Objective

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to understand and use prefixes in English words.

Materials and Prep

• Paper
• Pencil or pen

No prior knowledge is required for this lesson.

Activities

• Prefix Match-Up: Write down a list of base words (e.g., happy, like, play) on separate pieces of paper. Then, create another set of papers with different prefixes (e.g., un-, dis-, re-). Mix up all the papers and challenge yourself to match the correct prefix with the corresponding base word.
• Create New Words: Choose a base word and add different prefixes to it to create new words. Write down the new words and their meanings. For example, if the base word is "happy," you can add the prefix "un-" to make "unhappy" which means not happy.
• Word Hunt: Look for words in books or around your house that contain prefixes. Write down the words you find and identify the prefixes. Then, try to guess the meaning of the word based on the prefix.

Talking Points

• What are prefixes? Prefixes are groups of letters added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning.
• Why do we use prefixes? We use prefixes to create new words and to change the meaning of existing words.
• Examples of prefixes: Some common prefixes are "un-" (which means not), "dis-" (which means opposite or reverse), and "re-" (which means again).
• How do prefixes change words? When we add a prefix to a word, it can change the word's meaning. For example, adding "un-" to the word "happy" changes it to "unhappy," which means not happy.
• How can we identify prefixes? Prefixes usually come at the beginning of a word. They can be a single letter or a group of letters. Some common prefixes have specific meanings, while others don't.
• What are some words with prefixes? Some examples of words with prefixes are "unhappy," "dislike," and "replay." Can you think of any more?