What is the main goal when teaching students morphemic analysis?

The main goal of teaching students morphemic analysis is to enhance their understanding of word structures. This practice involves breaking down words into their constituent morphemes, which are the smallest units of meaning, such as prefixes, suffixes, and root words. By engaging in morphemic analysis, students can decipher unfamiliar words, improve their vocabulary, and understand how word forms relate to their meanings.

Understanding word structures enables students to make inferences about the meanings of new words they encounter, which is a crucial skill for reading comprehension and language development. This foundational knowledge can be particularly beneficial in academic settings, where students are often exposed to complex terminology.

Other approaches like improving grammar skills, increasing reading speed, or expanding literature exposure may contribute to overall language proficiency, but they do not directly target the structural understanding of words in the same way that morphemic analysis does. Thus, enhancing students' understanding of word structures remains the primary focus of morphemic analysis instruction.