Spoons is an old game that is easily adapted to academic skill targets but retains all the fun of the original game. Here the target is prefixes, their meaning and four examples of words that will contribute to morphological awareness and skills in deconstruction of unknown words. Reading skills and comprehension will benefit as decoding improves. Each game is suitable for up to six players.

There are 9 prefixes in each set and each prefix has four examples of words. Players need these five cards to win. You can leave out sets and you can mix them as well. If you need to reconstitute the sets, there is a discreet labelling system that will facilitate this easily.

There is a short version that takes about 15 to 20 minutes and a longer one if you have more time. This is explained in the Directions (included with each game). I have the same SPOONS game adapted to three card sets with illustrated cards if your students need that level of support.

WORDS USED

SET 1 - UN (not): unhappy/undone/unfinished/unhelpful, RE (again): review/retell/replace/reprint, DIS (not): disown/disobey/dishonest/disinfect, IN (not): invisible/inflexible/insincere/incorrect, MIS (wrongly): misfire/misused/misspell/mistaken, PRE (before): preschool/prepaid/prefix/preview, OVER (too much): overeat/overheard/overdone/overcome, BI (two): biplane/bicycle/bisect/bifocals, TRI (three): tricycle/triangle/ triple/tripod

SET 2 – UN (not): unfair/unseen/unlucky/unable, RE (again): return/repeat/recycle/reclaim, DIS (not): distrust/disagree/disallow/disappear, IN (not): incredible/incurable/inhuman/insensitive, MIS (wrongly): misinterpret/misbelief/misread/misconduct, PRE (before): predict/prefect//prefer/prejudge, OVER (too much): overtime/overcast/overload/overcoat, OCTO (eight): octopus/octagon/October, octane, CENT (one hundred): century/centenary/centipede/cent

SET 3 – UN (not): unsaid/unrelated/undress/unbeaten, RE (again): renew/resold/revert/redeem, DIS (not): disarm/disregard/disprove/disappoint, IN (not): incapable/insane/invalid/incomplete, MIS (wrongly): misfit/misled/mishap/mislead, PRE (before): precut/preset/preface/pretest, OVER (too much): overslept/overboard/overheads/override, TRANS (across): transport/transfer/translate/transform, MULTI (many): multicultural/multigrain/multiple/multiply

SET 4 – UN (not): unprepared/unreliable/unwelcome/unmanned, RE (again) redevelop/reappear/redesign/renovate, DIS (not): disability/disapprove/disgraceful/disfigured, IN (not): involuntary/inequity/insolvent/infamous, MIS (wrongly): mismanage/misguided/mislaid/mistimed, PRE (before): precaution/prejudice/prehistoric/prearrange, OVER (too much): overdraft/overpower/overview/overtake, TRANS (across) transfusion/transition/transaction/transformer, IM (not): immature/immoral/imperfect/impatient

SET 5 - UN (not): unwanted/unproven/unrefined/unmarked, RE (again): redirect/readjust/rebuild/rebirth, DIS (not): disjointed/disunity/dismount/disloyal, IN (not) inhumane/insecure/inexact/inedible, MIS (wrongly): miscarry/mistreat/mismatch/mislabel, SUB (under): submarine/submerge/subsonic/subsoil, EX (out of): extract/export/extend/exit, UNI (one): uniform/unicorn/unity/universe, IL (not): illegal/illiterate/illogical/illegible

SET 6 - UN (not): unsettled/unsigned/unwritten/unpleasant, RE (again): restore/reaction/refresh/rediscover, DIS (not): discover/disadvantage/disinherit/dispossess, IN (in/into): inject/inside/involve/inspect, COM (together): combine/compete/companion/compare, TELE (far): telescope/telephone/television/telemarketing, EX (out of): expand/exaggerate/exhale/expel, QUAD (four): quadrilateral/quadrangle/quadriplegic/quadruplets, IR (not): irremovable/irresponsible/irreversible/irresistible