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English lesson plan · 4th grade (Year 5 in England) · 45 minutes

Doubling in longer words: forgetting, beginning, but gardening

Spelling

CCSS L.4.2.DEngland: Y3/4 Spelling (adding vowel suffixes to words of more than one syllable)

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Doubling in longer words: forgetting, beginning, but gardening.

  • 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: Suffix rules: doubling, drop the e, y to i; Adding -ly: happily, gently, basically

Leads to: Adding suffixes to -fer words (referring, reference)

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 · 5 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Suffix rules: doubling, drop the e, y to i; Adding -ly: happily, gently, basically). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Add -ly to "heavy" to make an adverb. Type the new word. → heavilyPrompt: Look at the last letters of the word: -y, -le, -ic, or something else?
  2. Join the word and the suffix: carry + ed. Type the new word. → carriedPrompt: Look at the end of the root word: is it a single consonant after a short vowel, an e, or a y?
  3. Which spelling is correct for copy + ed? (copied / copyyed / copieed / copyed) → copiedPrompt: Look at the last letters of the root word.

Hook · 5 min

  • Show a word spelled two ways and ask which looks right, then why.
  • Share the objective: Doubling in longer words: forgetting, beginning, but gardening. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 10 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: Add -ing to "upset". Type the new word.
  • Step 1: Say it: up-SET. The stress is on the LAST syllable, which ends in one vowel + one consonant, so double the last letter.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: upsetting
  • Answer: upsetting
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 10 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. Add -er to "garden". Type the new word. → gardenerPrompt: Clap the word and find the strong (stressed) syllable.
  2. Which spelling is correct? (regret + ed) (regreted / regretted) → regrettedPrompt: Say "regret" aloud. Which syllable is strongest?

You do: independent practice · 10 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 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 5 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. Do you double the last letter of "visit" before adding -ed? (Yes: double the last letter / No: just add the suffix) → No: just add the suffixPrompt: Clap the word. Is the beat strongest at the end?
  2. Which spelling is correct? (omit + ing) (omitting / omiting) → omittingPrompt: Say "omit" aloud. Which syllable is strongest?

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: Suffix rules: doubling, drop the e, y to i.
  • 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: Adding suffixes to -fer words (referring, reference).
  • 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

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Doubling in longer words: forgetting, beginning, but gardening

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    Add -ed to "happen". Type the new word.

    Answer

  2. Question 2

    Do you double the last letter of "forbid" before adding -ing?

    • A. Yes: double the last letter
    • B. No: just add the suffix

  3. Question 3

    Which spelling is correct? (offer + ed)

    • A. offerred
    • B. offered

  4. Question 4

    Add -ing to "admit". Type the new word.

    Answer

  5. Question 5

    Do you double the last letter of "visit" before adding -ed?

    • A. Yes: double the last letter
    • B. No: just add the suffix

  6. Question 6

    Which spelling is correct? (forbid + ing)

    • A. forbidding
    • B. forbiding

  7. Question 7

    Add -ing to "order". Type the new word.

    Answer

  8. Question 8

    Do you double the last letter of "budget" before adding -ing?

    • A. Yes: double the last letter
    • B. No: just add the suffix

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Answer key: Doubling in longer words: forgetting, beginning, but gardening

  1. 1. happened

  2. 2. A. Yes: double the last letter

  3. 3. B. offered

  4. 4. admitting

  5. 5. B. No: just add the suffix

  6. 6. A. forbidding

  7. 7. ordering

  8. 8. B. No: just add the suffix