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English lesson plan · 4th grade (Year 5 in England) · 30 minutes

Word families and word classes

Vocabulary

CCSS L.4.4.BCCSS L.5.4.BEngland: Y4 GPS (word families)England: KS2 SATs GPS

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Word families and word classes.

  • I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
  • I can explain each step and say why it works.
  • I can check my answer and spot a mistake.

Before and after

Needs first: Prefixes and suffixes

Leads to: Same word, different job: noun, verb, adjective or adverb?; Make verbs with -ify, -ise/-ize, -ate and -en; Suffixes that change word class (-ness, -ous, -ify, -ly…)

Materials: Word cards, A thesaurus or dictionary, A short text with the target words, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 4 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Prefixes and suffixes). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Which prefix makes a real word from "possible", meaning "not" or "wrongly"? (unpossible / impossible / dispossible / inpossible) → impossiblePrompt: un-, dis-, mis-, in-, im-, il- and ir- can all mean 'not'.
  2. What does this prefix mean? tele- (as in telephone, telescope) (light / self / small / far away) → far awayPrompt: Look at the example words. What do they have in common?
  3. What does this suffix mean? -ology (as in biology, geology) (fear of / full of / small / the study of) → the study ofPrompt: Look at the example words.

Hook · 3 min

  • Show an interesting word in a sentence and ask what it might mean from the clues around it.
  • Share the objective: Word families and word classes. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 7 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: Choose the form of the word that fits the sentence. The ___ was cold and grey. (dark)
  • Step 1: Words in the same family share a root but belong to different word classes.
  • Step 2: The gap needs a noun.
  • Step 3: Put it back into the sentence and read it aloud: "The darkness was cold and grey."
  • Step 4: So the answer is: darkness
  • Answer: darkness
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 6 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. Choose the form of the word that fits the sentence. This bag is very ___. (use) (use / usefulness / useful / usefully) → usefulPrompt: What job does the gap do: a thing (noun), describing (adjective), action (verb) or how (adverb)?
  2. Choose the form of the word that fits the sentence. They worked ___ to finish on time. (care) (carefully / careful / care / careless) → carefullyPrompt: What job does the gap do: a thing (noun), describing (adjective), action (verb) or how (adverb)?

You do: independent practice · 7 min

  • Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
  • Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 3 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. Choose the form of the word that fits the sentence. The ___ of the show was a huge relief. (succeed) (successful / successfully / success / succeed) → successPrompt: What job does the gap do: a thing (noun), describing (adjective), action (verb) or how (adverb)?
  2. Choose the form of the word that fits the sentence. Her ___ to help was kind. (decide) (decision / decisively / decide / decisive) → decisionPrompt: What job does the gap do: a thing (noun), describing (adjective), action (verb) or how (adverb)?

Watch out for

  • Picking a "bigger" synonym that doesn't fit the meaning.
  • Ignoring the clues in the rest of the sentence.

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Prefixes and suffixes.
  • Use concrete materials: word cards.
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • Move on to: Same word, different job: noun, verb, adjective or adverb?; Make verbs with -ify, -ise/-ize, -ate and -en; Suffixes that change word class (-ness, -ous, -ify, -ly…).
  • Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
  • Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.

Homework and more practice

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-4.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

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Word families and word classes

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    Choose the form of the word that fits the sentence. They worked ___ to finish on time. (care)

    • A. careless
    • B. carefully
    • C. care
    • D. careful

  2. Question 2

    Choose the form of the word that fits the sentence. Her ___ to help was kind. (decide)

    • A. decisive
    • B. decision
    • C. decisively
    • D. decide

  3. Question 3

    Choose the form of the word that fits the sentence. The ___ of the tower is 50 metres. (high)

    • A. high
    • B. height
    • C. heighten
    • D. highly

  4. Question 4

    Choose the form of the word that fits the sentence. We need to ___ the new rules. (explanation)

    • A. explanation
    • B. explanatory
    • C. explain
    • D. explained

  5. Question 5

    Choose the form of the word that fits the sentence. The ___ of the show was a huge relief. (succeed)

    • A. success
    • B. successfully
    • C. successful
    • D. succeed

  6. Question 6

    Choose the form of the word that fits the sentence. She is a very ___ painter. (create)

    • A. creatively
    • B. creative
    • C. create
    • D. creation

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Answer key: Word families and word classes

  1. 1. B. carefully

  2. 2. B. decision

  3. 3. B. height

  4. 4. C. explain

  5. 5. A. success

  6. 6. B. creative