Morphology...
DEFINITION:
Morphology deals with the morphemes, which allows kids to learn "chunks" of words and then apply them to other words, increasing their vocabulary. When a student learns the root of a word, they are able to add affixes to make many words with a similar meaning.
KEY TERMS:
- morpheme - the smallest linguistic unit that has semantic meaning. Spoken phonemes, written graphemes. These can be bound or free.
- morphology - the study of morphemes; the structure that makes up words
- free morphemes - nouns, pronouns, adjectives, prepositions, and verbs
- bound morphemes - affixes (prefixes, infixes, suffixes) that attach to free morphemes, but cannot stand alone
DEVELOPMENT:
The first stage is to get the student to understand that words can be morphed into larger words using affixes.
When a student understands morphemes, they have the ability to use knowledge of root words and affixes to determine the meanings of unfamiliar, morphologically complex words. In early elementary, they can use this strategy to increase their knowledge of difficult vocabulary. For example, a student may realize that geol-ogy is the study of the earth. They can use morphemes they are familiar with to infer meanings of new words.
Morphemes are either roots or affixes. Affixes can be derivational (change meaning or category) or inflectional (provide grammatical information [tense, number, etc.]) Display to the child that when you learn one word, you learn many more because of prefixes and suffixes. It is important to show children the relationship between words.
As students progress through school, their knowledge and understanding of affixes and root words would increase due to familiarity. Therefore, as a result their ability to create morphemes
The first stage is to get the student to understand that words can be morphed into larger words using affixes.
When a student understands morphemes, they have the ability to use knowledge of root words and affixes to determine the meanings of unfamiliar, morphologically complex words. In early elementary, they can use this strategy to increase their knowledge of difficult vocabulary. For example, a student may realize that geol-ogy is the study of the earth. They can use morphemes they are familiar with to infer meanings of new words.
Morphemes are either roots or affixes. Affixes can be derivational (change meaning or category) or inflectional (provide grammatical information [tense, number, etc.]) Display to the child that when you learn one word, you learn many more because of prefixes and suffixes. It is important to show children the relationship between words.
As students progress through school, their knowledge and understanding of affixes and root words would increase due to familiarity. Therefore, as a result their ability to create morphemes
ASSESSMENTS:
Have the student take several root words and add prefixes/suffixes changing the word. Blending board with prefixes and affixes, then identify silly words.
Play a matching game with cards (of different colors) to have them form words with a root and two affixes. May play this similar to 'Go Fish'
Show the students a list of different long words made up of morphemes, have them identify which ones are not words or do not fit the same meaning.
After they understand putting words together, make a list of words that are from the student's text and have them dissect them pulling apart the root from the affixes. Then see if they are able to guess the meaning.
Have the student take several root words and add prefixes/suffixes changing the word. Blending board with prefixes and affixes, then identify silly words.
Play a matching game with cards (of different colors) to have them form words with a root and two affixes. May play this similar to 'Go Fish'
Show the students a list of different long words made up of morphemes, have them identify which ones are not words or do not fit the same meaning.
After they understand putting words together, make a list of words that are from the student's text and have them dissect them pulling apart the root from the affixes. Then see if they are able to guess the meaning.
1. antidisestablishmentarian
2. antidisestablishmentarianism
3. antiestablishment
4. antiestablishmentarianism
5. antiestablishmentism
6. coestablishment
7. disestablish
8. disestablishment
9. disestablishmentarian
10. disestablishmentarianism
11. establish
12. established
13. establisher
14. establishes
15. establishing
16. establishment
17. establishmentarian
18. establishmentarianism
19. establishmentism
20. establishments
21. preestablish
22. preestablishment
23. reestablish
24. reestablisher
25. reestablishment
26. unestablish
27. unestablished
www.onelook.com - searched *establish*
SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNERS:
This can be difficult because certain morphemes in other languages have different meanings. Some languages do not have the concept of morphemes so that may be difficult for an SLL to grasp. It is important for them to gain this understanding so that they can expand their understanding exponentially just by learning prefixes and affixes. Learning free and bound morphemes also helps them in their overall understanding of the language.
This can be difficult because certain morphemes in other languages have different meanings. Some languages do not have the concept of morphemes so that may be difficult for an SLL to grasp. It is important for them to gain this understanding so that they can expand their understanding exponentially just by learning prefixes and affixes. Learning free and bound morphemes also helps them in their overall understanding of the language.