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Introduce: The Suffix -y

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Lesson Type: Introduce
Grade: 2, 3
Group Size: Pairs, Small Group, Large Group, Whole Class
Length: 15 minutes
Goal: Given the suffix –y, students will generate and use words that contain -y.

Materials: Board or chart paper

What to Do

Prepare

Write the suffix -y on the board or on a piece of chart paper for the students to see.

Model/Instruct

1. Introduce the suffix -y and solicit examples of words that contain -y.

Today we are going to learn about suffixes. Who knows what a suffix is?

2. Allow time for students to respond.

A suffix is a word part added to the end of a word. It changes the meaning of a word. -y is a suffix that is used in many words. Healthy, dirty, and salty are all words that have the suffix -y in them. Do you know of any other words that have the suffix -y?

3. As students share, write the responses on the board or on a piece of chart paper. Circle the suffix -y in each word as it is given.

4. Define the meaning of -y, as well as words containing the suffix -y.

Look at the list of words with the suffix -y. Who knows what -y means? -y means “characterized by.” Look at healthy. Healthy means “full of health.” When the suffix -y is added to health, it changes the meaning of the word. Can anyone tell us what dirty means? What about salty?

5. Solicit the meanings of the remaining words from the first step.


Practice

6. Connect words to students’ prior knowledge. Ask students a variety of questions to help them connect their experiences to the words in the list generated in the first step. For example:

How do you know you are healthy?

Who returned from recess with dirty clothes?

Can anyone use salty in a sentence?


Adjust

For Advanced Students:

Encourage these students to use each word on the class-created list in a sentence.

Explain how the parts of speech may change when a suffix is added. For example, adding the suffix –y changes a word from a noun to an adjective.


For Struggling Students:

For the students who have difficulty understanding what a suffix is, try presenting the word list above as a series of math equations. For example:

  • health + y = healthy
  • dirt + y = dirty
  • salt + y = salty


For ELL Students:

Point out that some of the same suffixes may exist in their native language. If the suffix is not the same as in English, there may be an equivalent in their native language.


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