Understanding, reading, and writing using academic language has increasingly become a focus in our schools. One of the salient features of academic vocabulary is morphological complexity. Many words are considered derivationally morphologically complex, meaning they have roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Affixes can be challenging for students as they attempt to uncover the meanings of new words. This article reviews the characteristics and challenges with derivational suffixes to increase teachers' understanding, and offers several strategies to engage students in their understanding of suffixes. These strategies are not meant to be isolated lessons but rather ways to incorporate language awareness across content and throughout the school year