Spelling - Home learning - Prefix

For home learning focused on the use of prefixes, students are tasked with exploring the prefix 'un'. This particular prefix, when added to the start of a word, often changes the word's meaning to its opposite. Students are encouraged to take a list of root words and then add 'un' to create new words. With each new word formed, they should construct sentences to demonstrate their understanding of the word's meaning. For example, the root word 'fair' becomes 'unfair' when the prefix is added. A sentence using this new word could be, "It was unfair that only half of the class received homework passes."

Continuing with this exercise, students will apply the prefix 'un' to other root words such as 'well', 'happy', and 'pack'. They might write sentences like, "After the disagreement, they were no longer on speaking terms, which made the situation very unwelcome." For 'happy', a possible sentence is, "She felt unhappy about missing the school trip due to her illness." Lastly, for 'pack', a student could create the sentence, "He realised he had unpacked his suitcase prematurely when he found out the trip was postponed." Through this activity, students enhance their vocabulary and understanding of how prefixes can alter the meanings of root words.