Exploring Suffix -ful

Curriculum Alignment

Subject: English
Year Level: Year 2
Australian Curriculum Area:

• Sub-strand: Language – Expressing and Developing Ideas
  Content Descriptor:
  "Understand the use of suffixes to change the meaning of base words in written and spoken English such as play/ playful, help/ helpful (ACELA1471)."

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Lesson Objectives

By the end of this 40-minute session, students will:

1. Understand what the suffix -ful means and how it changes a word's meaning.
2. Identify and form words with the suffix -ful in oral and written contexts.
3. Use words with -ful in simple sentences to convey meaning.

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Resources

• Whiteboard/markers
• A3 sheet with “base words” (e.g., help, care, joy, play, use, colour)
• Mini whiteboards and markers (for each student)
• A “suffix spinner” (circular paper spinner with base words in one half and suffixes like -ful, -less, -ness in the other for creative word-building fun)
• Suffix -ful Word Match Cards: Sentence prompts and matching -ful word pairs (e.g., “I am feeling ___ today” matches with “joyful”)
• Reward tokens for engagement

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Lesson Breakdown

Introduction (5 minutes)

1. Engage & Connect

   • Begin with a fun riddle:
     "What do you call someone who shares a lot and makes everyone happy? (Hint: The word has 'full' inside it!)"
     Answer: Helpful!

   • Talk about what “helpful” means. Introduce that -ful is a special “word ending” called a suffix. It means “full of.”

   • Display examples on the whiteboard:
     “help” + “-ful” = helpful (full of help)
     “joy” + “-ful” = joyful (full of joy)

Explicit Teaching (10 minutes)

1. Model Adding -ful

   • Demonstrate creating new words by adding -ful to simple base words. Use your voice to emphasise the meaning:
     Care + ful: “If I’m careful, I’m full of care. I’m being safe and gentle!”

2. Visual Chart/Examples

   • Draw a T-chart: Write Base Word in one column and New Word (-ful) in the other:

     Base Word	+ -ful =
     Help	Helpful
     Joy	Joyful
     Colour	Colourful
     Present another example together aloud.

3. Apply in Sentences:

   • Use examples in simple sentences. E.g.,
     “A sunset is so colourful because it’s full of colours!”

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Guided Practice (10 minutes)

Activity 1: “Suffix Spinner Creation Game”

• Pass out a “suffix spinner” to each child. Children spin to land on a base word and then a suffix (focusing on -ful). They create and write the new word on their mini whiteboard.

• Pair-share challenge: Create a sentence with the -ful word and share with the other student.

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Independent Practice (10 minutes)

Activity 2: Sentence Match-Up Challenge

• Distribute the pre-made word and sentence cards. Students will read the sentence prompt (e.g., “She was very kind and ___”) and match it with the correct -ful word (e.g., “helpful!”).

• Students take turns explaining their matched “-ful” words in their sentences: “I chose helpful because it means full of help.”

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Wrap-Up/Reflection (5 minutes)

1. Interactive Review:

   • Write careful, joyful, helpful on the board to quickly revisit meanings. Ask:
     “Which is a word that describes how you feel when you are very happy?” (Expect: Joyful!)

2. Build Excitement for Next Lesson:

   • Let students know they’ll learn the opposite suffix next time (-less) to create words like “careless” (NOT full of care!).

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Differentiation

• Support: Provide visual aids and guide students to match pictures to -ful words during the Sentence Match-Up Challenge.
• Extension: For confident learners, pose a challenge: “Can you come up with a new -ful word?” (E.g., “thoughtful”)

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Assessment

• Observe students’ participation in discussions and activities to check understanding of -ful.
• Review students’ written sentences during the spinner or sentence match-up challenge for correct use and meaning of -ful words.

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Teacher's Final Notes: This fun and interactive session allows students to learn not just what a suffix is but also how it gives words their meaning. The “suffix spinner” game and sentence matching activity provide hands-on learning and peer interaction, ensuring engagement while meeting curriculum objectives.