Morphology
Last updated
Morphology is the study of morphemes, the smallest units of meaning in words, such as roots, prefixes and suffixes.
Topic: Reading and writing instruction
In plain terms
"Unhelpful" has three morphemes: un (not), help and ful (full of). Understanding morphology helps students read and spell long words and figure out the meaning of unfamiliar ones. It includes inflections like -ed and -s, as well as Greek and Latin roots that appear in academic vocabulary. Morphology becomes more important from upper elementary on, when most new words students meet in science and social studies are built from these parts.
How it shows up in an IEP
Goals can target reading, spelling or defining words with taught affixes and roots. In speech-language goals, morphology often refers to using grammatical endings correctly in speech.
Example
A seventh grader learns "port" means carry, then explains "transport," "export" and "portable" using the root and affix meanings.
Related terms
- Syllable typesSyllable types are the six common patterns of English syllables, each signaling how the vowel is likely to sound.
- SyntaxSyntax is the set of rules for combining words into phrases and sentences, including word order and sentence structure.
- SemanticsSemantics is the meaning side of language: vocabulary, word relationships, categories and multiple meanings.
- DecodingDecoding is using knowledge of letter-sound patterns to read a printed word by turning letters into sounds and blending them.
- Structured literacyStructured literacy is an approach to reading instruction that teaches language systems explicitly and systematically, from sounds to meaning.
On IEP Atlas
This page describes special education terms and federal rules in general terms and is not legal advice. Our editorial policy explains how IEP Atlas writes and reviews content. Browse all 244 terms.