Hi there,

I just shared a brand new episode of The Education Connection, and this week we’re talking all about prefixes and suffixes in first grade.

If this is a skill that ever feels tricky to teach, this episode keeps it simple and very doable.

In the episode, I walk through:
• What prefixes and suffixes are in a first grade-friendly way
• How to introduce them without overwhelming students
• And 3 easy activities you can start using right away

3 Simple Prefix & Suffix Activities to Try Here are three easy activities from the episode that you can use right away with your students:

1. Make It Match: Start with simple base words like happy, jump, and play. Then show the new word: unhappy, jumping, played. Have students:

• Say both words out loud

• Talk about what changed

• Identify whether something was added to the beginning or the end. This helps students hear how words change and builds understanding without overwhelming them.

2. Act It Out: This one is always a favorite. Say a base word like jump, and have students act it out. Then change it to jumping and have them act again. Try:

• tie → untie

• do → redo Students begin to connect movement with meaning, which makes the learning stick.

3. Match and Sort: Give students base words: • happy, jump, play

Then give matching word cards: • unhappy, jumping, played

Have students: • Match each word to its base word • Then sort into two groups: prefix or suffix

This keeps it simple and helps students clearly see what is added to the beginning and what is added to the end.

🎧 You can listen to the full episode here:
​First Grade Prefix and Suffix Activities | Easy Phonics Lessons for Word Building​

To go along with the episode, I also created a simple freebie you can use right away with your students.

It includes practice with prefixes and suffixes using the same types of activities I talked about in the episode.

You can grab that here:
​Prefix and Suffix Activity​

My goal with this episode is just to make this skill feel a little easier to teach—and a little easier for students to understand.

And if you try one of these activities, I’d truly love to hear how it goes.

Talk to you soon,

​Robin Wilson First Grade Love @Teachers Pay Teachers​

​The Education Connection with Robin Wilson​
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P.S. If you know another teacher who is working on prefixes and suffixes right now, feel free to share this with them. 💛