3.4 Explicitly Teach the Suffix '-ing'

The suffix '-ing' is a morpheme added to the end of a base word to form the present participle of a verb, like in the word jumping. It shows that an action is happening right now. Depending on students' age or grade level, we might teach that '-ing' means "happening now" or explain that it shows an action in progress.

If you have already taught glued sounds, including /ing/, reading this suffix should be familiar to your students.

The suffix '-ing' is an inflectional suffix, which means it does not change the part of speech. For example, crush is a verb, and when you add '-ing', the word crushing is still a verb.

When you first introduce '-ing', it's helpful to choose words that have unchanging base words: fish becomes fishing; sail becomes sailing. Fish and sail don't change. Just put '-ing' on the end of each. It's simple, so it's easier for your students to learn.

We do NOT want to use words that have doubling of final consonants (grab becomes grabbing) or magic 'e' to drop (bake becomes baking). We'll save those challenges for a later lesson.

Here are some good word choices, where the base stays the same even when you add the suffix:

• Words with ending blends, like bend
• Words that end with digraphs, like wish
• Words that end with glued sounds, like hang and think
• Words that follow the FLoSS(Z) rule, like spell, miss, buzz, and stuff
• Words that end with '-ck', like snack
• Words that end with r-controlled vowels, like bark 

These word types not only make it easier to add the suffix, but they also allow students to review previously taught phonics patterns. Find more words in the Suffix '-ing' List of Words, Phrases, and Sentences for Lesson Planning (opens in new window).

Show the students the '-ing' picture flash card. 

Say,

We have already learned that 'i', 'n', 'g' says /ing/ like in the word ring. We know that the glued sound /ing/ is in the words sing, bring, and sting.

Say,

Today I am going to show you a new card that has '-ing' on it; but instead of /ing/ being a part of the base word, this '-ing' is a suffix and gets added after a base word. Remember, a suffix is something we add to a word that has its own meaning. When we add the suffix 'i-n-g', it tells us the action is happening now.

Holding your flash card for suffix '-ing', say, 

Students repeat,

The suffix 'i-n-g' says /ing/. It means happening now.

Write the word jump on the board. Have students read the word.

Jump.

Now add the suffix '-ing' to the word. Ask students to read the new word.

Jumping.

Write on the board: The kid is jumping off the dock. 

Have students read the sentence aloud together.

The kid is jumping off the dock.

Say,

The suffix '-ing' that we added to jump tells me that the kid is doing it now.

Write the following words on the board one at a time and have students read them aloud chorally: flash, honk, send, miss and sing.

Then add the suffix '-ing' to each word and have students read the new words. Discuss how the meaning of the word changed when you added the suffix.

When you get to the last word, write the word sing on the board. Say,

In this word, 'i-n-g' is part of the base. If I take away the 'i', 'n', 'g', I am left with 's', and 's' is not a word. This word sing does not have the suffix '-ing'. But we can add the suffix to make the word singing. For example, I am singing out loud.

Try the Reading Universe's lesson plan! This explicit teaching example aligns with the Reading Universe printable lesson plan for the suffix '-ing' (opens in new window). You'll find dictation practice in the lesson plan and an explanation of how this works in Dictating Words with Suffixes.