Glossary · Word parts and vocabulary
What is morphological awareness?
Definition
Morphological awareness is a student's ability to notice and use the meaningful parts of words to read, spell and work out meanings.
It's the morphology equivalent of phonemic awareness. A student with good morphological awareness hears that teacher means one who teaches, notices that sign and signature are related, and guesses that unlockable means can be unlocked.
It grows through the upper grades and predicts reading comprehension more and more as words get longer. By middle school, most new words students meet are built from familiar parts, so the students who look inside words have a large advantage.
It can be taught directly. Word sums, affix peeling and root families all build it. So does a simple habit during reading: when a long word appears, ask “What parts do you see?”
In a lesson
Say “unbelievable” and ask the student how many meaning parts they hear. They find un, believe and able, and explain the word as not able to be believed.
Examples
Each word with its spelling units, one per sound.
- signatures·i·g·n·a·ture
- unbelievableu·n·b·e·l·ie·v·a·b·le
- helpfulh·e·l·p·f·u·l
- playersp·l·ay·er·s
Words come from our lexicon, checked against a pronouncing dictionary. Words a student sees in our assessments are left out.
Why does this matter for the record?
Check it with a new word now and then, such as “What might uncookable mean?” A sensible answer is better evidence than a correct definition from a list.
Rate each skill as you teach it
Needs support, Developing, Secure. The rating schedules the review and builds the report.