Phonics pattern

Suffixes: -ful, -less, -ly, -er, -est

A suffix is a word part added to the end of a base word that changes its meaning or how it is used: hopeless, kindly, softer. Reading suffixes as chunks is one of the biggest steps toward reading longer words.

Spellings: -ful, -less, -ly, -er, -est

How to teach it

Teach the suffix and what it means (-less means without), with three or four words the student can explain.
Read words by covering the suffix, reading the base, then reading the whole word. Build new words by adding the suffix to known bases.
Dictate words base first, then suffix. Later, teach the spelling changes (doubling, drop e, y to i) one at a time.

Practice words

Read them across, then down. Point under each word as it is read.

faster
longest
kindly
gladly
harmless
painless
playful
joyful
restful
fondness
thickness
stillness

Decodable sentences

Jen can run faster than Max.
The kitten is playful and soft.
It was a windy, chilly day.

Spoken warm-ups

No print. Say the prompt; the student answers aloud. Sounds are written between slashes.

Spoken warm-ups for Suffixes: -ful, -less, -ly, -er, -est
You say	The student says
Say ‘help’. Add /ful/ to the end. What word?	helpful
Say ‘kindly’. Say it without /lee/.	kind
Say ‘harmless’. Change /less/ to /ful/. What word?	harmful

Common errors

Reading the base word and guessing the rest. Underline the suffix and read it as one chunk.
Spelling the suffix by sound (hopeliss). Suffixes have fixed spellings; practice them as units.
Not knowing the meaning. A quick oral check (what does careless mean?) makes the word stick.

Which lessons teach this

If you teach UFLI Foundations, this pattern comes up in these 16 lessons. Teach from your own manual.

Literacy Trail is an independent tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the University of Florida Literacy Institute. It contains no UFLI lesson content, only lesson names and order.

Questions people ask

Are these words from an assessment?

No. The practice words, sentences and warm-ups here are written for teaching and are kept separate from the words in the Literacy Trail assessments, so practicing never teaches the test.

When is a student ready for suffixes?

When they read and spell the pattern before it (two-syllable closed words) accurately and without prompting, most of the time. Keep reviewing earlier patterns for two minutes a session while the new one settles.

How long should practice take?

A few minutes a day beats one long session a week. Read the word list once or twice, dictate three or four words, and read a sentence or two. Rate how it went and bring the pattern back on a short schedule if it is shaky.

Plan sessions for this pattern automatically

Start the 15-day free trial and add a student. When they reach suffixes, Literacy Trail plans the sessions for it automatically, and a Needs support or Developing rating brings it back for review.

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