Kieffer & Lesaux (2007)

Effective word-learners attack unknown words,

break them into their meaningful parts,
hypothesize meanings for the larger words, and
then check their meanings against the context of
the text as well as their own background
knowledge. In the process, they use their
knowledge of high-frequency root words to
access low-frequency words (p. 135).
Students understanding of morphology was a
better predictor of reading comprehension than
their vocabulary level (p. 138).
Morphology should be taught explicitly to
improve students vocabulary and reading
comprehension.

Kieffer & Lesaux (2007)

Four principles for teachers to follow:
Principle 1: Teach Morphology in the Context of Rich,
Explicit Vocabulary Instruction
Principle 2: Teach Students to Use Morphology as a
Cognitive Strategy With Explicit Steps
Principle 3: Teach the Underlying Morphological
Knowledge Needed in Two WaysBoth Explicitly and
in Context
Principle 4: For Students With Developed Knowledge
of Spanish, teach Morphology in Relation to Cognate
Instruction

Group Task
Discuss at least three activities you could
do in your classroom to teach morphology.
In your discussion, explain how these
activities conform to the principles outlined
above.