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.

There are 5 sets of games, each a different colour plus a poster for display. It is suitable for up to 6 players.

There are 9 prefixes in each set and each prefix has four examples of words. Players need these five cards to win.

SET 1: UN meaning NOT: unhappy, undone, unfinished, unhelpful, RE meaning AGAIN: review, retell, replace, reprint, DIS meaning NOT: disown, disobey, dishonest, disinfect, IN meaning NOT: invisible, inflexible, insincere, incorrect, MIS meaning WRONGLY: misfire, misused, misspell, mistaken, PRE meaning BEFORE: preschool, prepaid, prefix, preview, OVER meaning TOO MUCH: overeat, overheard, overdone, overcome, BI meaning TWO: biplane, bicycle, bisect, bifocals, TRI meaning THREE: tricycle, triangle, triple, tripod

SET 2: UN meaning NOT: unfair, unseen, unlucky, unable, RE meaning AGAIN: return, repeat, recycle, reclaim, DIS meaning NOT: distrust, disagree, disallow, disappear, IN meaning NOT: incredible, incurable, inhuman, insensitive, MIS meaning WRONGLY: misinterpret, misbelief, misread, misconduct, PRE meaning BEFORE: predict, prefect, prefer, prejudge, OVER meaning TOO MUCH: overtime, overcast, overload, overcoat, OCTO/OCTA meaning EIGHT: octopus, octagon, October, octane, CENT meaning ONE HUNDRED: century, centenary, centipede, cent

SET 3: UN meaning NOT: unsaid, unrelated, undress, unbeaten, RE meaning AGAIN: renew, resold, revert, redeem DIS meaning NOT: disarm, disregard, disprove, disappoint, IN meaning NOT: incapable, insane, invalid, incomplete, MIS meaning WRONGLY: misfit, misled, mishap, mislead, PRE meaning BEFORE: precut, preset, preface, pretest, OVER meaning TOO MUCH: overslept, overboard, overheads, override, TRANS meaning ACROSS: transport, transfer, translate, transform, MULTI meaning MANY: multicultural, multigrain, multiple, multiply

SET 4: UN meaning NOT: unprepared, unreliable, unwelcome, unmanned, RE meaning AGAIN: redevelop, reappear, redesign, renovate, DIS meaning NOT: disability, disapprove, disgraceful, disfigured, IN meaning NOT: involuntary, inequity, insolvent, infamous, MIS meaning WRONGLY: mismanage, misguided, mislaid, mistimed, PRE meaning BEFORE: precaution, prejudice, prehistoric, prearrange, OVER meaning TOO MUCH: overdraft, overpower, overview, overtake, TRANS meaning ACROSS: transfusion, transition, transaction, transformer, IM meaning NOT: immature, immortal, imperfect, impatient

SET 5: UN meaning NOT: unwanted, unproven, unrefined, unmarked, RE meaning AGAIN: redirect, readjust, rebuild, rebirth, DIS meaning NOT: disjointed, disunity, dismount, disloyal, IN meaning NOT: inhumane, invalid, inexact, inedible, MIS meaning WRONGLY: miscarry, mistreat, mismatch, mislabel, SUB meaning UNDER: submarine, submerge, subsonic, subsoil, EX meaning OUT OF: extract, export, extend, exit, UNI meaning ONE: uniform, unicorn, unity, universe, IL meaning NOT: illegal, illiterate, illogical, illegible

The sets cannot be mixed easily because they are different colours.