• Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Adding -er and -est (fast, faster, fastest)). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
• Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.

1. Add -est to "fresh". Type the new word. → freshestPrompt: Does the word end in two consonants or a vowel team? Then just add the ending.
2. Which word fits? The library is ___ to school than the park is. (nearest / near / nearer) → nearerPrompt: Are we comparing two things, or more than two?
3. Add -est to "low". Type the new word. → lowestPrompt: Does the word end in two consonants or a vowel team? Then just add the ending.

• Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
• Share the objective: Irregular comparisons: good, better, best and bad, worse, worst. Read the success criteria together.

• Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
• Example: Choose the correct word. Of the two puzzles, the blue one is ___.
• Step 1: good → better → best; bad → worse → worst; many/much → more → most; little → less → least.
• Step 2: Put it back into the sentence and read it aloud: "Of the two puzzles, the blue one is better."
• Step 3: So the answer is: better
• Answer: better
• Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

• Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
• Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.

1. Choose the correct word. I have ___ homework than my brother tonight. (lesser / littler / less / least) → lessPrompt: good, bad, many and little have special forms. They do not add -er or -est.
2. Type the missing word. good → ___ → best → betterPrompt: These words do not follow the -er/-est pattern.

• 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.

• Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.

1. Type the missing word. bad → worse → ___ → worstPrompt: These words do not follow the -er/-est pattern.
2. Choose the correct word. My score was good, Leo's was ___, and Mia's was the best of all. (better / best / gooder / goodest) → betterPrompt: good, bad, many and little have special forms. They do not add -er or -est.

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-3.