Title of Strategy: Structural Analysis
Description: Structural Analysis refers to using the larger ‘chunks’ within words that ‘carry meaning’ (morphemes) to help recognize (decode) words more quickly than sounding them out letter by letter. Structural analysis can be introduced as students are moving beyond the basic sound – letter relationships.
Structural analysis looks for the prefixes + root + suffixes that are so commonly used to build words in English. (Most of these roots and affixes are from Latin or Greek.) When using structural analysis as a decoding intervention, teachers may want to consider the following order of presentation.
1. Teach student a few common prefixes and suffixes (If needed, introduce one affix at a time and proceed through steps before adding more or combining them.)
2. Show student how words can be made (and decoded) by spotting these chunks (Depending on age or need, use preprinted manipulatives to demonstrate how the words can be assembled and disassembled.)
3. Teach how affixes change the meaning of the root words.
4. Provide student with a brief text where they can find samples and practice decoding.
5. The following are some of the most commonly used.
Prefixes Meaning Suffixes
un- not, or opposite of
re- again, back
in-, im-, ir-, il- not
dis- reverse of, apart from
more -er
most -est
able to, can -able, -ible
full of -ful
without -less
Description: Structural Analysis refers to using the larger ‘chunks’ within words that ‘carry meaning’ (morphemes) to help recognize (decode) words more quickly than sounding them out letter by letter. Structural analysis can be introduced as students are moving beyond the basic sound – letter relationships.
Structural analysis looks for the prefixes + root + suffixes that are so commonly used to build words in English. (Most of these roots and affixes are from Latin or Greek.) When using structural analysis as a decoding intervention, teachers may want to consider the following order of presentation.
- Begin by choosing example words where the roots are fully recognizable words AND words that students already know AND are commonly used in several variations. (Example: view, view+ing, re+view, re+view+ing, pre+view, pre+view+ed)
- Move to words using the same prefix and/or suffix over and over again (un+know+able, un+stop+able, un+control+able)
- Next use words where the spelling of the root drops a final ‘e’ before adding a suffix beginning with a vowel (liv+able, mov+ing, un+believ+able, pre+packag+ing)
- Lastly point out words that use a root that is not a recognizable word (pre-ceed+ing, re+peat+ed, dis+gust+ed)
1. Teach student a few common prefixes and suffixes (If needed, introduce one affix at a time and proceed through steps before adding more or combining them.)
2. Show student how words can be made (and decoded) by spotting these chunks (Depending on age or need, use preprinted manipulatives to demonstrate how the words can be assembled and disassembled.)
3. Teach how affixes change the meaning of the root words.
4. Provide student with a brief text where they can find samples and practice decoding.
5. The following are some of the most commonly used.
Prefixes Meaning Suffixes
un- not, or opposite of
re- again, back
in-, im-, ir-, il- not
dis- reverse of, apart from
more -er
most -est
able to, can -able, -ible
full of -ful
without -less