I have joined this fun linky for Little Friendly Ghosts. You can click on the image above and find many resources using these ghosts! More will be added through October 31! Enjoy browsing.
Here are my activities:
This seems like a great opportunity to talk about compound words. Learning about compound words is another strategy for building vocabulary. The three types of compound words—closed, open, and hyphenated—can be confusing for kids (and adults).
The words we think of most often when we think of compound words are closed compounds. The two words are written together as one word. It is important that the two little words contribute to the meaning of the new word. For example, “moonlight” is light from the moon and a “scarecrow” is meant to scare crows. A “carpet” is NOT a car for pets, so “carpet” is NOT a compound word. In my classroom we call these “fake” compound words. The two little words do help us learn the spelling, but not the meaning. Of course, with some compound words the meaning of the two words together can be less clear than with others, as in “butterfly.” Sometimes the meaning becomes clear if the word parts are explained: “breakfast” is the meal when we break our fast (from not eating all night).
The second type of compound words are two words that are written apart, but have a meaning together, such as “full moon” and “ice cream.”
Hyphenated compound words, such as “trick-or-treat” and “thirty-one,” have a few rules for where we find them. Modifying compounds are often hyphenated, especially when they precede a noun, such as in the case of “full-time teacher,” “high-speed chase,” and “hundred-yard dash.” I do not try to teach these rules to my third graders!
I do teach my students that 2 digit numbers when written out are hyphenated, “twenty-six” and “fifty-four.” I also share that there are three kinds of compound words to watch for. We learn which is the right way to write them by paying attention to them when we see them. We can also check with a resource (friend, teacher, dictionary) to be sure we are writing words the correct way.
Have a fun day!
Word of the Day