3. How to Teach Suffixes

Khadija Williams: All right, now we have our suffixes. Okay.

Narrator: Warming up with flashcards is a fast, easy way for students to review their letter-sound correspondences. It helps them develop automaticity and gets their brains ready for new content. Watch as Khadija Williams leads her second graders through a deck on suffixes.

Khadija Williams: '-er', /er/.

Students: '-er', /er/.

Khadija Williams: Someone.

Students: Someone, something, or more.

Khadija Williams: Very good. Teacher.

Students: Teacher. Marker.

Khadija Williams: Bigger. 

Students: Bigger.

Khadija Williams: Very good.

Narrator: Notice how Ms. Williams uses the same routine for each suffix. She spells it, says it, defines it, and gives examples.

Khadija Williams: Suffix '-ing'.

Students: Suffix '-ing'.

Khadija Williams: /ing/. Happening now.

Students: Happening now.

Khadija Williams: Running.

Students: Running.

Khadija Williams: Jumping.

Students: Jumping.

Khadija Williams: Very good. Suffix '-ed'.

Students: Suffix '-ed'.

Khadija Williams: /d/, /t/, /ĭd/.

Students: /d/, /t/, /ĭd/.

Khadija Williams: In the past.

Students: In the past.

Khadija Williams: Very good. Cleaned.

Students: Cleaned.

Khadija Williams: Danced.

Students: Danced.

Khadija Williams: Very good. Suffix '-ful', /ful/.

Students: Suffix '-ful', /ful/.

Khadija Williams: Full of.

Students: Full of.

Khadija Williams: Very good. Helpful.

Students: Helpful.

Khadija Williams: Thoughtful.

Students: Thoughtful.

Khadija Williams: Wishful.

Students: Wishful.

Khadija Williams: Very good. Suffix '-s'.

Students: Suffix 's'.

Khadija Williams: /s/ or /z/.

Students: /s/ or /z/.

Khadija Williams: Plural, more than one.

Students: Plural, more than one.

Khadija Williams: Teachers.

Students: Teachers.

Khadija Williams: Girls.

Students: Girls.

Khadija Williams: Chairs.

Students: Chairs.

Khadija Williams: Very good. Suffix '-less'.

Students: Suffix '-less'.

Khadija Williams: /lĭs/.

Students: /lĭs/.

Khadija Williams: Without.

Students: Without.

Khadija Williams: Thoughtless.

Students: Thoughtless.

Khadija Williams: Harmless.

Students: Harmless.

Khadija Williams: Hopeless.

Students: Hopeless.

Narrator: Building a consistent flashcard routine like this one helps students focus less on the process and more on mastering their suffixes.

Khadija Williams: Very good. Awesome.

Narrator: Reading Universe is made possible by generous support from Jim and Donna Barksdale, the Hastings/Quillin Fund, an advised fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, the AFT, the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, and anonymous donors. Special thanks to Hope Hill Elementary, Reading Is Essential For All People, and Atlanta Public Schools. If you enjoyed this video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel @RUteaching. Reading Universe is a service of WETA, Washington D.C., the Barksdale Reading Institute, and First Book.

Khadija Williams: My name is Khadija Williams, and this is Reading Universe.