SORTS FOR EARLY DERIVATIONAL RELATIONS SPELLERS - Pearson

SORTS FOR EARLY DERIVATIONAL RELATIONS
SPELLERS

DIRECTIONS FOR AFFIXES SORTS 1-13

These directions offer some basic guidelines for each sort and show what the final sort will
look like. See Words Their Way: Word Study Phonics, Vocabulary and Spelling for complete
instructions about how to place students, how to conduct sorts, and the follow-up activities
that will assure students practice for mastery over the week. Chapter 2 describes assessment,
Chapter 3 describes organizations and core activities and Chapter 8 describes the
derivational relations stage in detail. Similar sorts, as well as additional sorts with more
information, can be found in the supplemental book: Words Their Way Words Sorts for
Derivational Spellers.

Pretest: To determine how much students already know about these features you may

want to administer Spell Checks 27, 28, and 29 using the Progress Monitoring/Goal Setting
Forms available with other assessment resources at this website.

Notes:
 Sorts for more common prefixes such as in or mis can be found among the last sorts
for the syllables and affixes stage. There are also lists of prefixes in the appendix of
Words Their Way that you can use to create your own sorts
 Always have dictionaries (hardcopies or online) handy to look up the meanings of
unknown words as well as their origins. For example, you can hear the word
pronounced at http://dictionary.com, and find definitions, word origins, and links to
other information.
 Engage students in activities across the week that address the meaning as well as the
spelling of the words

DR Sort 1. Prefixes: anti (against), pro (for or forward), auto (self),
trans(across)

Review the term “prefix” and remind students that a prefix has a meaning of its own and
comes at the beginning of a word. Sometimes there is a clear base word as in antifreeze, but
often the base word is not clear as in promote. Ask students to sort by the prefix and then try
to figure out what the prefix might mean. Use the most familiar words (such as antifreeze and
antiwar) to determine that anti means “against”. The others are less obvious, but define a
few to get started. For example, progress means to “move forward” and promote means to “put
something forward”. With those clues students should be able to see that the other words
have similar meanings. Trans- means “across” (when we transmit a signal we sent it across a
distance) and auto suggests “self” (as in “self- operating” for automatic and “self-propelled”
for automobile). Talk about each word, use dictionaries as needed (students may need to look
up autocrat for example) and draw conclusions about what the prefixes mean. To conclude,
have students underline the prefixes on the key words and write their meanings to serve as
headers.

antifreeze progress transmit automatic
against for/forward across self
promote
antiwar provide transportation autograph
antidote produce transfer autobiography
antibiotic propose transmit autonomy
antiseptic propel transform autonomous
antisocial transparent automobile
antiacid autocrat

DR Sort 2. Prefixes: semi (half, partly), multi (many), en (make into),
circum (around)

This sort can be done in a manner similar to the first sort. Sort before discussing the
meaning of the prefix and ask students to look across all the words in the column to get an
idea of what it might mean. With the students help, define a few words to get them started
if they have trouble. After determining what the prefix might mean, test it on all the words
in the column to establish the meaning connections.

semicircle multimedia enclose circumference
half or part many make into around
semifinals multipurpose entangle circumnavigate
semiannual multitask endanger circumvent
semisweet multimillion engulf circumstance
semicolon multicultural envelope
multicolored enroll
multiply envelop
multitude

Posttest: Spell check 27 does not cover the prefixes in these first two sorts but you may

want to create a similar assessment with the 8 prefixes covered here.

DR Sort 3. Suffixes: -er, -or, -ian, -ist

Explain to students that in this sort they will be looking at the suffixes that come at the ends
of the words. Show the key word employer and talk about the base word employ as a verb that
describes something you do. Ask students what the –er ending does to the word – it changes
it to a noun or a person who employs others. Repeat this with the other key words to
establish that the suffixes all signal people who do things. Underline the suffixes and sort
the rest of the words. Talk about the meanings of the other words. Note that a conductor
might work on a train or conduct an orchestra. Which words are related to music? Which
ones pay money?

employer inventor guardian artist
reporter operator electrician bicyclist
performer governor magician cartoonist
admirer instructor vegetarian specialist
conductor comedian soloist
musician biologist

DR Sort 4. Suffixes: -ary, -ery, -ory

Ask students what they notice about these words and ask them how they might sort them.
They will probably suggest by the suffix. After sorting into three categories read the words
in each column and listen to the sound. The words with –ery have the same sound as three
of the words that are spelled with –ory. Separate these into a new column as shown below.
Most of these words do not have obvious base words but examine a few that do such as bribe
and bribery or observe and observatory. The endings signal nouns as well as a few adjectives. See
if students can find the adjectives. Talk about or look up the meanings of the words.

solitary bribery factory category
dictionary grocery memory territory
primary lottery satisfactory mandatory
temporary discovery observatory
library nursery laboratory
military
vocabulary
sanctuary

DR Sort 5. Suffixes: -al, -ial, -ic

These endings turn a noun like fiction into an adjective that means “associated with or related
to” the meaning of the base word. So fictional is related to fiction and is used to describe
fiction. Sort these words in a manner similar to sort 4.

fictional tutorial scientific
classical beneficial realistic
critical financial graphic
herbal official symbolic
personal industrial atomic
global trivial specific
tropical facial organic

DR Sort 6. Suffixes: -ful, -ous, -ious

Students should be able to sort these independently and figure out that all these suffixes
signal adjectives that suggest “full of”. Bring students together to talk about the meanings
of words and also the spelling changes in some of the base words. The ending -ful is added
without dropping the e in spiteful since it is a suffix that starts with a consonant but note that
the e in adventure is dropped before adding ous. Ask students to identify the base word in
furious, harmonious, luxurious, studious, and glorious to see that the y changed to an i before
adding ous. If they did not separate the –ous words from the –ious words see that they do that
now.

doubtful poisonous gracious
wonderful joyous anxious
respectful marvelous furious
skillful cancerous harmonious
youthful adventurous luxurious

spiteful glamorous studious
stressful perilous glorious

DR Sort 7. Suffixes: -en, -ize, -ify

These suffixes generally change a base word that is a noun to a verb that suggests “to be or
cause to be”. However, -en is a common ending that serves different purposes and in some
of these words it signals an adjective. See if students can separate the verbs and adjectives
that end in –en. Note spelling changes in rotten (double) as well as sharpen and frozen (e-drop)
before the suffix that begins with a vowel.

sweeten (v) rotten (adj) idolize terrify
lighten broken memorize simplify
sharpen frozen organize clarify
strengthen golden customize qualify
shorten wooden mobilize identify
fertilize

Posttest: Spell check 28 can be used at this point to assess these suffixes.

DR Sort 8. Suffix: -ion

The –ion ending creates thousands of words in English, generally changing verbs to nouns
and refers to an “action or process” or the result of an action or process”. Students need
not learn this, but can sense these changes as they use them in a sentence like: We will elect a
new president in the upcoming election. Sort the words by the base words and note how –ion is
simply added in all cases without any spelling change. However, draw attention to the
sound change as final /t/ and /s/ change to /sh/. Ask students to write the base words for
each word to help them see the meaning connection.

election adoption confession
rejection desertion impression
attraction suggestion compression
protection desertion procession
direction digestion possession
protection discussion
selection expression
reflection

DR Sort 9. Suffixes: -tion and –sion (with spelling changes)

Here students will examine more words with the –ion suffix. Challenge them to look for the
spelling changes by thinking about the base word. While the e-drop is not surprising, it is
interesting that words that end in de (explode) drop de and add -sion. Try saying explode-sion
and they may see why this spelling change makes the word much easier to pronounce. Ask
students to write the base word and the derived word to help them make the meaning
connections as well as to highlight the spelling changes.

operation donation explosion conclusion
e-drop frustration de to s decision

decoration division
devotion erosion

education hibernation intrusion suspension
graduation hesitation persuasion seclusion
migration location provision

DR Sort 10. Suffixes: -ation, -cation, -ition

In this final –ion sort students will see that sometimes extra letters are added before the
ending. They will need to think about the spelling change in the base word to sort these into
the categories. Fortunately for the speller sound offers a good clue for spelling these words.

information organization application competition
add ation e-drop + ation Change y to i +cation e-drop + ition
relaxation imagination qualification opposition
adaptation capitalization unification imposition
flotation observation multiplication definition
presentation conservation classification
combination
preparation

DR Sort 11. Affixes with Vowel Alternations

This sort focuses attention on the sound changes that often occur when affixes are added to
base words. In these words the feature will be vowels that alternate between long and short
and long and schwa. Sometimes there is also a change in accent or stress. Match up the base
words and derived words to start the sort. First compare child and children and ask students
what they notice about the sound of the vowel. Then compare invite’ to invita’tion. The long-i
in invite changes to a schwa sound in invitation as the accent shifts to the next syllable.
Unstressed vowels often end up with the schwa sound that can be spelled with any vowel
making them a challenge for spellers. Point out to students that while it is hard to tell what
the second vowel is in invitation, they can hear it clearly in the related word invite. Test this
will all the words, noting how the accented vowel in the base word alternates with either a
short vowel or a schwa sound in the derived word. Mark the vowels in the key words with a
breve, macron or upside down e to designate the schwa sound. Look up some words in the
dictionary to see how accent and the schwa sound are indicated.

child children invite Invitation
long short long schwa
produce production define definition
type typical reside resident
know knowledge compose composition
revise revision combine combination
episode episodic relate relative
narrate narrative

DR Sort 12. Alternations with Suffix -ity

This sort is similar to 11 with vowel alternations and accent changes when –ity is added. Ask
students to tell you what effect the suffix has on the base word (creating nouns from
adjectives and verbs). Then examine the vowel alterations and accent changes in the pairs of
words. Despite changes in sound the spelling of the vowel stays the same to preserve the
meaning connections.

final finality active activity
human humanity fertile fertility
minor minority senile senility
practical practicality diverse diversity
formal formality sensitive sensitivity
neutral neutrality visible visibility

DR Sort 13. Adding Endings in Two Syllable Words (Doubling and Not)

This sort reviews the spelling changes to the base word and introduces the role of stress.
The doubling rule only applies if the final syllable is accented as in admit’ted but not in the
case of lim’ited. The two words that do not fit any category are not really oddballs in this case
because there is no spelling change before prefixes that start with consonants. You might
want to try this as a Guess My Category sort. Set up the key words and sort several words
before asking students to help you. Read down each column emphasizing the stressed
syllable to help them figure out the categories (This is not easy so offer clues as needed).
Note that while both admit and limit end in a single vowel and a single consonant (-vc) , it is
only when the final syllable is accented that you double the final consonant.

admitted limited complained regretful
-vc double -vc nothing nothing equipment
beginner creditor repeated
expelled exiting collector
propeller leveled
submitted traveled preventing
equipped
rebellion editor
regretted suffering

Posttest: Spell check 29 can be used at this point to assess words with the –ion ending.