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English lesson plan · 4th grade (Year 5 in England) · 60 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 · 6 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 "dramatic" to make an adverb. Type the new word. → dramaticallyPrompt: Look at the last letters of the word: -y, -le, -ic, or something else?
  2. Join the word and the suffix: cold + est. Type the new word. → coldestPrompt: 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 big + er? (biger / bigger) → biggerPrompt: Look at the last letters of the root word.

Hook · 6 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 · 12 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 · 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.
  1. Add -ing to "gallop". Type the new word. → gallopingPrompt: Clap the word and find the strong (stressed) syllable.
  2. Which spelling is correct? (wonder + ed) (wondered / wonderred) → wonderedPrompt: Say "wonder" aloud. Which syllable is strongest?

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.
  1. Add -ed to "prefer". Type the new word. → preferredPrompt: Clap the word and find the strong (stressed) syllable.
  2. Do you double the last letter of "order" 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?

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

    Which spelling is correct? (happen + ed)

    • A. happened
    • B. happenned

  2. Question 2

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

    Answer

  3. Question 3

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

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

  4. Question 4

    Which spelling is correct? (whisper + ing)

    • A. whisperring
    • B. whispering

  5. Question 5

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

    Answer

  6. Question 6

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

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

  7. Question 7

    Which spelling is correct? (visit + ing)

    • A. visiting
    • B. visitting

  8. Question 8

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

    Answer

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

  1. 1. A. happened

  2. 2. listening

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

  4. 4. B. whispering

  5. 5. omitting

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

  7. 7. A. visiting

  8. 8. beginning