This morning, I was listening to the Two Writing Teachers podcast as part of my Sunday routine. I’m partial to the “Tip for Tomorrow” episodes, as they’re great for thinking about simple ways to “level up” my teaching. Melanie’s “tip for tomorrow” episode featured a discussion about morphology (hey, kids! that’s a fancy way of talking about word structure).
Melanie’s words were particularly validating to me right now, because that’s so much of the work I’m doing with students. I’m trying to support readers and writers across grade levels through vocabulary, and word structure is a meaningful way to do it. Right now, I’m asking my kids to think about words as Lego blocks: we can build them, we can take them apart, and it helps us make meaning:
Now that I’ve heard Melanie’s words, I’ll be doubling down on my efforts, and you know what? I’ll probably introduce them to the word “morphology.” Why? Because kids love big ideas. I’ll also be leaning into Melanie’s suggestions for using affixes to guide students as spellers.
I’ve got three student groups this week, and I can’t wait to share my learning. You’ve gotta love it when the “tip for tomorrow” is literally a tip…for tomorrow. Let’s go!
Soapbox: The Way I see Things 
I love your reference page, and I think you do have a solid lesson for tomorrow. The comparison to “building blocks” is super visual. Hope the lesson goes well!
Yes, kids love big words. I like the idea of the Legos. Kids can have fun building and deconstructing words.