are reading at a 6th grade reading level or above, no matter their chronological age. They are impressive, confident readers!
They have previously mastered Syllable Rule #1, which is in Part 13: Every syllable has one vowel sound.
Part 14 begins with Syllable Rule #5: Divide words into syllables between the root/base word and the suffix if the suffix has a vowel sound.
Children have no difficulty understanding that the suffix -s never has its own syllable and the suffix -ed does not have its own syllable when it makes the /d/ or /t/ sound, as there is no vowel sound.
To begin Syllable Rule #5 lesson, I teach them many new suffixes, the new suffixes’ pronunciations and the new suffixes’ definitions. Below is the suffix list included in Part 14:
List of Suffixes, Pronunciations, and Definitions
-able, -ible /Ə bƏl/ able to, likely
-age /Əj/ action or process, collection, aggregate, state
-al /Əl/, -ial /Əl/, -ual /ū Əl/ characteristic of, referring to
-an, -ian /Ən/ and /ē Ən/ places, person
-ance. -ence /Əns/ used to form nouns, action, quality or state, end
-ant /Ənt/ forms adjectives and nouns from verbs
-ar /Ər/ characteristic of
-ary /âr ē/, /Ər ē/ back, connected with, for the purpose of
-ate /Ət/ state or quality
-ation, -ition, -sion, -tion, -ion /ā shƏn/, /i shƏn/, /shƏn/, /chƏn/, /zhƏn/, /Ən/ meaning
action, state, result, process
-ed /d/, /t/, /Əd/ past tense of verbs
-en /Ən/ cause to be, become, made of
-ence /Əns/ state or condition, action
-end /Ənd/ back, forming nouns
-er, -or /Ər/ one who does; compare 2 things
-ery, -ry /Ər-ē/ and /rē / forming nouns, indicating a place, collection, action, quality
-ess /Əs/ forms feminine nouns
-est /Əst/ comparing 3 or more things
-ful /fƏl/ full of, tending to
-fy /fī/ make, cause
-hood /h short double “oo” d/ state, condition, nature
-ic /Ək/ like, having characteristics of
-ing /Əng/ present participle of verbs
-ish /Əsh/ forms adjectives from nouns
-ism /i zƏm/ form actions nouns from verbs
-ist /Əst/doer, learner, person, noun
-ity /Ə tē/, -ty /tē/ state of
-ive /Əv/, -ative, -itive /Ə tƏv/ like
-le /Əl/ and /l/ forming nouns, forming adjectives, added to the end of verbs, repeated action, apt to
-less /lƏs/ lacking, without
-ly /lē/ like, characteristic of
-ment /mƏnt/ result, action, process
-ness /nƏs/ with, quality or state
-ous /Əs/, -ious /ē Əs/, /Əs/ full of
-s /s/, /z/, -es /Əz/ plurals, more than one
-um /Əm/, –ium / ē Əm/ suffixes that create a noun
-ure /yƏr/ action, function, result
-ward /wƏrd/ spatial or temporal direction
-wise /wīz/ direction of
-y /ē/ characterized by
My students comfortably and confidently learn these suffixes.
However, there is one suffix, the -ion suffix with its many variations, that seems to be a snafu to hinder their otherwise rapid learning and retention of the lengthy list of suffixes.
-ion, -tion, -sion, -ation, and -ition make multiple sounds:
-ion: /Ən/
-tion: /shƏn/, /chƏn/
-sion: /shƏn/, /chƏn/, /zhƏn/
-ation: /ā shƏn/
-ition: /i shƏn/
I thought perhaps you might have experienced this same challenge when teaching your kiddos the -ion suffix. I have an extra practice page for my students on this suffix and its multiple variances. Below you will find this worksheet. Please feel free to use it with your kiddos.
Name _________________________ Date_____________________
L1
SYLLABLE RULE #5
DIVIDE BETWEEN A ROOT/BASE WORD AND A
SUFFIX IF THE SUFFIX HAS A VOWEL SOUND
Lesson on the suffixes -ation, -ition, -sion, -tion, -ion /ā shƏn/,
/i shƏn/, /shƏn/, /chƏn/, /zhƏn/, /Ən/ meaning action, state, result,
process
Add the suffix to the verb root word changing the word to a noun.
Directions: suffixes: circle with green
root word: underline with brown
vowels: mark all vowels with red.
syllables: divide with a purple, slash line
Please discuss word meanings.
Verb Noun
1. vacate ______________
2. conclude ______________ 3. repeat ______________
4. reduce ______________ 5. imagine ______________
When my students complete Part 14, Level 1, they are at a seventh to eighth grade reading level, when my students complete Part 14, Level 2, they are at a ninth to tenth grade reading level, and when my students complete Part 14, Level 3, they are at a college reading level!
Phonetic Reading with Silent Elephant “e” truly is an amazing reading program for preschoolers to adults!
If you have further questions about phonics, feel free to contact us.