Early in my teaching career, I struggled to fit in grammar lessons during jam-packed reading blocks. I knew grammar was important, but the time constraints made it challenging. I was determined to find a solution, so I created a concise 2nd-grade grammar unit designed to be taught in under 15 minutes each day.
Now, I’m sharing my favorite no-prep suffix activities to simplify your planning and engage your students. From teaching tips to books and videos, you’ll find everything you need to teach suffixes for 2nd graders effectively and efficiently!
What Is A Suffix?
Suffixes are letters added to the end of a root word that change its meaning. When I teach suffixes to my 2nd graders, I like to use the parts of a pencil as a metaphor. The lead is the prefix, the body is the root word, and the eraser (or end of the pencil) is the suffix.
Suffix Examples
There are around 26 commonly used suffixes in the English language. I typically teach the 8 most common in 2nd grade.
| Suffix | Examples |
|---|---|
| -er (more) | sweeter, colder, sunnier |
| -est (most) | sweetest, coldest, sunniest |
| -ful (full of) | useful, cheerful, harmful |
| -less (without) | hopeless, colorless, useless |
| -able (able to be) | washable, understandable, drinkable |
| -er (person who) | teacher, farmer, writer |
| -ly (in a _____ way) | kindly, sleepily, wisely |
| -ness (state of being) | illness, quietness, freshness |
Suffix Spelling Rules
Teaching suffixes can be a bit more challenging than prefixes because of the different spelling rules. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as simply adding the suffix.
The rules take a bit longer to catch on to which is why I like to explicitly teach them and then provide ample amount of practice.
| Suffix Spelling Rule | Examples |
|---|---|
| Rule 1: Doubling When a word ends with a short vowel followed by a single consonant, double the consonant before adding a vowel suffix (but don’t double w, x, or y!) | Big-Bigger Jog-Jogger Box-Boxer |
| Rule 2: Drop the E When a word ends ina silent e, drop the e before adding a vowel suffix. Keep the silent e if you are adding a consonant suffix. | value- valuable dance-dancer hope-hopeful |
| Rule 3: Y becomes I When a word ends with a consonant followed by y, change the y to I before adding the suffix. | silly-silliest happy-happiest beauty-beautiful |
| Rule 4: Keep Y When a word ends with a vowel followed by y, keep the y and add the suffix. | play-playful enjoy-enjoyable gray-grayest |
Note: Vowel suffixes start with a vowel (-er, -est, -able), while a consonant suffixes start with a consonant (-ness, -less, -ful, -ly).
How To Teach Suffixes To 2nd Graders
When teaching suffixes to 2nd graders, I recommend using a variety of strategies over a one-week span. All my grammar units follow a similar sequence so my students are able to become familiar with the routine. Each lesson takes around 15 minutes so it’s easy to squeeze into your reading block!
I always start the week with a mini-lesson PowerPoint presentation followed by whole-group practice. On Tuesday, students will practice suffixes with a partner. This is a great way for me to gauge where we are at after the mini-lesson.
Wednesday consists of a fun center activity (always a fan-favorite day) and on Thursday students will have the opportunity to apply what they have learned about suffixes in their writing.
And finally, Friday (or Day 5) I give a short assessment and (fingers-crossed) celebrate mastery!
Suffixes Lesson Plan
Inside my week-long suffix unit, you’ll find an easy-to-follow lesson plan that walks you through each day. I know how busy 2nd-grade teachers are, so I have made it as no-prep as possible AND each day will take 15 minutes or less!
More Activities To Teach Suffixes
We all know that students learn differently, which is why I strive to deliver content in as many different ways as possible. Here are my favorite activities to help students understand suffixes!
Check out the full suffix unit here!
PowerPoint Minilessons
PowerPoints are a fantastic tool for teaching suffixes, especially for visual learners. The slides I use are designed to keep students engaged with a mix of modeling, group activities, partner work, and independent practice.
It’s a super interactive way to help your class grasp the concept of suffixes while having fun as a whole group!
Reading Passages
Once students have a basic understanding of what a suffix is, they can move into applying the skill in context. This practice helps them recognize and differentiate words with suffixes from those without.
Inside the suffix unit, you’ll find a Grammar Gazette where students can identify the suffixes inside a fun news article. Then, they can use the word bank to write their own news story.
Task Cards
Task Cards are another easy suffix activity that requires little prep. All you have to do is hit print and then cut! I do like to laminate them in order to continue to use them year after year!
These suffix task cards are perfect to be used as a center or as a “roam the room” activity. Students will be able to practice the skill in a direct way by either identifying a suffix in a circle or identifying the meaning of the suffix.
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Online Suffix Activities & Games
Online suffix games are always a favorite in my classroom. With the following games, students will forget they are even learning. I promise they are an effective activity to help bring the concept to life! They could be used as “when I’m finished work” or built into your center time!
1. Education.com: Prefix and Suffix Fish Game
Once your students have wrapped up their lessons on prefixes and suffixes, this Fish Game by Education.com is a fantastic way to keep them engaged! While you’ll need to create a free account to access it, doing so allows you to assign the game to your whole class, making it easy to incorporate into your teaching.
And, if you have any students that need a challenge, there’s a higher-level suffix game (Suffixes with Trucks) where they have to apply their knowledge of spelling and suffixes.
2. WordWall: Gameshow Quiz
Wordwall offers a range of free suffix games, but one of my favorites is the straightforward gameshow activity. Similar to Kahoot, this game allows students to play independently. It features 10 questions about suffixes, complete with a timer and a final score. After finishing, students can click “show answers” to review the correct responses.
On the right side of the screen, there’s also an option to change the game template. This lets students tackle the same questions in a new format, helping them reinforce their knowledge of suffixes in a fresh and engaging way.
3. Room Recess: Base Word Blaster
Base Word Blaster is an interactive game available for both iPads and computers, letting students use a touchscreen or mouse. It’s a super simple, yet effective game where students drag the rocket to separate the root word from the suffix.
It’s a great way to visually see the process of adding and removing a suffix. If students get stuck, they can watch the included video lesson for help!
Books to Teach Suffixes
I am a strong believer in using books as a tool to help bring all different topics to life. These suffix books do a wonderful job at doing just that!
1. Happy Endings: A Story About Suffixes
by Robin Pulver
If your kids liked the adventures of the prefixes in Mr. Wright’s class, they will love this one!
The suffixes work to defend themselves to avoid being tackled after lunch. I guarantee your students will ask you to read it more than once!
2. If You Were a Suffix
by Marcie Aboff
The Word Fun series is a great tool to add to your Grammar library! This one does a great job of explaining suffixes in a fun and easy-to-understand way.
The suffixes are grouped together by rule or pattern which makes it easier for your class to categorize/understand.
3. -Ful and -Less, -Er and -Ness
by Brian P. Clearly
The comical cats are back, but this time with suffixes! Clearly writes in an engaging way that helps students understand how suffixes change the meaning of a word.
My students love this series so much that I’m working towards collecting all 27 of them!
Videos That Teach Suffixes
1. Suffixes for Kids (Homeschool Pop)
If you find that your class needs a bit more reinforcers after the initial suffix PowerPoint, this is a great video to have ready!
It’s just under 9-minutes long and explains suffixes in a clear and slow manner. They use a fun narrator animation plus real videos to keep your class engaged.
2. Wizards of Words (GoNoodle)
This is a fun one to use as a celebration at the end of each grammar lesson! The Blazer Fresh trio dance and sing while explaining prefixes and suffixes.
Make sure your class gets up and dances along!
3. Roots, Prefixes and Suffixes (BrainPop Jr)
After you have finished teaching about root words, prefixes and suffixes, this is a great video to use as a review. BrainPop always does a great job of presenting the information in an engaging and kid-friendly way!
If you have a BrainPop Jr. account, you could do the quiz as a class for some additional practice!
More Grammar Resources for Second Graders
Looking for more grammar resources for your second graders? Check out some of my top posts, resources, and freebies below!
- FREE Grammar Worksheets and Activities for 2nd-grade
- 25 Easy-to-Find Mentor Texts to Teach Grammar Skills
- Back to School Grammar Review for 2nd Grade
- 2nd Grade Grammar Curriculum that Fits Any Schedule
- FREE Second-grade Grammar Assessment Tool
Click here to see the COMPLETE year-long grammar curriculum!
Try these suffix activities with your second graders an let me know how it goes!
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