I made a prefix packet called Powerful Prefixes to start off the unit. I focused on five prefixes: pre-. re-. un-. in-. and dis-. These are the more common prefixes and most of my students already know un- and re- so it gives them some confidence to start with the more familiar ones. In the unit there are prefix graphics which show the prefix and meaning. I enlarge these to use as posters in our room and I shrink them up to glue into our reading journals. I normally introduce one prefix each day of the week and have students glue in the graphic at the top of their journal page. We then brainstorm words we already know that include the prefix along with meanings from the prefix. I also sometimes have students work with a partner to come up with a sentence using a word with the prefix. The harder part is being sure they include context clues to help others figure out the meaning of the word. We get into that a lot more in January but it's fun to start a bit early...especially if you have a higher group.
The unit also includes a matching game that students can play in the style of Memory. It includes directions, 15 word cards (with prefixes for each word), 15 word meaning cards, and an answer sheet for students to check their answers. Included also are two worksheets you can use. One has sentences with missing words and a word box for students to pull from. The other has a paragraph where students must fill in the five missing words using the word box. I like to use these as a pre and post assessment to find out where my kids are in the beginning and to find out who still needs more help at the end of the week.