Directional and Positional Prefixes Worksheets for Meaningful Vocabulary Instruction

Prefixes can open up a whole new world of vocabulary for our students. For example, learning about positional prefixes such as sub, inter, super, trans and circum gives students powerful tools for decoding unfamiliar words and understanding how these word parts contribute to meaning. When students understand that these prefixes signal direction, position or location, new vocabulary becomes more accessible across a range of contexts.

This worksheet pack focuses on prefixes that indicate direction or position. It features 10 engaging tasks, including puzzles, sorts, match-ups and cloze activities. This resource will be sure to keep your students engaged while providing meaningful practice with using directional and positional prefixes.

The prefixes included in this pack are: sub, super, inter, trans, circum, ad, ob, pro, ultra.

This worksheet pack downloads as an easy-print PDF or an editable Google Slides file. Answers are included in both file options.

Understanding Positional and Directional Prefixes Across the Curriculum

Understanding positional and directional prefixes is a highly transferable skill that supports learning well beyond English lessons. The skills developed through these activities can help students become more confident readers, writers and problem-solvers across the curriculum. Here’s how:

• Science vocabulary development – Students encounter many scientific terms containing directional prefixes, such as submarine, interplanetary, transcontinental and circumnavigate. Understanding the prefix helps students infer meaning when they encounter new terminology.
• Geography vocabulary development – Positional language is frequently used in geography. For example, students may encounter words such as interstate, transcontinental and subtropical. Knowledge of these prefixes can support understanding of concepts relating to location, movement and spatial relationships.
• Physical Education vocabulary – Positional and directional prefixes support students’ understanding of sporting vocabulary and movement concepts. Terms such as substitute, interchange and transition are commonly used in sport, helping students interpret language describing movement, positioning and tactical play.

Download This Prefixes of Position and Direction Worksheet Pack

Ready to bring explicit morphology instruction into your classroom? This prefixes of position and direction worksheet pack is available as an easy-to-download resource that can be used immediately. Simply use the dropdown menu on the Download button to access the printable PDF or editable Google Slides version of this vocabulary resource. (Note: You will be prompted to copy the Google Slides version to your personal drive before accessing it.)

The worksheets require minimal preparation, making them ideal for whole-class lessons, small-group instruction, literacy rotations, intervention support, homework tasks or independent practice. Once downloaded, you’ll have a versatile collection of activities that can be revisited throughout the year whenever students need additional practice with positional and directional prefixes.

As this resource contains answer sheets, we recommend printing one copy of the entire file. Then, remove the answer sheets and make photocopies of the worksheets as required.

This resource was created by Tanya Bailey, a teacher and a Teach Starter collaborator.

Resources to Support This Position and Direction Prefix Pack

Looking for more high-quality, age-appropriate resources to support your teaching of prefixes and suffixes? Teach Starter has you covered! Click on the icons below to explore what’s on offer.

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