Exploring Compound Words with Elementary Students

Exploring compound words with elementary students is a huge stepping stone on the trail to reading proficiency. Students can start learning simple compound words at a young age once they have a good handle on sight words and can read simple sentences. Teaching students how to combine words (and to un-combine them as well) provides them with the resources to develop their vocabulary. Since compound words can be made up of either related or unrelated words, students will need to be able to decipher both the word and how it relates in language as a whole.

Ideas for Teaching Compound Words

The following activities allow for both constructing and deconstructing the words. Taking the words apart will help students realize that a scary-looking long word isn’t really that scary after all!

1. Provide students with a worksheet of common beginnings and endings that make up various compound terms. Use colored lines to match up the word parts. Then you can have a discussion on how the two words, when combined, make up a totally new word.
2. Provide students with sets of cards containing the different word beginnings and endings. They can sort them to make different words and then paste them onto a separate sheet. Have older students make drawings to illustrate the new word.
3. Again using cards, have students make a list of typical compound words. As a twist, have students work together to see if they can make other word combinations. An example would be “uptown” and “upside.” Then examine the meanings of the new words to see if they are similar to the original compound term.
4. “My Other Half” – this is a fun game which will get students up and moving around the room. It can be used for different elementary grade levels – you just need to level your compound word parts accordingly. Here’s how to play:

• You’ll need a flashcard for each student in your room, each containing half of a compound word.
• Have each student come up and pick a card. Don’t let them see it! Immediately tape the card onto the student’s back and have them go stand with their back to the wall.
• When all students have their card and are standing against the wall, give them a signal to start mingling with their classmates.
• The objective is for students to find their missing half. Since they don’t know what their own card says, others will have to read it to them making this a great way to also practice reading. Give them three to five minutes for this depending on their grade level.
• Once they think they’ve found their missing half, they come to the teacher who checks their word. If they have it correct, they can remove each others’ cards and tape them on the board in the correct form. Continue until all students have found their match.
• Now have a discussion about the words. Particularly, examine if the individual words have meanings that are related to or unrelated to the meaning of the new word formed.

I hope these ideas will get your kids excited about learning new words! If you try any, please let us know how it goes … we’d love to hear!

Below are some compound words resources you may be interested in. Just click on the images to explore.

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Other blog posts that may interest you

• Fun Ways To Teach CVC Words
• Fun and Quick Short Vowel Activities