Using Word Parts Strategy

This strategy involves dividing an unknown word in its essential components of meaning (morphemes). To use that strategy effectively depends on the degree of morphological awareness development of each child; namely, his/her metalanguage ability to manipulate and combine the morphemes according to the word formation rules (synthesis, production, inclination). The knowledge and manipulation of the morphological structure of words relate to correct spelling, readability and reading comprehension, especially for the first elementary classes.

e.g. explicit instruction of 'prefix' (Graves, 2006)

Step 1: Explain to children what the 'prefix' is about (e.g. one or more letters that are placed before the stem of the word, it does not appear alone, it changes the meaning of the whole word, etc.) and where it can be useful (e.g. to recognize the meaning of unknown words). Then ask them if they have met such prefixes, and choose those belonging to the same semantic group.

Step 2: Give children a small text with unknown words that contain the learning 'prefix' (e.g. dis-advantage, dis-order, dis-agree, etc.) and help them find the word definition based on its components (prefix, stem, etc.). Continue with exercises that consist of new words with the above 'prefix'.

Step 3: Explain to children that they will now learn a special strategy to handle unknown words. Give the following instructions: ''Remove the prefix and examine if the rest of the word refers to an existing word, think about both the meaning of the given prefix and the stem of the word, then combine the two meanings to find the meaning of the whole word, and finally check whether the meaning you found suits the meaning of the sentence you read''.

Step 4: Move on to other 'prefixes' of the same semantic group that mean "not", "opposite" (e.g. un-, in-, im- : unhappy, informal, impolite, etc.). Children exercise the using word parts strategy. Conclude the intervention with a repetition and evaluation of what they have learned.