Suffix Rules: 5 Helpful Strategies for Teaching Suffixes

Inside: Strategies for introducing and practicing common suffix rules.

Every year, I have a small group of students who breeze through spelling patterns. They feel confident in their ability to apply phonics skills… That is until we get to suffixes. Suddenly, all the learned spelling rules go out the window, and words that were once familiar become confusing.

As a teacher, this is hard to watch.

The last thing I want is to see my students’ confidence fade. That’s why I focus on giving them clear, consistent strategies for adding suffixes. It’s important for students to build on what they know, and not let new concepts confuse them.

Whole group practice helps most students conquer these rules, but sometimes it’s not enough. That’s why I’ve gathered some of my favorite, easy-to-implement strategies to help your students add suffixes to words with ease.

After nine years of teaching second grade, these strategies have made a big impact on my students’ decoding and encoding skills.

Bonus: If you need some additional practice with adding suffixes, make sure to read to the end of the post and grab your free suffix card game!

1. Verb Tense Suffix Rules: ed and ing

Before teaching suffix rules for ed and ing, I like to start with a quick review of verbs. A fun way to do this is to write a bunch of verbs on index cards, toss them in a bag, and have a student pick one out of a bag. Students have a blast acting out the verbs they choose.

Remember, the sillier the verbs, the more memorable the activity. Some verbs to try:

• jump
• hide
• burp
• sneeze
• wiggle
• yawn
• snore

Teach verb suffixes step by step.

1. After the warm-up, explain how to change the tense by just adding ed or ing to the end of the verbs.
   • lift – lifting, lifted
   • walk – walking, walked
2. Use hand motions to show how to add a suffix.
   • Put your hands close together when saying a base word like “play”.
   • Move your hands further apart and say the word with a suffix, “playing”.
3. Review spelling changes as appropriate for your students (more on this later).
4. Use dry erase boards for a quick, low-prep way to reinforce this concept. This will give you a quick assessment of who understands the concept.
   • Sample dictation words:
     • jumped
     • kicking
     • twisted
     • sniffed
     • burning

2. Plural Nouns Suffix Rules: s and es

If only forming plural nouns was as easy as always adding s. That would make our lives a lot easier.

It’s easy to see how students can get confused with plural nouns. Before they know it, students start encountering words like box, wish, or buzz, and things start to get a little tricky. To build confidence and clear up confusion, I like to make the s/es lesson highly visual and interactive. This keeps students motivated and prepares them for even trickier rules down the road.

Teach s and es step by step.

1. Make a two column chart.
   • In the first column, make a list of familiar nouns such as dog, chin, wish, and box. Draw a simple sketch for each one.
   • In the second column, write the plural form of each noun, and include a sketch to demonstrate the difference between singular and plural.
2. Discuss the rules:
   • Add s to make most nouns plural.
   • Add es to make nouns plural if they end in s, x, ch, sh, or z.
   • Call students’ attention to the fact that words that sound like they end in /iz/ need es.
3. Give students practice using dry erase boards. Show them the singular noun, and have them write the plural form.
   • beach(es)
   • class(es)
   • desk(s)
   • buzz(es)
   • itch(es)
   • pen(s)
   • crash(es)

Try it – If your students are having trouble understanding the difference between singular an plural nouns, have them label actual items of sets of items in your classroom.

3. Comparative and Superlative Adjectives: er and est

Teaching students how to use comparative and superlative adjectives using -er and -est can be a lot of fun.

Yes, I said grammar can be fun.

Try bringing in real objects and let students make their own comparisons. This will reinforce suffix rules and help students build descriptive language skills they’ll use in both writing and speaking.

Teach adjective suffixes step by step

1. Give students similar objects or ideas and ask them to make comparisons based on size, thickness, etc. You can also use simple prompts or images.
   • This pencil point is sharper than that one.
   • The teacher chair is softer than the student chairs.
   • Chicken nuggets are the tastiest cafeteria lunch.
2. Explain how we use er and est.
   • We use er to compare two things or ideas.
   • We use est to compare three or more things or ideas.
3. Review spelling changes as appropriate for your students (more on this later).
4. Dictate a list of adjectives for students to turn into comparative or superlative forms. You can say the base word and let them write both forms—or mix it up for a challenge.
   • cold – colder – coldest
   • rich – richer – richest
   • fast – faster – fastest
   • tall – taller – tallest

4. Teaching Suffixes with Tricky Spellings

And just when you think your students have mastered suffixes… In come words like popping, and trickier. These tricky spelling changes can throw students through a loop if you’re not careful

That’s why I take time to teach each rule explicitly through whole group and small group practice.

What are those tricky spelling rules? Here are three big ones.

1. Double the consonant
   • When a base word ends in a short vowel followed by a single consonant, double the final consonant before adding -ed or -ing.
   • hop – hopping – hopped
2. Drop silent e
   • If the base word ends in a silent e, drop the e before adding -ed or -ing.
   • bake – baking – baked
3. Change the y to an i
   • When a base word ends in a consonant + y, change the y to i before adding suffixes like -es, -er, -est, or -ed.
   • bury – buried
   • fluffy – fluffier – fluffiest
   • party – parties

If you are looking for an engaging, no-prep way to introduce these rules, I’ve created two presentations that will walk your students step by step through these three big spelling changes.

Click on the links below to check out my interactive presentations that take your students step by step through the spelling changes rules.

Why you’ll love these presentations:

• They explicitly teach the rules in a way that is engaging.
• They provide meaningful practice with immediate feedback.
• The candy theme adds a layer of fun and keeps students engaged.

See it in my TPT Store

See it in my TPT Store

5. Back to the Basics

Sometimes, the act of adding a suffix can throw students off their game, and they may even misspell a base word that you know they know how to spell correctly. In these cases, I work with small groups and practice adding common suffixes to base words – without all the messy spelling changes.

If you find yourself with a group of students who need some basic work with suffixes, I have a freebie designed just for you!

Check out this free suffix card game!

Here’s how to play.

1. Students pick a base word card and a suffix card.
2. They decide if they’ve made a real or nonsense word.
3. Real words get recorded on an ice cream scoop, but nonsense words mean they lose a turn!
4. The first player to fill up their ice cream cone wins!

To download this game, fill in the form below, and I will immediately send it straight to your inbox.

Suffixes can be tricky to some students. However, I believe students can master them (and have fun in the process).

Do you have any favorite ways to teacher suffixes? If so, please share them in the comments. I’d love to hear from you!

Don’t forget to grab the freebie before you leave!