The Prefix RE-: A FREE Morphology Lesson
- Cate O'Donnell
- Dec 11, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 28, 2024
Morphology is a powerful tool for teaching older students both decoding longer words and understanding new vocabulary words. We use the prefix re- to change the meaning of a word. The prefix re- is used with verbs. It changes the meaning of the verb to mean it happens again. We only use the prefix re- with verbs.
Note: The prefix re- can also mean back. When used in this way, we do not add it to a base word. Instead, we combine the prefix with roots that are not complete words. For example, reject means to send back. We will explore more words with this usage of the prefix re- when we introduce this type of root.
Luckily, we can add prefixes to base words without changing the spelling of the base word.
In this lesson, you will teach students many things.
prefixes come at the beginning of words
prefixes change the meaning of a word
prefixes are not words, but they are units of meaning
we use the prefix re- to mean an action is done again
we only use the prefix re- with verbs
It is helpful for students to know the parts of speech as they work on morphology. If your students need to work on parts of speech, I highly recommend this writing program. It teaches writing complete sentences based on parts of speech. If you need to, you can even use these two programs at the same time.
Teaching the Prefix RE-
To teach your students about the prefix re-, display the presentation below. You can access the presentation from this website for free. You can also purchase the slideshow for use at school.
Since prefixes do not change the spelling of the base words, I recommend focusing on the meaning of the words by having students write or say sentences.
You display a base word from the presentation.
Students write the word with the re- prefix in their writing notebooks or on a whiteboard.
You display the words with the prefix re- from the presentation (the next slide).
Students say or write a sentence using the base word. Then, say or write a different sentence using the word with the prefix.
You get five days of practice with the prefix. You also get 25 mixed review practice slides to use later in the year.
Check out this list of words with the prefix. You can use this list to build your own activities for your classroom. You can also get a printable .pdf!
Do you love this lesson? You can access all of the morphology lessons for FREE on this website! You can also purchase the presentations!
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