Fourth Grade Morphology Program at The Peck School: A New Approach to Building Word Knowledge

Peck School’s fourth-grade students are approaching language in a new way this year, thanks in part to a curriculum shift. Using their knowledge of traditional spelling rules, students are now focusing on morphology—the study of word structure and how words are built. Morphology looks at how words are broken down into their foundational parts, such as suffixes, prefixes, and Latin and Greek bases. This approach aims to enhance students' literacy skills by providing them with the tools to understand how words are constructed.

Peck uses a structured literacy approach in Lower School based on the Orton-Gillingham Methodology. This multisensory literacy program teaches spelling and word knowledge through the sequential introduction of specific phonics-based spelling rules. It provides students of all skill levels with a solid foundation in reading through explicit and structured instruction. Incorporating morphology in the fourth grade is a natural progression in our approach, building on students’ knowledge with a new level of linguistic awareness.

Each morphology lesson follows a three-part drill structure that incorporates visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning:

Visual Drill – Students observe the morphemes they are studying, presented on the board or through flashcards.

Auditory Drill – The teacher explains the morpheme’s meaning, and students write it down while saying it aloud, reinforcing both understanding and memory.

Morphemic Analysis Drill – Students apply their knowledge by writing on individual whiteboards and identifying and analyzing words that use the learned morphemes.

“The different modalities of learning through morphology (auditory, visual, and kinesthetic) help students internalize it better,” said Fourth Grade Homeroom Teacher Cara Regan. “We are seeing students take what they learn during morphology lessons and recognize it in other places such as when they are reading, and that further proves that the lessons are resonating with them.”

By incorporating morphology into the fourth-grade curriculum, The Peck School’s curriculum encourages students to develop a richer understanding of language that extends beyond memorization. This skill set empowers students to connect word knowledge across subjects, deepening both their reading comprehension and their love of language.