Base Words Lesson

This summer, I took a reading class and learned an activity to help teach students about base words. This activity will help students notice what happens when they add prefixes and suffixes (affixes) to them. The spelling of some base word will change and so will its meaning. This lesson will introduce or help struggling students with base words and adding affixes to them to make "new words". This Base Word's lesson would be ideal during small group time but can be used for whole group too. 

Some prep is needed, but very easy. You will need sentence strips or index cards to write the base words and affixes on. I would separate the prefixes, base words, and suffixes by color. For example: write the prefixes: un, re, dis, non, mis, pre on a set of "blue cards" Write: ness, less, ed, ly, ing, s, ful, able, er, and est on a set of "red cards". Write the base words on "white cards". Here is a list of 30 base words used for this lesson: agree, appear, believe, build, care, clean, color, comfort, connect, cover, forgive, happy, harm, help, hope, like, love, move, open, organize, pack, place, play, power, read, stop, test, turn, use, write, and view.  

Before you begin the activity, you should pair beginning students up with a partner. Students can help each other make words and verify with each other if the new words they are making are real words and not nonsense words. More advanced students can work independently.

To start the activity, choose a base word. Students use the prefixes and suffixes cards to move around the base word to make new words. For example: If using the base word, CARE, students can make new words like caring, careful, uncaring, and so on. They can also see how two suffixes can be added to the base word like, carelessness and carefully. Students need to be careful when adding affixes to base words. Some affixes will not make sense when added to the base word. For example; discare or carely. This is a good time to talk about nonsense words. If students are unsure of a word, encourage them to look them up in a dictionary to see which affixes can be added to the base word. I love "dictionary.com".

When student begin adding affixes to the base word, they will need to know some spelling rules as they write their new words down. This is a great time to discuss how the base word can change its spelling pattern when suffixes are added. Sometimes you have to drop the "e" and add "ing" or "ed," and sometimes you have to double the consonant to keep the short vowel sound. Either way, students will be learning or reviewing those tricky spelling rules!

Another thing this lesson helps with is how the meaning of the base word will change when adding affixes to them. For example; by adding "ing" to care this would mean you care for something at that moment. But when adding the suffix "less" to care, this would mean you are without care. This is a great opportunity to learn new vocabulary words!

Here is a FREEBIE that has a list of affixes used for this lesson. This will help students remember the meaning of each prefix and suffix as they create new words. Use the freebie for a poster to hang in the classroom or have students cut and paste the boxes into their writing journal.
Just click the picture on the left to download it right here on the blog.

As students move the prefix and suffix cards around to make new words, they should be writing their words down on a white board or in their writing journal. This would be a good time to check students understanding. Are they spelling the new words correctly? Are they making real words? Can they understand the new meaning when an affix is added? Can they recognize base words? Students will surly understand base words after this lesson.

I have created a set of worksheets that have the 30 base words that are listed above.  Each worksheet displays a base word and the affixes that can be added to the word to make new words. Instead of the students writing their words on a white board or in their journal, you can use these worksheets. The worksheets extent to separating the new words according to the spelling rule or by segmenting the new words apart by prefix, base word, and suffix. The worksheets also have students writing the definition of the new word or they write a sentence that displays the meaning on the new word. Use these worksheets for continued practice at a reading center. As students become more proficient, they will be able to work independently. You can also send these worksheets home for homework or to check understanding as an assessment. Here are some examples of the worksheets in this pack:

Here's to Base Words and students understanding them!
See you soon,

For more reading resources from Teacher's Take-Out, click the picture. 

To checkout my next blog post:

Would You Rather Fractions Task Cards

The next time you teach comparing fractions, try this fun activity! Before I begin my comparing fraction lesson, I write these two fractions on the board: 3/4 and 5/8. I ask the students, "Would you rather have 3/4 of a cake or 5/8 of a cake?" The students always choose 5/8 because they think that is the bigger fraction. That's when I take out the fraction pieces and remind students how to read a fraction. I show the students how to make 3 of the 4 pieces and 5 of the 8 pieces and compare them. Students soon discover that 3/4 is the bigger fraction. 

Once students have a good understanding comparing fractions I break out the "Would You Rather...Fractions" task cards. These task cards will make your class giggle and have some fun while comparing fractions. There are 48 task cards included to get students thinking about fractions and what they would rather have more or less of.

For example, task card 1 reads, “Would you rather have 2/3 of a box of cookies or would you rather have 4/5 of a box of cookies?” Students would want more of the box of cookies so they would choose the larger fraction. Another task card question reads, "Would you rather stick your arm 3/10 of the way in an alligator's mouth or would you rather stick your arm 2/5 of the way in an alligator's mouth?" Students would want less of their arm in an alligator's mouth so they would choose the smaller fraction. 

This pack comes with recording sheets if you want to place them at a math center to continue the fun. It also comes with a comparison fraction chart to help students compare fractions especially if you do not have fraction pieces for students. These task cards are perfect for 3rd - 5th graders. 

You can snag this comparing chart for FREE! Just click the picture below:


You can also find these task cards at a discounted price right here on my blog. Just click the button below.

Here is another comparing fraction resource. This one has a fun monster theme and includes 2 math centers. One center for comparing fractions and one center for ordering fractions. This resource will have your students becoming pros at comparing and ordering fractions.


Have fun comparing fractions!
See you soon,

Click here to find more fraction resources from Teacher's Take-Out.

To be notified of my next blog post:

Free Valentine Writing Prompts

FREE Valentine Writing Prompts includes 4 pages to choose from. These writing prompts are meant to spark some interest in your students to pick up a pencil and begin writing this Valentine week. Their creative juices will be flowing when they read these cute prompts and see the Valentine pictures. These prompt are ready to go! Just print and write. 

Use these writing pages for your writing lesson, class work, early finishers, homework, or for exit tickets. 

Click the picture to be taken to the freebie! 

Happy Valentine's Day!!
See you soon,

Here is another freebie and a great way to practice writing letters in the classroom. Click the picture to be taken to the blog post that tells all about it. 

Here are some fun paid resources for Valentine's Day!

To be notified of my next blog post,

Free Groundhog Sequencing Cut and Paste

FREEBIE! I have a fun little reading resource to use for Groundhog's Day.  Students read the passage about the groundhog. They cut the 5 sentences below the passage and arrange the strips in sequential order. This is perfect for comprehension, sequencing, and going back in the passage to look for answers.

This reading passage is labeled for 2nd graders, but 1st and 3rd graders can certainly take advantage.

Just click the picture above to be taken to the freebie! 

The Free Groundhog Sequence Cut and Paste Worksheet comes from my Holiday Passages Pack. This pack includes 20 reading passages to sequence during the holiday seasons throughout the year. Click the picture on the left to read more. The holidays include: New Year’s, MLK, Groundhog's Day, Presidents Day, Valentine’s Day, St Patrick’s Day, Spring, Easter, Earth Day, Mother’s Day, Summer, 4th of July, 1st Day of School, Fall Festival, Columbus Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Winter, and Christmas.

Here is a pack of 20 Worksheets for Sequence Cut and Paste. The 20 passages are for everyday events to use throughout the year. 





Happy Sequencing!
See you soon,

For more Freebies, click the picture on the left to see more.

Stay tuned for my next freebie by following me on Bloglovin!

Holiday Gifts for Students

Christmas is right around the corner which means you've been thinking about what to give your own children at home. I have 7 educational gift idea that are practical and educational for K-5th grade students.

Gift Idea #1: A watch with numbers and hands! Students need help telling time on an analog clock. Everything is digital these days which makes it hard for students to learn it. But they still have to know how to do it. A watch is a perfect gift for those students who need a boost in time telling. Plus, it's cool to wear a watch.

Gift Idea #2: Books! Find a set of books to give your child. For example, "Magic Tree House" or "Frog and Toad". Books are a great gift to give every year. As your child grows, so does their interest and topics in books. Nonfiction books like science books with pictures are always popular. You can also give the gift of reading to your child every night. It's a great gift to cherish and it's free. 

Gift Idea #3: Board Games! Any board game or card game is great. Monopoly teaches about money, Yatzee helps with multiplication and addition, Boggle teaches phonics and reading, and so on. Plus, games teach sportsmanship. Help your child be a good loser or winner. Plus, when playing a game with your child, you learn about how they are learning and thinking. It's quite amazing!

Gift Idea #4: A dictionary. Okay, it sounds boring, but some dictionaries are really cool. Especially for the little ones. And....believe it or not, they like to look at them. Dictionaries are great to have on hand. Sometimes you just need to look up a word. Thesaurus and other books like these encourage setting an example of being a good student. 

Gift Idea #5: A Diary or Journal. What a great and fun way to encourage writing. There are cool journals out there too. Spiral bound are fun and easy to use. A set of cool pencils with this would be a great addition. Let those creative juices flow. They can write about their day, make lists, draw, write a story, jot down dreams or goals. Either way, they are writing and being creative.

Gift Idea #6: Puzzle Books. A set of Sudoku or Find the Hidden Items in the Picture are great for exercising the brain. Puzzle books are great for challenging the mind and keeping it sharp. Puzzles are also great to stay entertained instead of watching TV. Also, the puzzles that come in a box with pieces are super for brain power!

Gift Idea #7: A Magazine Subscription. What a great way to encourage reading! Some fun subscriptions are Highlight Magazines or National Geographic for Kids. There are a ton out there for kids. Find their interest and see what they might like to read. Plus, it's fun to get something in the mail every month. A gift that keeps giving all year long.

If you can think of other educational gift ideas that you know would be great to add to this list, please let me know by commenting below. I'm always looking for new ideas. 

Thanks for stopping by!
Happy shopping,

Stay tuned to my next post:

Milestone Celebration

Help me celebrate a milestone on TPT! I'm thrilled to be a part of that team and honored to celebrate with them. My Winter Opinion Writing Task Cards will be FREE for ONE Week as a way of saying Thank You! Click the picture on the left to be take a peek. This Freebie ends on November 19th, 2016.

You can also enter the raffle below to win $10.00 in FREE products from me. All you have to do is follow me. I will be giving TEN of my followers a chance to win $10.00 in FREE Products from Teacher's Take-Out! You can earn points in the raffle by following me on Teachers Pay Teachers, following me on Bloglovin, visiting my Facebook page, or following me on Twitter. You can also write me a comment on my blog. The more places you follow, the more entries you get. If you are already a follower, please enter the raffle. Let's be honest please. 

Ten of my followers will be chosen to win $10.00 in Free Products! Winner's names will be posted on November 20th. I will email all 10 winners on Sunday the 20th. 
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thank you so much for helping me celebrate!
Good luck in the raffle,

Free Fall Double Addition Cards

Do your students need extra help with their addition doubles? This FREEBIE provides a set of 18 cards and 2 games to help practice this skill. These games are perfect for the classroom or during small group time. They are also great for game night at home. The two games are Memory and Go Fish. These 2 games are fun and easy to reinforce knowing addition doubles. Just click the picture on the left to download this freebie.

Remember it's important to know those doubles. Doubles help students think about other addition facts. Doubles also help with multiplication. If they know their doubles, then they know all their multiplication facts by 2's! To learn more about teaching students to add more proficiently, click here.

Thanks for stopping by!
See you soon,

Don't miss another post from Teacher's Take-Out. 

How to Teach Addition Without Using Fingers

How many of your students use their fingers to add numbers? Here are some basic tips to start your students off in the right direction to master addition skills. Students should master each step before moving on to the next step. The goal is to help students see numbers in a different way which will help them think about the numbers instead of counting on their fingers. Here are the steps that will help students become proficient!

First, teach the numbers that make 10. For example: 1+9, 2+8, 3+7, 4+6, and 5+5. Students should be able to recognize these pairs of numbers instantly. This will help them later on too. If students know that 3+7=10, then they would know that 30+70=100. Plus, our place value system is based on tens. Students need to proficiently know these pairs that make 10. If you need extra practice, try this pack of making 10.  

Here is a FREE game to learn the combinations or pairs of 10. This is a great game to help memorize the pairs. Just click the picture on the left to download this free game. 

Next, teach adding a 10 to a number. For example; 3+10. This should be done with no thinking. Counting by 10's from any number is essential! They should NOT be counting 10 more on their fingers. This needs to be automatic. They should be able to count by 10's going forward and backwards from any number. Students should also be proficient at counting 1 more and 1 less from any number. Here is a FREE resource to help with adding and subtracting by 1's and 10's.

Then, teach adding a 9 to a number. For example: 3+9. If they know how to add 10, they just subtract 1 less. This will help exercise the brain moving forward and backwards on a number line. Most students need help seeing the 9 in the equation. Sometimes they sit and stare at the addition fact with a blank stare until I say, "I see a 9." Then right away they know what to do. It's training the brain to see the 9 and connecting it with a trick they know. If you know how to add 10, then you can add 9 with ease. This is helpful when subtracting too. Students really need to be proficient in counting forward and backwards on a number line with simple arithmetic like 1 more or 1 less. 

After, teach the doubles. For example: 5+5 or 6+6. Students should know their doubles without thinking. They should not be adding on their fingers a double. These need to be memorized. Doubles come in handy when thinking about other addition facts. Doubles also help when learning multiplication. Know those doubles! They should also recognize the subtraction fact family of a double too. If they know that 6+6=12, then they should begin to recognize that 12-6=6. Students can do a lot when they know their doubles. 

After you teach the doubles, you can work on doubles +1. For example: 6+7. Some people like to call these numbers, neighbors, because they are neighbors or next door to each other on the number line. For this addition fact, you can see 6 and 7 are neighbors on the number line. If you see a neighbor, you take the smallest number, double it, and add 1 more. As students become proficient, they will begin learning tricks and seeing numbers differently. Their brain learns to look for combinations of numbers and connecting it with what they know. 

Finally, students should be proficient in adding 2 more or 3 more to a number. They should already know how to add 1 more with ease. Adding another 1 is simple. Once these steps are masters, students will be thinking in their heads combinations of numbers, looking for pairs that make 10 or a double, and begin using a strategy other than their fingers. When they get to a fact like 4+7, they may think, "I know that 3+7 is 10, therefore 4+7 must be 11." or they may think, "I know that 4+4 is 8, therefore 3 more make 11." Or they may think, "I know that 4+6=10, then 1 more would make 11." These 3 examples use strategies other than fingers.

The best way to learn these strategies is to practice, practice, and practice. We can't be good at something if we don't practice. Right? 

Teaching to take numbers apart like using Number Bonds and connecting them with what you know is very helpful. I found a YouTube video that explains Number Bonds pretty well.  Click here to watch a video about Number Bonds. 

Here are some fun resources that will help master addition facts and to practice the strategies listed above. 

     

I hope these tips are helpful in mastering addition facts. 
See you soon,

I also offer all these products at a discount right here on my blog. Just click the picture on the left to find the resource that is just right for you and your students.

Click the picture below to find more
addition and subtraction resources:

Click the picture below to check out other FREE math resources
from Teacher's Take-Out:

Stay tuned to my next blog post: