When Joshua and I teach vocabulary, we try to do a few things:

1. Relate the word to anything we think the students might already know. (“Aquaduct? Well, you know what aquatic means, don’t you?”)

Of course, this is where we say, “You know more than you think you know!”

2. We ask the students if they can tell us anything about the word based on the context. Is it happy or sad? Is there a word near that word that helps you?

3. We help them examine the type of word it is. We say over and over to them that OUS words are often adjectives (delicious) and ATE words can often be verbs.

4. We help the students examine roots and affixes.
    a. Prefix–an affix (“stuck on”) to the beginning of a word
    b. Suffix–affix added to the end of a word

We also give the students tools all the time. Below is a list of prefixes and suffixes that we give to our students and discuss with them, along with their meanings.

Be a lifelong student! If you are an adult, these vocabulary tips will still help you every day.

generous, generate, generation, geneology, gender

dictate, verdict, edict, contradict, predict, diction, indict

perspective, aspect, spectator, spectacle, suspect   
        

surpass, summit, supersede, superstition

tension, extend, tendency, tendon, tent, distend

transfer, transient, transitory, transgress, transport

conduct, document, doctrine, induce, indoctrinate

company, collaborate, comply, congruent,

convert, revert, subvert, divert, diverse, extrovert, versatile

eloquent, logic, apology, monologue, dialogue, prologue

sensitive, sensation, consent, dissent, assent, sentiment        
                                         

denounce, defraud, decry, deplete, devoid, defile

anonymous, nominate, renounce, renown, misnomer         
                   

closet, enclose, disclose, include, conclude, seclude

vocal, advocate, vocation, convoke, revoke, avow         
                        

malicious, malady, dismal, malign, malevolent

fracture, fraction, fragment, fragile, frail, fractious          
                        

objective, obsolete, obscure, obstruct, obstinate

submissive, subordinate, sublime, subtle, subversion       
                     

abandon, abhor, abstain, absolve, abstruse, abstract 

progress, regress, gradual, digress, degrade, transgress

second, sequel, sequence, consequence, prosecute

prolific, profuse, prodigal, prtracted, prodigy, propensity     
                   

inquire, question, request, quest, query, acquire, querulous 

sacrifice, sanctuary, sanctify, sanction, consecrate

scribble, describe, script, prescribe, ascribe, inscribe 

apathy, sympathy, empathy, antipathy, passionate

disdain, dissuade, dismay, disparate, disparage

circumference, circulation, circumstances, circumvent 

nonviolent, uncooperative, inappreciative, anonymous 

adhere, adjective, addict, adverb                       

infrastructure, infraction, infrared, infra-bass
  
  

The post WORDY WEDNESDAY: Prefixes, Suffixes, Roots, Oh My! appeared first on Character Ink.

Wordy Wednesday!

Welcome to Wordy Wednesday! Did you know that strengthlessnesses is the longest word containing only one (albeit very repeating) vowel? Neither did I. And I don’t really care for it. I mean, it is cumbersome to say–and that is a whole lot of e’s and s’s to remember to spell the crazy word.

But I love unique and unusual–and strengthlessnesses is definitely both of those! Here are some vitals about this “longest word containing only one (albeit very repeating) vowel”:

1. It is a noun–did you know that when a word ends in ness, it is almost always a noun? This helps with standardized testing greatly. Ness words are nearly always nouns, so in a “fill in the blank” type of assignment, if the word in question ends in ness, it has to go in a spot where a noun fits.

Tricky Trick to Help It Stick: We have students learn key words to remember things. For instance, to remember that ness words are nearly always nouns, memorize a key word or two that you know is a noun and that ends in ness.

Other ness nouns: happiness, hopefulness, craziness, gratefulness, joyfulness, smartness

2. It has to do with having strength–we teach our students to think about what you already know–anytime–but especially when approaching a new word. Is there anything about the word strengthlessnesses that you already know?
     a. You know what its base means. You already what strength means!
     b. You know that less means less or not having that quality. (We do a lot of root and affix studies here!)
 
Because of those two “things you already know,” you can know that strengthlessnesses has something to do with not having strength (i.e. less strength).

Note: You know more than you think you know! Repeat this over and over to yourself: “I know more than I think I know. I know more than I think I know.” Use what you know to learn more!

3. It can be spelled syllable-by-syllable (if you are a biphonic man or biphonic woman!): strength-less-ness-es.

4. You can also make up a trick to remember how to spell it, such as “It contains four e’s and six s’s. Or that it has four syllables–which tells you that it will have at least four vowels in it (or y’s acting like vowels)–because a syllable always contains at least one vowel. A vowel is what makes a syllable!

5. You can learn the variations of this word–because you can remember from your vocabulary studies with Language Lady that suffixes (affixes added to the ends of words) might change the SPELLING of the base word (pity is changed to piti in pitiful) but does not change the MEANING of the base word. Even with three suffixes added (less, ness, and es), the base word of strength still means strength.
             a.  stengthless–adjective meaning without strength (less words are often adjectives!)
             b. strengthlessly–adverb meaning without strength (ly words are often adverbs)
             c. strengthelessness–a noun describing someone or something that is without strength (ness words are often nouns)
            d. strengthlessnesses–a noun that means more than one someone or something that is without strength (es makes the word plural).


So there you have it–the longest word with only one repeating vowel. Did you know that you could learn so much from one word? You know a lot more than you think you know! Smile…

The post Strengthlessnesses—Longest Word With One Vowel appeared first on Character Ink.

1. tension
2. extend
3. tendency
4. tendon
5. tent
6. distend
7. intent
8. tenable
9. attention
10. detention
11. extent
12. retention
13. ostentatious
14. malcontent
15. potent

The post Day 126: Wordy Wednesday—root TEN appeared first on Character Ink.

1. surpass—to go above and beyond
2. summit—above; the high mountain or peak
3. supersede—to be above in authority,  etc.
4. superstition—a  belief that is ABOVE the normal
5. super star—a star above others

The post Day 122: Wordy Wednesday—SUPER! appeared first on Character Ink.

1. Generous
2. Generate
3. Generation
4. Genealogy
5. Gender
6. Genocide
7. Generic

The post day 115: wordy wednesday appeared first on Character Ink.

1. The word was so allusive/elusive; it just wouldn’t come to me.

Hint: Elude and exclude look similar. “I excluded that song from the program because it eluded me.”

2. He made an illusion/allusion/elusion to our previous conversation.

Hint: Allusion related to allude. “What he alluded to is ludicrous.” Means to refer to something.

3. The ride gives you the allusion/illusion that you are on a mountain top.

Hint: Illusion comes from illustrate. A picture….gives you the picture or feeling of something else.

4. I excluded the word from the program because its spelling alluded/eluded me.

Hint: Eluded—excluded. Elude means “not able to grasp.”

5. What did he elude/allude to?

Hint: Allude/allusion—something you refer to. “What he alluded to was ludicrous.”

6. They used Kleenexes to give you the allusion/illusion of fabric.

Hint: Illusion is a facsimile or picture. Related to illustrate.

7. What he alluded/eluded to was ludicrous!

Hint: “What he alluded to was ludicrous.”

8. What was his illusion/allusion to your situation?

Hint: Allude/allusion—referring to something else.

9. Allusion/illusion is related to hallucination.

Hint: Illusion is related to hallucination—pictures that are not there.

10. He made an elusion/allusion to our previous conversation.

Hint: Allusion is to refer to something else; elusion is to be out of your grasp. He referred to the previous conversation…not that he couldn’t grasp it.

The post day 17: pop quiz—allude, elude, allusion, illusion….answer key! appeared first on Character Ink.

The post day 16: it was just an “illusion” (or was it an “allusion”?) appeared first on Character Ink.

The post days 13 & 14: roots and affixes list appeared first on Character Ink.

The post day 12: roots and affixes appeared first on Character Ink.

1. Learn all you can about roots and affixes (prefixes and suffixes)
2. Read a lot so you encounter the words you want to learn over and over

The post day 11: more about roots and comprehension building appeared first on Character Ink.