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.
- Which prefix makes a real word from "kind", meaning "not" or "wrongly"? (inkind / diskind / mikind / unkind) → unkindPrompt: un-, dis-, mis-, in-, im-, il- and ir- can all mean 'not'.
- What does this prefix mean? tele- (as in telephone, telescope) (far away / small / light / self) → far awayPrompt: Look at the example words. What do they have in common?
- What does this suffix mean? -ish (as in reddish, childish) (very / the opposite of / without / rather, or like) → rather, or likePrompt: 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.
- Choose the form of the word that fits the sentence. She is a very ___ painter. (create) (creation / create / creative / creatively) → creativePrompt: What job does the gap do: a thing (noun), describing (adjective), action (verb) or how (adverb)?
- Choose the form of the word that fits the sentence. The ___ was cold and grey. (dark) (darken / darkly / darkness / dark) → darknessPrompt: 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.
- Choose the form of the word that fits the sentence. They worked ___ to finish on time. (care) (careless / care / carefully / careful) → carefullyPrompt: What job does the gap do: a thing (noun), describing (adjective), action (verb) or how (adverb)?
- Choose the form of the word that fits the sentence. Her ___ to help was kind. (decide) (decisively / decide / decision / 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