Download Nifty Thrifty Fifty

Nifty Thrifty Fifty
4th – 8th Grades
Gadsden Independent School
District
Purpose
• 50 words to teach the use of patterns:
o decoding
o spelling
o building meaning for multi-syllabic words.
• Patterns in polysyllabic words are in the
form of morphemic units:
o Roots
o Prefixes
o Suffixes
Usage
• Once students know the spelling patterns
of these words, they can apply that
knowledge to help them to spell and build
meaning for many other words.
• It is estimated that for every word you
know, you probably are able to decode,
spell and comprehend six or more other
words suing the morphemic patterns.
An Example:
• If the unknown word is antibiotic, the first
question is:
Do I know any other words that look and
sound like this word?
Antifreeze, antiaircraft, anti-terrorism
Prehistoric, biology
What do they tell me about antibiotic?
Month By Month
• Display the words arranged alphabetically
in the classroom.
• The words need to be big and bold so they
are seen from anywhere in the classroom
• May give the students an individual list to
keep at their desks. Students should
update their copy every month
• Define prefixes and suffixes on a ladder
around the chart.
Month by Month
• Explain to students many big words are
just smaller words with prefixes and
suffixes added to them.
– Good spellers do not memorize the spelling of
every word
– They notice the patterns in words, which
include prefixes and suffixes
– and spelling often changes with addition of
prefixes and suffixes
Nifty Thrifty Fifty
Month 3
Words to introduce:
• beautiful, classify, community, communities, electricity, happiness, prettier
Words contained within the new words:
• beauty, class, unity, electric, happy, pretty
Words related by combining parts:
•
beautify, classiness, electrify, happier, unify
Words students should be able to spell by using parts of all words so far:
• unhappy, unhappier, unhappiest, unhappily, unhappiness, prettiest,
hopeful, beautician, electrician, classified, unclassified, classification,
communication
Anchor Chart
Month to Month
• Analyze each word
– Talk about meaning
– Determine the root word, prefix and suffix
– Define prefixes, suffixes
– Note any spelling changes
• After discussing composition of a word,
search for other words that work in a
similar way.
Examples
End of Month
• Students should be able to automatically,
quickly and correctly spell all eight words
• Explain how they are composed
• Chart should be ongoing from month to
month – add words each month.