English lesson plan · 3rd grade (Year 4 in England) · 30 minutes

Homophones and near-homophones

Spelling

CCSS L.3.2.FCCSS L.4.1.GEngland: Y3/4 Spelling (homophones)England: KS2 SATs GPS

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Homophones and near-homophones.

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: Homophones: there/their/they're, to/too/two

Leads to: Tricky word pairs (affect/effect, advice/advise…); Year 5/6 homophones (aloud/allowed, stationary/stationery)

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 (Homophones: there/their/they're, to/too/two). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.

Choose the correct word. ___ going to the beach today. (There / Their / They're) → They'rePrompt: These words sound the same but have different meanings.
Choose the correct word. This soup is ___ hot to eat. (two / too / to) → tooPrompt: These words sound the same but have different meanings.
Choose the correct word. I ate ___ apple and a pear. (one / won / wun) → onePrompt: These words sound the same but have different meanings.

Hook · 3 min

Show a word spelled two ways and ask which looks right, then why.
Share the objective: Homophones and near-homophones. 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 correct homophone. Please ___ the cheese for the pizza.
Step 1: Homophones sound alike, so the meaning of the sentence tells you which spelling to use.
Step 2: Put it back into the sentence and read it aloud: "Please grate the cheese for the pizza."
Step 3: So the answer is: grate
Answer: grate
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.

Choose the correct homophone. ___ bag is this? (Whose / Who's) → WhosePrompt: Both words sound the same. Think about what each one means.
Choose the correct homophone. The ___ is sunny today. (weather / whether) → weatherPrompt: Both words sound the same. Think about what each one means.

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.

Choose the correct homophone. I could ___ find my other shoe. (knot / not) → notPrompt: Both words sound the same. Think about what each one means.
Choose the correct homophone. The puppy wagged its ___. (tale / tail) → tailPrompt: Both words sound the same. Think about what each one means.

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: Homophones: there/their/they're, to/too/two.
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: Tricky word pairs (affect/effect, advice/advise…); Year 5/6 homophones (aloud/allowed, stationary/stationery).
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-3.

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