Description

These 12 download-and-print Go Fish card games offer an enjoyable way to learn about meaningful word parts (morphemes). Players collect and write pairs of words containing the same base word.

The cards are first shuffled, and each player is dealt five cards, which they hide from their opponent(s). Players also each need a whiteboard and marker or other writing materials. The remaining cards are placed face down in a central pile.

For example, a two-player game using Deck 3 (targeting changing ‘y’ to ‘i’) might start off with Player 1 receiving these starting cards:

Player 2’s cards might already contain a pair of words with the same base, which they would write down:

Player 2 would then discard the paired cards, leaving them with only three cards:

Player 1 might then ask, “I have ‘jumped’, do you have any ‘jump’ words?”. Player 2 would reply, “Yes, I have ‘jumpiest'” and hand that card over. Player 1 would write down this pair of words, discarding the cards.

Player 1 might then ask “I have ‘baggy’, do you have any ‘bag’ words?”. Player 2 would reply, “Go Fish” (meaning “no, pick up a card”). Player 1 would pick up a card from the centre pile, ending their turn with the following cards:

Player 2 might then ask, “I have ‘sunniest’, do you have any ‘sun’ words?”

Player 1 would reply, “Yes, I have ‘sunnily’ and hand that card over. Player 2 would then write this pair of words down:

Player 2 would then discard the pair of cards and ask, “I have ‘happier’, do you have any ‘happy’ words?” to which Player 1 would gleefully reply “Go Fish”.

If a player runs out of cards, they pick up 5 new cards from the deck to keep playing. The winner is the player who has written down the most words once the central pile of cards runs out.

The phonics teaching sequence and prefixes/suffixes in this set of cards are as follows:

• Deck 1: Initial code words like ‘cross, fix, jump, list’, no doubling of final consonants, prefixes ‘up- un- en-‘ and suffixes ‘-ed -en -er -es -est –ing -ly -ness -y’.
• Deck 2: Initial code words like ‘run, spot, bag, flip’, final consonant doubling, suffixes ‘-ed -en -er -est -ful -ing -less -ly-ness -s -y’.
• Deck 3: Words like ‘copy, body, fun, flop’, changing ‘y’ to ‘i‘, prefixes ‘ad- em- un-‘ and suffixes ‘-able -ed -er -es -est -fy -ify -ing -ly -ment -ness -y’.
• Deck 4: Words with ch/chip, sh/shop, th/this, th/them, tch/catch, prefixes ‘be- en- re- un-‘ and suffixes ‘-ed -er -ery -es -est -ful -ing -less -ling -ly -ment -ness -s -y’.
• Deck 5: Words with wh/when, qu/quit, ng/long, ck/sock, prefix ‘re-‘ and suffixes ‘-al -ed -en -er -es -est –ic -ing -less -ly -ment -ness -s -y’.
• Deck 6: a/make, a/basic, ai/rain, ay/day and prefixes ‘a- de- dis- en- ex- in- micro- mis- mono- non- over- re-
  un-‘ and suffixes ‘-able -al -ed -en -er -es -est -ful -hood -ing -ish -less -ly -ment -ness -or -s -y’.
• Deck 7: e/see, ea/sea, e/be, y/very, ey/donkey, prefixes ‘de- dis- re- un- up-‘ and suffixes ‘-able -ant -ed -er -es -ful -ic -ing -ish -ist -ity -ive -less -ly -ment -ness -s -ure -y’.
• Deck 8: o/go, o/home, ow/slow, oa/boat, prefixes ‘a- al- for- fore- in- re- un- under- up- ut’ and suffixes ‘al -ed -en -er -es -est -ful -ing -ity -ly -n -ness -s -some -th -y’.
• Deck 9: ur/turn, ir/bird, er/term, prefixes ‘ad- af- in- out- over- pro- re- un- up-‘ and suffixes ‘-al -ed -er -ery -es -est -ful -hood -ie -ing -ise -ish -ly -ness -s -self -y’.
• Deck 10: ou/out, ow/now, prefixes ‘a- be- dis- down- em- over- sur- un- under- up- with-‘ and suffixes ‘-ance -ed -er -es -est -ful -hold -ie -ing -ish -less -ly -ment -ness -s -ship -ward -y’.
• Deck 11: i/time, i/find, y/cry, igh/night, prefixes ‘a- al- be- de- dis- in- out- over- re- un- up-‘ and suffixes ‘-able -age -ed -en -er –es -est -ful–hood -ing -ish -less -like -ly -ness -s -y’.
• Deck 12: oo/cool, u/rule, u/fluid, ew/crew, prefixes ‘be- re- semi- un- with-‘ and suffixes ‘-al -ant -ed -er -ery -es -est -ful -ing -ish -ity -ive -less -ly -ness -ous -s -ty -y’.

Some of the base words in these decks of cards are themselves already suffixed forms, so learners may notice that these can themselves be analysed for smaller meaningful parts. Many words combine two or more suffixes (e.g. ‘mean + ing + ful + ly = meaningfully’), often with juncture adjustments (e.g. ‘might + y + est = mightiest’, ‘re + surface + ing = resurfacing’).

All the bases in this game are English words, not word roots from source languages like ‘rupt’, ‘struct’ or ‘aud’. Non-English word roots can be introduced once learners can add prefixes and suffixes to words they already know.

Some words have more than one possible spelling (e.g. ‘likeable’ and ‘likable’). Usually one spelling is more common in UK English (e.g. ‘burnt’, ‘cruellest’, ‘jewellery’ and another typical of US English (e.g. ‘burned’, ‘cruelest’, ‘jewelry’). Books and dictionaries in Australia include both versions, so both are included on these cards.

Each deck of cards prints on three A4 sheets of light cardboard. The cards are children’s-hand-size (5.7 x 4cm). For larger cards, print/copy at 141% onto A3 card. Our cards are yellow and pink because we printed on yellow and pink cardboard. Use any colour you like.