Teacher notes for this lesson. Two sides of A4, not for pupils.Mild sheetMedium sheetSpicy sheetAnswers
Teacher notes · not for pupils Spelling sequence

Front of the Word

Prefixes: un-, dis-, mis-, in-, re-, sub-, inter-, super-, anti-, auto-

Lesson 9 of 17
Year 3 45 min

Objective

Add the prefixes un-, dis-, mis-, in-, re-, sub-, inter-, super-, anti- and auto- to root words without altering the root.

Board title: Adding prefixes  ·  Say it: “Today we're bolting beginnings like un-, mis- and super- onto the front of words to change their meaning, and keeping every letter of the root when we do.”

Curriculum

  • Y3/4: prefixes un-, dis-, mis-, in-, re-, sub-, inter-, super-, anti-, auto-
  • Y2: the prefix un- (revisited)
  • Terminology: prefix · root word
  • STA domain: spelling (S)

Success criteria

  • say what a beginning adds to a word
  • keep all the letters of the root
  • spell misspell with two s
  • pick the beginning that fits my meaning

Key vocabulary

prefix · root word · meaning · opposite · join

Run of the lesson

5 min
Starter: write kind, then unkind. Ask what was taken away. Nothing was, kind is still all there. Don't explain further yet.
9 min
Model, meaning before spelling: cover the beginning with your hand so only the root shows, uncover it, ask what the meaning did. Then today's new ground, inter-, super-, anti-, auto-, sub-: give each meaning first, then two words each.
5 min
The join drill: say it out loud, mis, then spell. Two pieces, two s, write them separately and push them together. Then the four votes, a child says WHY before each reveal (answers: a-left, b-right, c-left, d-left).
8 min
Root & Branch on the whiteboard, Medium band (dis-, mis-, pre-, re-). Read the clue, agree the meaning, say the whole word before you tap. Dip into Spicy for the last few minutes, that is where inter-, super-, anti-, auto- and in- live, and those five are what this lesson adds.
15 min
Worksheet, independent. Circulate on Task 3, beginnings ringed: watch for the prefix written as a separate word, super market, and for Task 2's honest double letter, unnatural really does keep both n's.
3 min
Plenary: two children read a Task 3 word, class names the beginning and what it means. Then the class quiz: how many s in Polpetta's mis + spell?
On screenSPAGhetti → Root & Branch → Medium. One screen only; no pupil devices needed. Medium covers dis-, mis-, pre- and re-; inter-, super-, anti-, auto- and in- live in the Spicy set, dip into Spicy for the last five minutes, because those five are what this lesson adds.
SPAGhetti · Spelling sequence · Lesson 9 of 17  ·  Teacher notes 1 of 2
Teacher notes · not for pupils Front of the Word · side 2

On the day

If the tech failsSkip the game entirely. Task 1 is the same content on paper, read the four pairs aloud and vote with thumbs. The lesson still works.
If they're on devicesLesson code PREFC (on the worksheet footer) opens the right game, locks the café until 10 items are done, then unlocks it as the reward.

Misconceptions to watch for

Dropping a letter at the join. mispell, unecessary, disatisfied. The eye rejects the double letter and the hand obeys. Write the prefix and the root as two separate pieces first, then push them together.

Writing the prefix as a separate word. super market, anti clockwise, auto pilot. A prefix is not a word and cannot stand alone. Show it with no space, then read the joined word aloud.

in- where un- belongs, and the reverse. uncorrect, inhappy. Nothing predicts which root takes which. It is learnt word by word, build a list on the wall and add to it as words come up.

Hunting for a root that is not there. automatic, antiseptic. The leftover is not an English word, and children conclude they have got it wrong. Tell them the meaning still works: auto means by itself, anti means against.

The three sheets

Same four tasks on every sheet, in the same order, with the same look. Only the demand changes. Print the one each child needs; nobody does two.

Mild

Same four tasks as every other sheet, same order, same look, the demand is lower, not the dignity. Shorter passage in Task 2, and in Task 3 a word bank or words to tick, with printed sentence starters. Give it to anyone who needs a way in, and expect them to move up.

Medium

The core sheet. Give this to most of the class. No word bank; in Task 3 pupils choose from a few close options, then use one in a sentence of their own.

Spicy

Same four tasks, more demand, a longer passage with a subtler error, and Task 3 asks for two things at once. Not extra work; harder work. Nobody should be doing Spicy and the Medium sheet.

Adaptive teaching

  • Support: prefix cards and root cards, cut out. They join them physically before writing anything down.
  • SEN: gentle mode on; read Task 2 aloud before they edit.
  • Stretch: Task 3 extension, one sentence using two words that begin with different prefixes.
  • EAL: super-, inter-, anti- and auto- travel across languages. Ask what they already recognise before you teach them.

Play it

Lesson code PREFC at playspaghetti.com. The code is printed on the bottom of every pupil sheet with a QR, and Class Quiz in your dashboard opens the plenary quiz for this lesson pre-picked.

SPAGhetti · Spelling sequence · Lesson 9 of 17  ·  Teacher notes, not for pupils 2 of 2  ·  Ludora