English lesson plan · 2nd grade (Year 3 in England) · 60 minutes
Irregular plurals (children, teeth, mice)
Grammar
CCSS L.2.1.BEngland: Y2 GPSEngland: Y3 GPS
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Irregular plurals (children, teeth, mice).
- 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: Plurals: add -s or -es?
Leads to: the next skill in this area.
Materials: Sentence strips, Highlighters, Mini whiteboards, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 6 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Plurals: add -s or -es?). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- More than one dog: which is right? (dogs / doges) → dogsPrompt: Say the plural out loud. Can you hear an extra beat at the end?
- Type the word for more than one glass. → glassesPrompt: Look at the end of the word.
- More than one cat: which is right? (cates / cats) → catsPrompt: Say the plural out loud. Can you hear an extra beat at the end?
Hook · 6 min
- Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
- Share the objective: Irregular plurals (children, teeth, mice). Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 12 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: Type the plural of "man" (more than one).
- Step 1: "man" has an irregular plural.
- Step 2: So the answer is: men
- Answer: men
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 12 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- Type the plural of "person" (more than one). → peoplePrompt: This word does not just add -s.
- Choose the correct plural. A flock of ___ flew over the lake. (goose / gooses / geeses / geese) → geesePrompt: Some plurals change the inside of the word instead of adding -s.
You do: independent practice · 17 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 · 7 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Choose the correct plural. Two ___ were playing in the park. (childrens / child / children / childs) → childrenPrompt: Some plurals change the inside of the word instead of adding -s.
- Type the plural of "deer" (more than one). → deerPrompt: This word does not just add -s.
Watch out for
- Naming the feature but not using it in their own sentences.
- Thinking a sentence is right because it sounds right when spoken casually.
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Plurals: add -s or -es?.
- Use concrete materials: sentence strips.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- 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