Worked example
Question: What happens when -ed is added to jump? It becomes jumped, which shows the action happened before now.
Key concept
Learning goal: I can use morphemes and base words to build and read word families.
- Build word families by adding common grammatical morphemes.
- Find the base word inside a longer word and use the morpheme to help read its meaning.
Steps to use
Find base word → Add morpheme → Read new word → Explain meaning
See it, then try it
Base word plus meaningful ending
playplaysplayedplayingplayer
Explain how the ending changes meaning
base word-s-ed-ingword family
Curriculum Coverage & Elaborations
Curriculum Coverage & Elaborations
The content description is the required target. The elaborations below are taught as examples and contexts, not as disconnected checklist wording.
- E1: building word families from common morphemes; for example, “play”, “plays”, “playing”, “played”, “playground”
- E2: using morphemes to read words; for example, by recognising the base word in words such as “walk-ed”
Common misconceptions
- Ending has no meaning — Explain what the morpheme changes.
- Base word lost — Find the base word first.
- Word family as rhymes — Word families here are about shared meaning parts.
Try these
- Word family build — Start with a base word and add endings.jump → jumps/jumped/jumping
- Meaning match — Match an ending to its meaning.-ed → happened before
- Sentence test — Use two words from the same family in sentences.I play. I played.
Explain and apply
Add an ending
Add -ing to play. What word do you make?
Answer and teaching guidance
playing is made from the base word play plus the ending -ing.
Show one action now
Which word means the action is happening now: help, helping or helps?
Answer and teaching guidance
helping means the action is happening now. The ending -ing changes how the word works in the sentence.
Find the base word
What is the base word in reading?
Answer and teaching guidance
read is the base word. The ending -ing has been added to make reading.
Make a word family
List three words in the play family.
Answer and teaching guidance
play, plays and playing belong to the same word family because they share the base word play.
Check your understanding
Quick checks
- What is the base word in jumping?
- Add -ed to look.
- What does -s do in runs?
- Make a word family for play.
I am ready when I can
- I can build word families by adding common grammatical morphemes.
- I can find the base word inside a longer word and use the morpheme to help read its meaning.
Curriculum equivalents: Victoria, NSW and international
Curriculum equivalents for And know how to use grammatical morphemes to create word...
Mapped skill: recognise and know how to use grammatical morphemes to create word families
These references identify matching or closely related learning. Curriculum sequence, terminology and depth vary, so teachers should use the mapped skill and lesson difficulty to confirm suitability.
| Region | Curriculum framework | Closest level or code |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Australian Curriculum v9.0 | AC9E1LY15 · Year 1 |
| Victoria | Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0 — English | VC2E1LY15 · Level 1 |
| New South Wales | NSW English K–10 Syllabus (2022) | EN1-SPELL-01 · Stage 1 |
| United States (USA) | Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts | Grade 1 |
| Canada (Ontario) | Ontario Curriculum — English | Grade 1 |
| United Kingdom (England) | National Curriculum in England — English | Year 2, Key Stage 1 |
| India | NCERT / CBSE — English | Class 1 |
Australian Curriculum v9.0 is the canonical source for this SkillrHub lesson. Victoria and NSW entries name the closest published state codes or outcomes; international entries are planning references rather than claims of identical curricula.
🎥 Optional Video Lesson
The SkillrHub lesson remains the primary learning resource. This optional video reinforces the explanation; you can complete the lesson and practice without watching.
Before you watch:
- Pause after each worked example.
- Try the examples yourself.
- Return to the SkillrHub lesson before continuing.
Recommended: Nessy Spelling Strategy: Plurals -s and -es
Nessy — See how an ending changes a word from one thing to more than one.
As you watch: What is added to the base word, and how does its meaning change?
Load video player Loads YouTube in this lesson. See the video notice below.
Try it: Write cat/cats and box/boxes. Underline the base word and circle the ending that means more than one.
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