Materials and equipment

Dictionary
Flip chart and markers
Handout 8.9: Prefixes and Suffixes (2 pages)
Optional: List of prefixes and suffixes

Preparation

Copy handout.
Optional: Find a list of prefixes and suffixes and their meanings from your collection.

STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS

1. Ask tutors to give you words that can be made based on the root word medic. List these on the flip chart. Visually set the root word off from its prefixes and suffixes. You could box in the root word, circle in red the suffixes and circle in blue the prefixes.
2. In a similar fashion, add any words from this that they miss – medicine, medical, medicinal, premedication, medic, medicable, Medicare, medicate. Note that the root word medic is spelled the same in all instances, although the c is sometimes pronounced as s.
3. Ask for definitions of the words (the following ones come from the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, second edition):
   • medicine: the practice of the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease; also any drug or preparation used for the treatment or prevention of disease
   • medical: of or relating to the practice of medicine in general
   • medicinal: having healing properties
   • premedication: medication to prepare for surgery or other treatment
   • medic: informal name for a doctor or medical student
   • medicable: able to be treated or cured medically
   • Medicare: a federal and state system of health insurance in the United States for those requiring financial assistance
   • medicate: to treat medically
4. Discuss how the endings change the meanings and parts of speech. For example, medicinal describes something (adjective) and medication is a thing (noun).
5. Emphasize that knowledge of parts of words assists in word identification, spelling and vocabulary development.
6. Mention that there are lists of prefixes and suffixes and their meanings. Show an example from your program’s collection and give tutors the handout.