English lesson plan · 2nd grade (Year 3 in England) · 30 minutes
The /j/ sound at the end: -dge or -ge?
Spelling
CCSS L.2.2.DEngland: Y2 Spelling (-dge and -ge)
Objective and success criteria
Students will: The /j/ sound at the end: -dge or -ge?.
- 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: Soft c and soft g (city, giant); Short vowel then ff, ll, ss, zz or ck
Leads to: the next skill in this area.
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 (Soft c and soft g (city, giant); Short vowel then ff, ll, ss, zz or ck). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- What sound does the g make in "game"? (/j/ as in "jam" / /g/ as in "goat") → /g/ as in "goat"Prompt: Look at the letter just after the g.
- Which spelling is correct? a small piece of wood from a tree (stick / stic / stik) → stickPrompt: Is the vowel sound short (like in 'cat') or long?
- Which word has a soft c (it sounds like /s/, as in "city")? (cub / cycle / cut / actor) → cyclePrompt: Say each word aloud.
Hook · 3 min
- Show a word spelled two ways and ask which looks right, then why.
- Share the objective: The /j/ sound at the end: -dge or -ge?. 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: Clue: a wall of bushes. Which letters fill the gap? h e _ _ _
- Step 1: After a short vowel, write -dge (badge). After a long vowel or a consonant, write -ge (cage, large).
- Step 2: The word is "hedge".
- Step 3: So the answer is: dge
- Answer: dge
- 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.
- Clue: actors perform on it. Which letters fill the gap? s t a _ _ (dge / ge) → gePrompt: Is the vowel before the /j/ short (like 'hat') or long (like 'hate')? Is there a consonant just before it?
- Type the whole word. fu___ (a soft chocolate sweet) → fudgePrompt: Short vowel before the /j/? Use dge.
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.
- Type the whole word. ba___ (a pin you wear) → badgePrompt: Short vowel before the /j/? Use dge.
- Clue: a pin you wear on your jumper. Which letters fill the gap? b a _ _ _ (dge / ge) → dgePrompt: Is the vowel before the /j/ short (like 'hat') or long (like 'hate')? Is there a consonant just before it?
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: Soft c and soft g (city, giant).
- 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
- 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-2.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder