English lesson plan · 5th grade (Year 6 in England) · 45 minutes

ie or ei?

Spelling

CCSS L.5.2.EEngland: Y5/6 Spelling (ei after c)

Objective and success criteria

Students will: ie or ei?.

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: Endings: -tion, -sion, -ssion, -cian

Leads to: Silent letters; Commonly misspelt words

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 (Endings: -tion, -sion, -ssion, -cian). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.

Which ending completes the word? magi___ (from magic) (ssion / tion / sion / cian) → cianPrompt: Look at the root word in brackets. How does it end?
Which ending completes the word? musi___ (from music) (cian / ssion / sion / tion) → cianPrompt: Look at the root word in brackets. How does it end?
Which ending completes the word? admi___ (from admit) (sion / tion / ssion / cian) → ssionPrompt: Look at the root word in brackets. How does it end?

Hook · 5 min

Show a word spelled two ways and ask which looks right, then why.
Share the objective: ie or ei?. 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: ie or ei? Choose the letters that complete the word. f___ld (a grassy area on a farm)
Step 1: Rule: i before e, except after c, when the sound is 'ee'.
Step 2: There is no c before the gap, so it is ie.
Step 3: The word is "field".
Step 4: So the answer is: ie
Answer: ie
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.

ie or ei? Choose the letters that complete the word. f___ld (a grassy area on a farm) (ie / ei) → iePrompt: Is there a c just before the gap?
ie or ei? Choose the letters that complete the word. br___f (short) (ie / ei) → iePrompt: Is there a c just before the gap?

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.

ie or ei? Choose the letters that complete the word. caff___ne (a substance in coffee and tea) (ie / ei) → eiPrompt: Is there a c just before the gap?
ie or ei? Choose the letters that complete the word. p___ce (a part of something) (ie / ei) → iePrompt: Is there a c just before the gap?

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: Endings: -tion, -sion, -ssion, -cian.
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: Silent letters; Commonly misspelt words.
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-5.

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