When I first started teaching, I found it difficult to plan and squeeze in grammar lessons. Grammar always seemed to be the first to go during a busy reading block. I knew the importance of explicitly teaching these skills, so I knew something had to change. To solve this problem, I created a complete unit of 2nd grade prefix activities that can be taught in 10-15 minutes or less each day!
So, without further ado, here are my favorite no prep prefix activities for 2nd grade that take 15 minutes or less! Below you’ll find exactly how I teach prefixes, my favorite activities, and helpful prefix books and videos!
What Is A Prefix?
Prefixes are groups of letters added at the beginning of a word to change its meaning. When teaching about prefixes, I like to use a pencil as a metaphor to make it a bit more concrete for my students. The prefix is the sharpened lead, the root word is the body of the pencil, and the suffix is the eraser.
Prefix Examples
There are 134 different prefixes in the English language. Our second graders won’t learn them all this year, but here are some of the most common ones you’ll see!
| Prefix | Examples |
|---|---|
| re- | reuse, restart, rebuild |
| un- | unsafe, unusual, unable |
| mis- | misuse, misspell, mistreat |
| pre- | pretest, preview, premade |
| over- | overuse, overreact, overeat |
| dis- | disapprove, disappear, disagree |
| non- | nonfiction, nonsense, nontoxic |
How To Teach Prefixes To 2nd Graders
When teaching prefixes 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 approx. 10 minutes so it’s easy to squeeze into your reading block!
Day 1: On Monday we start the week with a mini-lesson PowerPoint presentation followed by whole-group practice.
Day 2: On Tuesday, students will practice prefixes with a partner. This is a great way for me to gauge where we are at after the mini-lesson.
Day 3: Wednesday consists of a fun center activity using task cards (always a fan-favorite day).
Day 4: On Thursday students work with our “Grammar Gazettes” which are newspaper style articles written by kid reporters. With these, students read prefixes in context and apply what they have learned about prefixes in their writing.
Day 5: On Friday, students take short, easy to grade assessment.
Prefixes Lesson Plan
Inside my week-long Prefix 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’s activities take 15 minutes or less!
No Prep 2nd Grade Prefix Activities
We all know that students learn differently. With these grammar units students practice the skill in several different formats.
1. Prefix Lesson Slides
For our visual learners, using a PowerPoint can be an extremely beneficial way to teach prefixes. The teaching slides I use for teaching prefixes have opportunities for modeling, whole group activities, partner work, and independent practice built in. It’s the perfect way to get your student’s engaged and introduced to the topic.
2. Prefix Reading Passages
After students have a basic understanding of what a prefix is, it’s important that they are able to read words with prefixes context. These fun “Grammar Gazettes” are differentiated for three versions of support.
Version 1: Students write a newspaper story using words in the target skill.
Version 2: Students who need more guidance are given a word bank to use.
Version 3: Students read the article and circle words in the target grammar skill.
3. Prefix worksheets
The included practice worksheets contain a short reading passage and a word /definition match.
4. Prefix Task Cards
I love using task cards in centers or as a “roam the room” activity. Students are able to apply their knowledge in a more independent setting. And, it allows me to quickly check for understanding before I give the final assessment.
More 2nd Grade Prefix Activities & Games
Online prefix games have always been a favorite in my classroom. With the following games, students will forget they are even learning. A win-win!
1. WordWall: Gameshow Quiz
Wordwall has a variety of free Prefix games, but I love this simple gameshow activity. It’s similar to a Kahoot, but students can play individually. The gameshow asks 10 different questions about prefixes and gives students a timer and final score. At the end of the game, students can click “show answers” and see the correct answers.
On the right-hand side, you will also see a box that allows students to switch the template. This way, they can see (and master) the same questions in a different type of game.
2. Room Recess: Prefix Popper
Prefix Popper can be played on an iPad or computer (touch screen or mouse) and is an engaging game where students have to pop the matching prefix to the meaning.
For additional help, Room Recess also has a video lesson, a worksheet, and a quiz!
3. Education.com: Prefix and Suffix Fish Game
After your students are finished learning about prefixes and suffixes, this Fish Game by Education.com is sure to keep their attention! You do have to create a free account to play, but after doing so, you will be able to assign the game to your entire class
Mentor Texts for Teaching Prefixes
I am a strong believer in using books as a tool to help bring all different topics to life. The following prefix books do a wonderful job at doing just that!
1. If You Were a Prefix
by Marcie Aboff
If You Were a Prefix is a great choice to help make prefixes FUN! Through the use of repetition, fun illustrations, and relatable metaphors, this book really brings prefixes to life.
If you end up liking this one, be sure to check out the other grammar books in the Word Fun series!
2. Me First! Prefixes Lead the Way
by Robin Pulver
This silly, yet helpful book follows the prefixes inside Mr. Wright’s classroom. It shows prefixes in action while also giving a lesson on leadership.
My students really enjoy looking at the first page that gives the meaning of each prefix with a picture of the specific character.
3. Pre- and Re-, Mis- and Dis-
by Brian P. Clearly
This book does the best job of explicitly explaining prefixes while giving fun examples through the use of rhymes.
Throughout the story, the prefixes all appear bolded to make them easier to identify.
Videos That Teach Prefixes
1. Prefixes for Kids (Homeschool Pop)
This short video is a great introduction to prefixes. The speaker in the video talks slowly and clearly while explaining the topic.
Through the use of speaking, text, and fun animations, students will learn the definition, common prefixes, and how they change words.
2. Prefixes (Monsters Learn English Show)
After working through some of the above prefix activities, this is a great video to use as a review.
It’s a fun Monster Game Show where the host will truly engage your class through the use of jokes and questioning.
3. Prefixes For Kids (Tutoring Hour)
I enjoy this video as it uses puzzle pieces when creating new words with prefixes. It’s just 3-minutes long which makes it easy to add to any of the above days!
This would be a great video to use before doing your own hands-on puzzle prefix activity!
4. Build New Words (Jack Hartmann)
No grammar unit is complete without the help of a fun song! This Jack Hartmann song is fun and interactive to drive home how prefixes change a word.
It does discuss suffixes too, so it might be best to use after students have learned both!
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
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Click here to see the COMPLETE year-long grammar curriculum!
I hope you’ll try these 2nd grade prefix activities with your students. I’d love to hear how it goes!
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