What is the best next instructional strategy for students confusing the suffixes -able and -ible?

Choosing to focus on looking for and generalizing spelling rules is an effective instructional strategy for helping students differentiate between the suffixes -able and -ible. This approach encourages students to think critically about the patterns and rules that govern the use of these suffixes, fostering a deeper understanding rather than rote memorization.

By identifying generalizations, such as knowing that the suffix -able is often used with whole words or roots (like "enjoy" to form "enjoyable"), while -ible often comes from a Latin root (like "access" to form "accessible"), students can develop a clear cognitive framework for applying these rules when encountering new words. This strategy promotes long-term retention and application of spelling knowledge, as it moves beyond simple memorization to a deeper linguistic understanding.

In contrast, the other strategies offer less effective support for long-term learning. For instance, listing words in a notebook or including them in a writing assignment can enhance exposure but may lack the focused analysis necessary for mastering the distinction between -able and -ible. Similarly, while memorization and quizzes can assess knowledge, they don't encourage a conceptual grasp of the underlying rules, which is crucial for students to effectively apply this knowledge in varied contexts.