The merits of morphology instruction
Morphology may sound like a scary proposition to include in literacy instruction, especially for elementary students; but it doesn’t have to be that way! In fact, students of all ages respond well to morphology instruction when included in their vocabulary development lessons.
Schwartz (2023) defines morphology instruction as identifying and defining affixes (i.e., prefixes and suffixes) and root words by teaching students how to find meaningful units, or morphemes, within words and the origin of words. Older students who continue to struggle with reading multisyllabic words find morphology helpful in developing comprehension of complex and discipline-specific vocabulary. For example, take the word “transportable.” Knowing the prefix “trans” means “across,” the root “port” means “to carry,” and “able” means “it can be done” may help students determine the word’s meaning. Morphology can lessen the complexity of learning new words.
Younger students learning to read will come across “morphologically simple” words with common suffixes such as “s” to mean a plural. Teachers could help students by explicitly instructing that these are meaningful units. Even a more advanced word like “unhappiness,” with the prefix “un” meaning “not” and “ness” meaning “a state or condition,” may help children understand this word to mean “not happy.” Some phonics programs include morphology in early reading instruction. Organizations such as the Reading League and Reading Rockets, among others, offer many resources on morphology practice (Schwartz, 2023).
What are some methods for teaching morphology in the classroom? First, foundational phonics instruction is imperative for students to understand the relationship between letters and sounds. Next, teach students that word origins are either Anglo-Saxon, Latin, or Greek. Since textbooks in early grades typically use words of Anglo-Saxon origin (i.e., one or two-syllable, high-frequency words) and upper grade texts frequently use words of Greek or Latin origins, it is recommended teaching Anglo-Saxon word origins, affixes, and roots before Latin and Greek (Berninger & Wolf, 2009).
There are many resources/activities to include in your reading curriculum as you prepare to teach morphology. Providing a chart listing prefixes, suffixes, and roots for students to use as they analyze word parts, particularly in the upper grades, is an essential tool. Some early examples of activities to get your students started in morphology include finding the roots of words, word sorts, and building blocks. Find the instructions for these and more listed in Dyslexia Help.
References
Beringer, V.W., & Wolf, B.J. (2009). Teaching students with dyslexia and dysgraphia: Lessons from teaching and science (1st ed.). Brookes Publishing.
Schwartz, S. (2023). What is morphology? Should teachers include it in reading instruction? EducationWeek, Spotlight, Science of Reading For Students with Disabilities. (pp. 6-7). https://www.edweek.org/products/spotlight/spotlight-on-the-science-of-reading-for-students-with-disabilities
For more information, contact Mary Dodson ([email protected]) , Program Specialist, T/TAC at VCU.
Categories Inclusive Practices, Reading