Morpheme Frequency in Academic Words: Identifying High-Utility Morphemes for Instruction

ABSTRACT

Knowledge of morphemes, the smallest meaningful units within words, contributes to word reading skills, vocabulary, and text comprehension. However, selecting which morphemes to teach can present a challenge for teachers. To date, researchers have not systematically analyzed morphemes in English words to determine which ones are most useful for teachers. This study was conducted to identify high utility morphemes for instruction by determining the frequency with which morphemes occur in academic words. A database of 4,907 words was organized by content area and analyzed to determine how frequently specific roots and affixes appeared. The results are presented through morpheme frequency lists generated for the full collection and by content area. Finally, implications for instruction are discussed and additional resources for teachers are provided.

KEYWORDS:

• Academic vocabulary
• Content area literacy
• Instructional strategies and materials; morphology;  morphemes; morpheme frequency;  morphological awareness; word identification