English lesson plan · 2nd grade (Year 3 in England) · 45 minutes
Plurals: -s, -es, -ies, -ves
Spelling
CCSS L.1.1.CCCSS L.2.2.DEngland: Y1 Spelling (-s, -es)England: Y2 Spelling (-ies)England: Y3 GPS
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Plurals: -s, -es, -ies, -ves.
- 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: Adding -s, -ing, -ed and -er
Leads to: much or many? a few or a little? fewer or less?
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 (Adding -s, -ing, -ed and -er). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Which word fits? Every day she ___ (pick). (picking / picks / pick / picked) → picksPrompt: Look at the time word: yesterday, right now or every day.
- Which word fits? Right now I am ___ (help). (helping / help / helped / helps) → helpingPrompt: Look at the time word: yesterday, right now or every day.
- Which word fits? Yesterday I ___ (help). (helping / help / helped / helps) → helpedPrompt: Look at the time word: yesterday, right now or every day.
Hook · 5 min
- Show a word spelled two ways and ask which looks right, then why.
- Share the objective: Plurals: -s, -es, -ies, -ves. 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: Write the plural of "tax" (more than one).
- Step 1: "tax" ends in "ax".
- Step 2: Nouns ending in s, ss, sh, ch or x add -es, because you can hear an extra syllable.
- Step 3: So the answer is: taxes
- Answer: taxes
- 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.
- Write the plural of "watch" (more than one). → watchesPrompt: Look at the last letter or letters of the word.
- Which is the correct plural of "life"? (lifees / lifeies / lifes / lives) → livesPrompt: What letters does the word end with?
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.
- Write the plural of "brush" (more than one). → brushesPrompt: Look at the last letter or letters of the word.
- Write the plural of "cherry". → cherriesPrompt: Does the word end in a consonant + y, in f/fe, or in o?
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: Adding -s, -ing, -ed and -er.
- 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: much or many? a few or a little? fewer or less?.
- 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-2.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder