Derivational Relations

Early Derivational Relations

• can spell most words they use in writing correctly

• spells doubling and e-drop at syllable juncture words correctly

• use but confuse unaccented vowels in derivationally related pairs

• Middle Derivational Relations

• spells common Latin suffixes and prefixes correctly

• use but confuse some Greek letter-sound relationships

• use but confuse Greek and Latin elements

Late Derivational Relations

• spells words correctly more often

• use but confuse advanced suffixes

• use but confuse absorbed prefixes

Support your child's word study in generative vocabulary. Generative refers to the ability to apply knowledge of how words work when encountering new words. Use word sorts to address contrasts among derivationally related words such as labor with laborious and acquire with acquisition.

Use graphic organizers to build vocabulary webs. This exercise allows your child to focus on specific words. An example image can be found here.

Students will be using dictionaries frequently in the derivational relations stage. Ensure that they understand the features--pronunciation guides, multiple definitions, sample sentences, parts of speech, and so on. It is helpful to have at least one dictionary available that has information about word origins.

English Language Learners have the potential to be more sensitive to words than monolingual speakers simply because they must be more analytical--of their home language as well as English--in order to understand the nature of sound spelling-sound-meaning relationships.

• Studying cognates has been found to be productive at the derivational relations stage. Word sorts can aid in this study.

• It is not helpful to ask your child to sound words out at this stage. Remind your child that trying to rely on sound-letter correspondences at this stage will be more frustrating.

• As with the last stage, dictionaries that show both their home language and English translations can be helpful.