Word family lists are groups or words following similar patterns. They significantly increase the amount of words your child is exposed to and can master. In spelling patterns, your child can learn eight to twenty-five words instead of just one or two. Your child’s word recall is improved as similar words are stored together in their brains. This is the positive thing about teaching word family lists. For example, the root word happy might have a prefix added ( unhappy) or might have a suffix added (happi ness). The words happy, unhappy and happiness all belong to the same word family The national curriculum states that children should be able to match prefixes with correct root words, give several words within the same family in list form, and add suffixes to nouns (which turns that suffix into an adjective). For children to retain the information on word families, it's best to introduce them one at a time. This means they'll remain on that particular set of words and be able to remember the patterns and sequences associated with each distinct word family.

Begin with short vowels that start with an 'a' to ease children into understanding the different connectives between words. Often these follow a CVC/CVCC (consonant, vowel, consonant) pattern that children are typically familiar with. I’m using the Family cut file to decorate a fall wreath I made earlier this season. You can use the design for cards or decor or whatever you like. These help children to understand how to read and build vocabulary through repetition, nursery rhymes. They also allow children to recognise common phonetical sounds. Phonics is the foundation that children build on for their spelling techniques. Word F amilies Sorting Worksheet - A superb worksheet for children in their Early Years. Quite simple to use, children just need to sort the word family lists into the correct boxes.These words all come from the root word 'write'. This means they're part of the 'write' word family. This enables pupils to consolidate their understanding of other related words, e.g. 'happy', 'unhappy', 'happily', 'unhappiness', 'unhappily'. You need to know the meaning of common prefixes and suffixes to apply this knowledge. A second downside to word family lists is that your child may put their focus on the ends of the words. Glossing over the beginning part of the word to find the answer. We want the student's eye at the beginning, and to follow it to the end of the word. Not the other way around, as this reinforces incorrect eye movement. Keep the emphasis on moving the eyes from left to right. You might like to teach the word ‘pan’, followed by the words ‘van’ and ‘ran’... so that the learners knows that they can find other spellings with the same ending. Celebrate family life with all the people, places and things that are meaningful to you. In addition to family names and birth dates; you can add hobbies, destinations, family sayings, grandchildren, wedding dates, pets... Free Cut file day! Today’s freebie is a free Family SVG cut file for you to use when decorating for all your family gatherings. This cut file includes 3 cut layers and a draw layer so you can customize the look and use however you’d like. Use this design with your Cricut projects, you can also combine letters to create a single word art cut design.

As a simple outline of how to teach your kids about word families and root words, try this technique: Children should learn about word families in year 3 English as part of the English national curriculum. At this stage, children are shown that common words are related in form and meaning. You can capture Precious Memories by Immortalising your favourite family moments and the important people in your life with this stunning word art print. The combination of your carefully chosen words and treasured three family photos creates a captivating visual display that will evoke fond memories and emotions.We know that every family is unique and has their own special memories, and so should their word art print. That’s why each print is meticulously personalised to reflect your individuality. You have the freedom to select 10 to 20 meaningful words that define what’s important to you. From names and surnames to places and significant dates, any words you hold dear can be included in the design. Knowledge of word families make spelling and identifying words easier, as being able to identify the root word will help children to be able to spell other words in the same word family. A word family is a group of words that may share a common root word with different Prefixes and Suffixes in morphology. They are used for teaching spelling. Sign up for a Twinkl Account today to explore this word family teaching wiki and lots more exciting resources.