When to use it
We recommend morphology when students show low scores in phonological awareness or spelling on the Talamo assessment. While classroom instruction can introduce morphological concepts, a one-to-one intervention like Morph Mastery often yields significant breakthroughs for struggling learners.
What is Morphology?
Morphology explores how words are constructed and understood through their smallest units of meaning:
Prefixes: Added to the beginning of a root to modify its meaning (un-, re-, dis-).
Roots: The base of the word that carries the primary meaning (act, graph, spect).
Suffixes: Added to the end of a root to alter its grammatical function (-ed, -ly, -ness).
This approach equips students to decode unfamiliar words, identify patterns, and predict meanings, fostering improved spelling and comprehension skills.
Using Morphology at School
Explicit Teaching
Introduce common prefixes, roots, and suffixes, emphasising their meanings and functions.
Create word banks and visual charts to show how words are formed.
Word Construction Activities
Engage students in constructing and deconstructing words using morphemes. For instance, explore how happy becomes unhappy or happiness.
Contextual Application
Encourage students to apply morphological knowledge in reading tasks across subjects like Science (biology, microscope) or English (disagree, joyful).
One-to-One Support
For children requiring intensive help, consider a structured intervention programme like Morph Mastery, which provides targeted activities to build morphological awareness systematically.
Morph Mastery: Tailored Intervention for SEN
Morph Mastery is a research-based programme designed to improve morphological skills. It offers structured activities that guide students through understanding and applying morphemes in reading and writing tasks.
Who benefits?
Children who struggle with phonics or spelling.
Older learners needing additional support in understanding complex vocabulary.
What's included?
The Morph Mastery book and training options provide teachers with:
Ready-to-use lesson plans.
Interactive activities tailored to different age groups.
Strategies for embedding morphology into everyday learning.
For children who don't like phonics
Some children find phonics instruction unengaging or struggle to connect with its sound-based approach. Morph Mastery offers an alternative by shifting the focus from decoding sounds to understanding the meaning of words.
Instead of relying solely on phonetic patterns, children explore how words are formed, giving them a different and often more intuitive entry point into reading and spelling.
For children struggling with spelling
Traditional spelling instruction often emphasises rote memorisation of word lists, which can overwhelm children with working memory or processing difficulties. Morph Mastery offers a structured yet flexible approach, teaching students to break words into manageable morphemes. This method simplifies complex words and reveals predictable patterns, making spelling less daunting.
Accessing Morph Master
Book purchase
The Morph Mastery book is available on Amazon and provides comprehensive resources for teaching morphology.
Training options
To maximise the programme’s impact, consider training sessions by the author Louise Selby, tailored for educators and SEN practitioners:
Taster Session (1.5 hours): Introduction to theory and practical ideas.
Principles & Practice (3 hours): In-depth training for all staff or booster group teachers.
Complete Intervention Training (8 hours): Comprehensive training for implementing the programme fully (pricing available on request).