Question

A first-grade teacher would like to incorporate instruction in morphemes for students who have mastered reading and spelling closed- and open-syllable words. Which of the following skills is best aligned with both the teacher's goal and the continuum of word-reading skills described in the first-grade Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR)?

Answer 1

First-grade students who have mastered reading and spelling closed- and open-syllable words can progress to learning about morphemes. The teacher can facilitate this through activities such as identifying prefixes, suffixes, and roots, in line with the TEKS for ELAR.

Step-by-step explanation:

Integrating instruction in morphemes aligns with the continuum of word-reading skills for first graders in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR). Once students have grasped reading and spelling closed and open-syllable words, learning about morphemes - the smallest units of meaning in a language - becomes a natural next step.

Morphemic analysis involves studying the structure of words and can enhance vocabulary development and reading comprehension. Activities may include recognizing and using common prefixes and suffixes, identifying root words, and understanding how word meaning changes with the addition or alteration of morphemes.

For instance, a teacher might present a word like 'unhappy' and guide students to identify 'un-' as a prefix that changes the meaning of the root word 'happy.' Through these exercises, students not only expand their reading and spelling skills but also deepen their semantic and syntactic knowledge, which are critical components of grammar and language construction.