English lesson plan · 6th grade (Year 7 in England) · 30 minutes
Commonly misspelt words
Spelling
CCSS L.6.2.BEngland: Y5/6 Statutory spelling listEngland: KS2 SATs GPS
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Commonly misspelt words.
- 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: Silent letters; ie or ei?
Leads to: Advanced spelling (GCSE SPaG)
Materials: Word cards, Look-say-cover-write-check sheets, Mini whiteboards, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 4 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Silent letters; ie or ei?). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Which letter is silent in "half"? Type the letter. → lPrompt: Say the word aloud slowly.
- ie or ei? Choose the letters that complete the word. br___f (short) (ie / ei) → iePrompt: Is there a c just before the gap?
- Choose the correct spelling to finish the sentence. A garden ___ stood by the pond. (noam / nome / gnome) → gnomePrompt: Which word has a letter you cannot hear?
Hook · 3 min
- Show a word spelled two ways and ask which looks right, then why.
- Share the objective: Commonly misspelt words. 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: Which word is spelled correctly? (how hot or cold something is)
- Step 1: "temperature" is on the list of words that are often misspelt.
- Step 2: So the answer is: temperature
- Answer: temperature
- 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.
- Which word is spelled correctly? (clumsy or uncomfortable) (aukward / awkard / awkwerd / awkward) → awkwardPrompt: Break each word into syllables and look at each part.
- Which word is spelled correctly? (honestly, truly) (sincerley / sinserely / sincerly / sincerely) → sincerelyPrompt: Break each word into syllables and look at each part.
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.
- Which word is spelled correctly? (a group of similar things) (categery / catagory / category / catergory) → categoryPrompt: Break each word into syllables and look at each part.
- Which word is spelled correctly? (causing great harm) (disasterous / disastrus / dissastrous / disastrous) → disastrousPrompt: Break each word into syllables and look at each part.
Watch out for
- Spelling every word exactly as it sounds.
- Learning a list for a test but not using the words in writing.
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Silent letters.
- 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: Advanced spelling (GCSE SPaG).
- 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-6.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder