English lesson plan · 6th grade (Year 7 in England) · 30 minutes
Endings: -able/-ible, -ant/-ent, -ance/-ence
Spelling
CCSS L.6.2.BEngland: Y5/6 Spelling (-able, -ible, -ant, -ent)
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Endings: -able/-ible, -ant/-ent, -ance/-ence.
- 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: Endings: -cious/-tious, -cial/-tial
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 (Endings: -cious/-tious, -cial/-tial). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Which ending completes the word? confiden___ (secret) (cial / tial) → tialPrompt: Think of a related word: grace → gracious, office → official, caution → cautious, part → partial.
- Which ending completes the word? suspi___ (not trusting) (tious / cious) → ciousPrompt: Think of a related word: grace → gracious, office → official, caution → cautious, part → partial.
- Which ending completes the word? substan___ (large in amount) (cial / tial) → tialPrompt: Think of a related word: grace → gracious, office → official, caution → cautious, part → partial.
Hook · 3 min
- Show a word spelled two ways and ask which looks right, then why.
- Share the objective: Endings: -able/-ible, -ant/-ent, -ance/-ence. 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 ending completes the word? eleg___ (graceful and stylish)
- Step 1: -able usually follows a complete root word; -ible often follows a root that is not a word on its own. -ant/-ance and -ent/-ence go together in word families.
- Step 2: The word is "elegant".
- Step 3: So the answer is: ant
- Answer: ant
- 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 ending completes the word? eleg___ (graceful and stylish) (ent / ant) → antPrompt: Is the part before the ending a whole word on its own (depend, enjoy)? That usually takes -able.
- Which ending completes the word? relev___ (connected to the topic) (ent / ant) → antPrompt: Is the part before the ending a whole word on its own (depend, enjoy)? That usually takes -able.
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 ending completes the word? toler___ (accepting of others) (ent / ant) → antPrompt: Is the part before the ending a whole word on its own (depend, enjoy)? That usually takes -able.
- Which ending completes the word? exist___ (the fact of being alive) (ence / ance) → encePrompt: Is the part before the ending a whole word on its own (depend, enjoy)? That usually takes -able.
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: Endings: -cious/-tious, -cial/-tial.
- 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-6.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder