LESSON CONTENT

 Lesson Plan Template:

General Lesson Plan

 Learning Objectives: What should students know and be able to do as a result of this lesson?

Students will be able to:

o identify, create, and determine the meaning of compound words.

o use context clues to aide in determining the meaning of compound words.
 Prior Knowledge: What prior knowledge should students have for this lesson?
o Students should be able to decode multi-syllable words using chunking strategies and grade-appropriate phonics strategies.
o Students should be familiar with vocabulary strategies for determining meaning of words, including the use of context
clues and dictionary use.
o Students should be able to write simple and complex sentences with grade-appropriate grammar and conventions.
 Guiding Questions: What are the guiding questions for this lesson?
o What is a compound word?
o How can you use the two smaller words in a compound word to help you figure out its meaning?
o How can you use context clues to figure out the meaning of a compound word?
 Teaching Phase: How will the teacher present the concept or skill to students?

1. See youtube video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOASe7Ol2hE for introduction of compound words.

2. Introduce the book If You Were a Compound Word by Trisha Speed Shaskan (820L). Ask students to look and listen for compound
words as you read the book aloud. Read the book.

3. Create an anchor chart on a piece of chart paper entitled "Compound Words."

o First write the definition of a compound word: two words put together to make one word with a new meaning.
o Then create a t-chart; title the first column "Word" and the second column "Meaning."
o Go back through the book and select several grade-appropriate words to add to the chart.
o Once the words are written in the "Word" column, model for students how to divide the word into its two parts and use its
parts to help determine the meaning of the word, which will be added to the second column.
o If the meaning cannot be determined by the word parts (such as swashbuckler and bluegrass), then return to the book and
model how to use context clues to determine the meaning of the word.

Note: Another book that can be used is Thumbtacks, Earwax, Lipstick, Dipstick: What is a Compound Word? by Brian P. Cleary
(710L).

4. Ask:

o What is a compound word?

o How can you use the two smaller words in a compound word to help you figure out its meaning?
o How can you use context clues to figure out the meaning of a compound word?

5. Pass out attached word cards, one per student. Instruct the students to read their word, then move around the room to see if they can
find a word to add to their word to create a compound word that makes sense. Once a match has been made, those two students will
stand together in the room. (Check to make sure their word is correct.)

6. Have students share their word and give a definition of the word they created to the class. These words can be displayed on a
compound word wall or posted for student use during the guided practice activities.

 Guided Practice: What activities or exercises will the students complete with teacher guidance?
 Note: These activities will be taking place at the same time in center rotation. The teacher should have an established routine for
center time and students should know the routine and their placement in small groups. During center time, the teacher should
circulate and provide feedback and guidance. The teacher can also pull a struggling group of students for small group intervention.
Generally, allot 15-20 minutes per center.

Center 1 (Reading): At this center, students will read the book Cloudy With Chance of Meatballs by Judith and Ronald Barett
(AD730L, ATOS 4.3). They will locate example of compound words and, using context clues and word parts, they will determine the
meanings of the identified words. They will be provided with the attached graphic organizer to record the words they find, predict
their meaning, and explain how they determined the meaning. If students are familiar with using a dictionary, they may check their
meanings. If not, the teacher can provide feedback on their graphic organizers following the center rotation to address errors and
misconceptions.

Center 2 (Writing): Students will be provided with sentence strips and markers. In this center, they should write sentences using a
predetermined list of compound words. These sentence strips can be displayed in the classroom. Note: The number of sentences
assigned may vary based on students' abilities. For example, students can be asked to write three complete sentences using a
compound word in each OR write one sentence using three compound words.

o Go to http://www.spellingcity.com/compound-words.html to find a list of compound words. Click the red button for
"Sample Word Lists." Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the words "Click to view Compound Words at a
glance" to expand the section to reveal compound words by grade level.
o Go to http://www.firstschoolyears.com/literacy/word/other/compound/compound.html to find more word lists. Click on
"Compound Words Word Bank" for a sample word list.

Center 3 (Vocabulary): Students will make a shutter-flap foldable. A plain sheet of white paper in landscape position will be used.
The ends of the paper will be folded in to make shutters. The students will break apart the compound word and write one part of each
flap. They will illustrate each word part with a picture to go along with the word. Underneath the flaps, students will rewrite the
compound word together at the top of the page. They will also write the definition and draw a picture to go along with the compound
word. Again, they can use a dictionary to confirm the meaning or the teacher can provide written or oral feedback following center
time. Students can create as many as they can within the allotted time frame or be given a specific number to complete, depending on
students' abilities.

Center 4 (Word-building/Phonetics): Students will be provided with word cards that contain words that can be combined to make
compound words. They will create new compound words using the word cards and record them on a sheet of paper or white board.

o Go to http://www.tips-for-teachers.com/printablecenters.htm to find word cards that contain compound words. Scroll down
the page until you see Compound Words. Click on "Compound Word Match" to access cards.

Center 5 (Computer station): Students will practice the creation and/or identification of compound words using interactive computer
games.

o Go to http://spellingcity.com/compound-words.html to find interactive games. Click on the green button "Click for
Featured Games" to find several games. Enrichment activities are also available on this page.
o The site http://www.firstschoolyears.com/literacy/word/other/compound/compound.html will also have interactive games.
"Compound Words - Walk the Plank" is an interactive game as well as "Compound Words Memory Squares."
 Independent Practice: What activities or exercises will students complete to reinforce the concepts
and skills developed in the lesson?

Once students have been given the opportunity to practice with compound words in the center activities, they will complete a written
assessment that includes determining the meaning of compound words at the word and sentence levels and writing sentences using
compound words.

 Closure: How will the teacher assist students in organizing the knowledge gained in the lesson?

1. Review guiding questions.

2. Display anchor chart and encourage students to continue to add to the compound word list as they locate new compound words in
their reading.
 3. PlayCompound Word Trivia (see related resource).

 Summative Assessment

Students will complete a written assessment that includes determining the meaning of compound words at the word and sentence
levels and writing sentences using compound words.

 Formative Assessment

1. During the Teaching Phase of the lesson, the teacher will pass out compound word cards. The students will move around the room
to find which words match. Once a match has been made, those two students will stand together in the room. Once each students has
found his/her match, the teacher will check the word to make sure it is correct. These words will then be added to word wall or chart
paper with the title "Compound Word List." The teacher will need to make the cards prior to the activity. The cards can either be
written out on index cards or cut and distributed from the attachment Compound Word Cards. The teacher can determine if students
know the concept of compound words by observing students during this activity.

2. During the Guided Practice portion of the lesson, the teacher can monitor student learning by observing the students working in the
centers.

 Feedback to Students

Students will receive oral feedback from the teacher during the direct teaching portion of the lesson and during the center rotations.
Guiding questions include:

o How do you know that is a compound word? What two words make up that word?
o What two words can you put together to make a new word? How can you check to make sure that's a real word?
o How do the smaller words help you determine the meaning of the compound word?
o How can context clues help you determine the meaning of the compound word?

ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS



Accommodations:

o Students will work in groups for the center activities. Groups can be strategically created to provide support for struggling
students. The teacher may also pull a group of students during center time for intervention.
o Pictures can be displayed on word cards to provide support for struggling readers as well as students with language
barriers.
o Students can listen to an audio recording of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs as they follow along. Compound words
from the book can be listed on the graphic organizer in advance so that students only have to focus on determining
meaning.
o Compound word lists can be leveled and provided to students based on their reading and language levels.


Extensions:

o A variety of activities are available through internet sites for follow-up activities. See Special Materials section for several
websites that can be used to extend learning.
o Students can create a "My Compound Words Book" and record compound words they encounter throughout the year to be
used in their writing.

Suggested Technology: Computer for Presenter, Computers for Students, Internet Connection, LCD Projector, Speakers/Headphones,
Microsoft Office

 Special Materials Needed:

o If You Were a Compound Word by Trisha Speed Shaskan

o Anchor chart: Chart paper/markers
o Word cards (or teacher can make on index cards)
o Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
o Graphic organizer (attached)
o Sentence Strips/markers
o Paper for foldables
o Word lists of compound words

Websites that provide free resources, including word lists, printable worksheets, and interactive computer games:

o http://www.havefunteaching.com/worksheets/english-worksheets/compound-words-worksheets/
o http://www.spellingcity.com/compound-words.html
o http://www.firstschoolyears.com/literacy/word/other/compound/compound.htm
o http://www.tips-for-teachers.com/printablecenters.htm


Further Recommendations:

Students should know the routine for center rotations prior to this lesson. It is important to review the expectations for student
behavior during centers before engaging in the center activities provided in this lesson. Also, it will be beneficial to students to have
each center briefly explained and the expectations modeled/clarified before they begin the activities. The activities can also be used as
whole group activities for practicing compound words.

Additional Information/Instructions

By Author/Submitter

Only parts a and d of the Florida Standard LAFS.2.L.3.4 are addressed in this lesson.
 Lesson Plan in English 5
Learning objectives

 Students will be able to use parts of a compound word to determine the meaning of the whole
word.
 Students will be able to use compound words in context to represent the meaning of the words.

Introduction
(5 minutes)

 Ask students to use a word (such as the word, rain) to make a new word (e.g., raindrop, rainfall,
rainbow, raincoat).
 Give students the opportunity to think, pair, share with a classmate, and then allow to share in a
brief class discussion.
 Tell the students that they will be learning how to use parts of compound words to determine
the meaning and context of those words. (If needed, briefly describe the meaning of the context
of words.)

Explicit instruction/Teacher modeling

(5 minutes)

 Demonstrate the process of breaking down several different compound words (e.g.,
afterthought, breathtaking, hilltop, sundown, and workplace).
 Create a diagram or quick picture of each word that includes the individual parts of the word
that represents the entire meaning of the word.
 Write a sentence on the board representing each word in context.

Guided practice/Interactive modeling

(15 minutes)

 Tell the students that they will be working together to create a compound word collage.
 Divide students into groups of two or three.
 Distribute two sticky notes and a sentence strip to each student.
 Using a group of compound words (e.g., airtight, daydream, fireproof, nationwide, underground,
anytime, groundwater, summertime, thunderstorm, backbreaking, afternoon, and undercover)
assign a different word to each group of students.
 Ask the students to use the sticky notes to create two illustrations or diagrams that represent
the meanings of the individual word inside the compound word. In addition, ask them to write a
sentence with their word on their sentence strips.
 Once all students are finished, post a piece of chart paper at the front of the classroom.
 Invite students to share the word that they analyzed, along with their drawings and sentences.
Have them post their sticky notes in a collage format on the chart paper.
 Guide students in clarifying the meaning of the words, as needed.

Independent working time

(15 minutes)
  Ask students to complete the worksheet Compound Creations.
 If students have difficulty identifying the different parts of the word, underline partial parts of
the word to reveal the two words that make up the compound word.

Differentiation

Enrichment:

 Challenge the students to a compound word mix-up. Give students cut apart index cards with
compound words. Challenge them to group the cards into new compound words and to use the
parts to explain the meaning.
 Challenge students to create mini-posters of compound words that share single words (e.g.,
rainbow, raindrop).

Support:

 Circle one part of the compound word and have the students identify the other part of the
compound word before using it in context.
 Give students a partial sentence to complete using the compound word of choice.

Technology integration

 Have students conduct an online search for pictures that represent various compound words.
 Show the students a picture and ask them to guess which compound words that are
represented.

Assessment
(10 minutes)

 Give the students three to five compound words (e.g., skyscraper, springtime, ongoing, seaside,
and airmail) and write these words on the board.
 Ask the students to write a journal entry for each word, creating a diagram/illustration and using
each word in a sentence.

Review and closing

(5 minutes)

 Invite students to participate in a ball toss with the compound word chart.
 Ask students to toss the ball so that it hits one of the compound words.
 Invite students to share the meaning (in context) with the class.
 Conclude with a class discussion, discussing how students can determine the meaning of
compound words.

The Essential Guide to Teaching Compound Words

by Marie Rippel
What do a mailbox, a milkshake, and a notebook have in common?

Actually, nothing … except that they all happen to be compound words.

Compound words are formed when two smaller words combine to form a new word, as in these
examples:

mail + box = mailbox

milk + shake = milkshake
note + book = notebook

The resources in this article can help you introduce compound words to your children and make
them feel like superheroes for being able to read and spell such long words!

Download This Free List of Compound Words

Compound words can be lots of fun for young readers and spellers. And they are easier to tackle
if we think of compound words as two smaller words that are combined to form a new word.
This big list of kid-friendly compound words will be a great resource as you work on this skill
together.

Teach How to Look for the Two Smaller Words in the Compound Word

The easiest way to introduce compound words is with letter tiles. Choose a word such as bathtub
from the resource list and build it with the tiles.

Explain to your child that the word bathtub has two smaller words in it, and invite him to find those two
smaller words. Letter tiles are great for this activity because your child can separate the compound word
into two words, like this:Suddenly, longer words are no longer scary! See why I love letter tiles so much?
You can practice this concept with fun words like sandbox, anthill, backpack, and windmill. This is a
wonderful method for helping students visualize the words that form compound words.

Games and Activity Sheets for Compound Words

Hands-on games and activities make learning about compound words more fun! Here are three
free printables that you can use with your child. The first two activities come from All About
Reading Level 1, and the third activity was designed for all reading levels.

“Bird Friends” Activity

Birds of a feather flock together … and in this fun reading activity, birds of a feather make
compound words, too! Just have your child select two matching birds and place them side by
side on the branch. Each pair of birds makes a compound word!

“Chop-Chop” Activity
Practice compound words with this fun (and safe!) chopping game! Just cut out the knife and the
foods, then let your child “chop” each compound word between its two smaller words. Read
each smaller word, and then read the compound word.

“Banana Splits” Game

Use compound words to build the yummiest banana split ever in this delicious multi-level
reading game. Every player gets an ice cream bowl and a stack of candy covered scoops of ice
cream to play with. And the best part? Students of different levels can play together!

Spelling Tips for Compound Words

When your child is spelling, it may not be obvious when to combine two words into one. This
process is made more difficult by the fact that there are actually three kinds of compound words.
There are closed compounds, which we have been discussing in this article so far. And then there
are open compounds and hyphenated compoun

If your child needs to spell the word ice cream, for example, there is no rule that will help her
decide whether this is a closed or open compound word. She’ll just need to determine what
“looks right,” and the only way to do that is to have seen it in writing before (preferably multiple
times). The Practice Sheets in All About Reading and the Word Banks in All About Spelling are
excellent tools to do just that.

Of course, reading word lists isn’t all that exciting. Reading a short story about a sassy cat, on
the other hand, is a much more engaging way to practice reading compound words! Here’s the
first story with compound words that beginning readers encounter in All About Reading Level 1.

Cobweb the Cat short story

In this story, young readers encounter fourteen different closed compound words, including
bathtub, catfish, and sunset. All of these words are pre-taught through various activities, so even
before reading the story, the child has already become familiar with them.

The more times your student sees compound words in print, the easier it will be for him to spell
them. And that leads us to our final tip for teaching children to spell compound words…

Provide Oral “Hints” During Spelling Dictation

To increase your child’s awareness of compound words during spelling dictation, provide
prompts such as “This next sentence has a compound word.” After your child sees closed
compound words in print a number of times, he’ll begin to get a sense of when to combine two
smaller words into one.
The bottom line when teaching compound words is practice, practice, practice! But make
practice a joy by incorporating letter tiles, activity sheets, short reading selections, and spelling
dictation “hints.”

What are your favorite ways to practice compound words? Let me know in the comments below!

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 Lesson Plan Template:

Lesson Pla

 Learning Objectives: What should students know and be able to do as a result of this lesson

Students will be able to:

o identify, create, and determine the meaning of compound words.

o use context clues to aide in determining the meaning of compound words.

 Prior Knowledge: What prior knowledge should students have for this lesson?
o Students should be able to decode multi-syllable words using chunking strategies and grade-appropriate phonics
strategies.
o Students should be familiar with vocabulary strategies for determining meaning of words, including the use of context
clues and dictionary use.
o Students should be able to write simple and complex sentences with grade-appropriate grammar and conventions.

 Guiding Questions: What are the guiding questions for this lesson?
o What is a compound word?
o How can you use the two smaller words in a compound word to help you figure out its meaning?
o How can you use context clues to figure out the meaning of a compound word?

 Teaching Phase: How will the teacher present the concept or skill to students?

1. See youtube video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOASe7Ol2hE for introduction of compound words.

2. Introduce the book If You Were a Compound Word by Trisha Speed Shaskan (820L). Ask students to look and listen for compound
words as you read the book aloud. Read the book.

3. Create an anchor chart on a piece of chart paper entitled "Compound Words."

o First write the definition of a compound word: two words put together to make one word with a new meaning.
o Then create a t-chart; title the first column "Word" and the second column "Meaning."
o Go back through the book and select several grade-appropriate words to add to the chart.
o Once the words are written in the "Word" column, model for students how to divide the word into its two parts and use
its parts to help determine the meaning of the word, which will be added to the second column.
o If the meaning cannot be determined by the word parts (such as swashbuckler and bluegrass), then return to the book
and model how to use context clues to determine the meaning of the word.

Note: Another book that can be used is Thumbtacks, Earwax, Lipstick, Dipstick: What is a Compound Word? by Brian P. Cleary
(710L).

4. Ask:

o What is a compound word?

o How can you use the two smaller words in a compound word to help you figure out its meaning?
o How can you use context clues to figure out the meaning of a compound word?

5. Pass out attached word cards, one per student. Instruct the students to read their word, then move around the room to see if they can
find a word to add to their word to create a compound word that makes sense. Once a match has been made, those two students will
stand together in the room. (Check to make sure their word is correct.)

6. Have students share their word and give a definition of the word they created to the class. These words can be displayed on a
compound word wall or posted for student use during the guided practice activities.

 Guided Practice: What activities or exercises will the students complete with teacher guidance?
 Note: These activities will be taking place at the same time in center rotation. The teacher should have an established routine for
center time and students should know the routine and their placement in small groups. During center time, the teacher should
circulate and provide feedback and guidance. The teacher can also pull a struggling group of students for small group intervention.
Generally, allot 15-20 minutes per center.

Center 1 (Reading): At this center, students will read the book Cloudy With Chance of Meatballs by Judith and Ronald Barett
(AD730L, ATOS 4.3). They will locate example of compound words and, using context clues and word parts, they will determine the
meanings of the identified words. They will be provided with the attached graphic organizer to record the words they find, predict
their meaning, and explain how they determined the meaning. If students are familiar with using a dictionary, they may check their
meanings. If not, the teacher can provide feedback on their graphic organizers following the center rotation to address errors and
misconceptions.

Center 2 (Writing): Students will be provided with sentence strips and markers. In this center, they should write sentences using a
predetermined list of compound words. These sentence strips can be displayed in the classroom. Note: The number of sentences
assigned may vary based on students' abilities. For example, students can be asked to write three complete sentences using a
compound word in each OR write one sentence using three compound words.

o Go to http://www.spellingcity.com/compound-words.html to find a list of compound words. Click the red button for
"Sample Word Lists." Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the words "Click to view Compound Words at a
glance" to expand the section to reveal compound words by grade level.
o Go to http://www.firstschoolyears.com/literacy/word/other/compound/compound.html to find more word lists. Click on
"Compound Words Word Bank" for a sample word list.

Center 3 (Vocabulary): Students will make a shutter-flap foldable. A plain sheet of white paper in landscape position will be used.
The ends of the paper will be folded in to make shutters. The students will break apart the compound word and write one part of each
flap. They will illustrate each word part with a picture to go along with the word. Underneath the flaps, students will rewrite the
compound word together at the top of the page. They will also write the definition and draw a picture to go along with the compound
word. Again, they can use a dictionary to confirm the meaning or the teacher can provide written or oral feedback following center
time. Students can create as many as they can within the allotted time frame or be given a specific number to complete, depending on
students' abilities.

Center 4 (Word-building/Phonetics): Students will be provided with word cards that contain words that can be combined to make
compound words. They will create new compound words using the word cards and record them on a sheet of paper or white board.

o Go to http://www.tips-for-teachers.com/printablecenters.htm to find word cards that contain compound words. Scroll

down the page until you see Compound Words. Click on "Compound Word Match" to access cards.

Center 5 (Computer station): Students will practice the creation and/or identification of compound words using interactive computer
games.

o Go to http://spellingcity.com/compound-words.html to find interactive games. Click on the green button "Click for
Featured Games" to find several games. Enrichment activities are also available on this page.
o The site http://www.firstschoolyears.com/literacy/word/other/compound/compound.html will also have interactive
games. "Compound Words - Walk the Plank" is an interactive game as well as "Compound Words Memory Squares."

 Independent Practice: What activities or exercises will students complete to reinforce the concepts
and skills developed in the lesson?

Once students have been given the opportunity to practice with compound words in the center activities, they will complete a written
assessment that includes determining the meaning of compound words at the word and sentence levels and writing sentences using
compound words.

 Closure: How will the teacher assist students in organizing the knowledge gained in the lesson?

1. Review guiding questions.

 2. Display anchor chart and encourage students to continue to add to the compound word list as they locate new compound words in
their reading.

3. PlayCompound Word Trivia (see related resource).

 Summative Assessment

Students will complete a written assessment that includes determining the meaning of compound words at the word and sentence
levels and writing sentences using compound words.

 Formative Assessment

1. During the Teaching Phase of the lesson, the teacher will pass out compound word cards. The students will move around the room
to find which words match. Once a match has been made, those two students will stand together in the room. Once each students has
found his/her match, the teacher will check the word to make sure it is correct. These words will then be added to word wall or chart
paper with the title "Compound Word List." The teacher will need to make the cards prior to the activity. The cards can either be
written out on index cards or cut and distributed from the attachment Compound Word Cards. The teacher can determine if students
know the concept of compound words by observing students during this activity.

2. During the Guided Practice portion of the lesson, the teacher can monitor student learning by observing the students working in the
centers.

 Feedback to Students

Students will receive oral feedback from the teacher during the direct teaching portion of the lesson and during the center rotations.
Guiding questions include:

o How do you know that is a compound word? What two words make up that word?
o What two words can you put together to make a new word? How can you check to make sure that's a real word?
o How do the smaller words help you determine the meaning of the compound word?
o How can context clues help you determine the meaning of the compound word?

ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS



Accommodations:

o Students will work in groups for the center activities. Groups can be strategically created to provide support for struggling
students. The teacher may also pull a group of students during center time for intervention.
o Pictures can be displayed on word cards to provide support for struggling readers as well as students with language
barriers.
o Students can listen to an audio recording of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs as they follow along. Compound words
from the book can be listed on the graphic organizer in advance so that students only have to focus on determining
meaning.
o Compound word lists can be leveled and provided to students based on their reading and language levels.


Extensions:
 o A variety of activities are available through internet sites for follow-up activities. See Special Materials section for several
websites that can be used to extend learning.
o Students can create a "My Compound Words Book" and record compound words they encounter throughout the year to
be used in their writing.

Suggested Technology: Computer for Presenter, Computers for Students, Internet Connection, LCD Projector,
Speakers/Headphones, Microsoft Office


Special Materials Needed:

o If You Were a Compound Word by Trisha Speed Shaskan

o Anchor chart: Chart paper/markers
o Word cards (or teacher can make on index cards)
o Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
o Graphic organizer (attached)
o Sentence Strips/markers
o Paper for foldables
o Word lists of compound words

Websites that provide free resources, including word lists, printable worksheets, and interactive computer games:

o http://www.havefunteaching.com/worksheets/english-worksheets/compound-words-worksheets/
o http://www.spellingcity.com/compound-words.html
o http://www.firstschoolyears.com/literacy/word/other/compound/compound.htm
o http://www.tips-for-teachers.com/printablecenters.htm


Further Recommendations:

Students should know the routine for center rotations prior to this lesson. It is important to review the expectations for student
behavior during centers before engaging in the center activities provided in this lesson. Also, it will be beneficial to students to have
each center briefly explained and the expectations modeled/clarified before they begin the activities. The activities can also be used as
whole group activities for practicing compound words.

Additional Information/Instructions

By Author/Submitter

Only parts a and d of the Florida Standard LAFS.2.L.3.4 are addressed in this lesson.

Compound Words

Students begin to recognize and understand simple compound words, such as airplane and
toothbrush, in first grade, then progress to more complex compound words. Students learn that
compound words are made up of two whole words that function as a single unit of meaning, and
that the two words give clues to the meaning of the compound word. Students also begin to
notice that there are many compound word families that use the same base word, such as house
(doghouse, birdhouse, farmhouse).

How Do You Study Different Types of Compound Words?

There are three different types of compound words:

 Closed form: Two words are joined together to create a new meaning (firefly, softball, redhead,
keyboard, makeup, notebook).
 Hyphenated form: Words are joined together by a hyphen (daughter-in-law, over-the-counter,
six-year-old).
 Open form: Words are open but when read together, a new meaning is formed (post office, real
estate, full moon).

Studying compound words offers a great opportunity to engage students in understanding the
English language. It builds an interest in words and will help prepare students to learn prefixes,
suffixes, and word roots.

VocabularySpellingCity provides free ready-made word lists and interactive learning games to
further engage students in compound word study. Leveled compound word lists range from
elementary to high school. Lists can be paired with learning games, like Read-A-Word, to build
compound word practice and mastery.

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Aligned Standards

Other Resources Related to the Same Standards

 50 Student Center Activities

 2 Lesson Plans
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Total Resources