Spell words using alternative grapheme choices for known phonemes, learning new spellings for sounds already encountered (e.g., /ɔ:/ as 'a' before ll, /ʌ/ as 'o', words ending -tion), including distinguishing common homophones
You already know that one sound can be spelled more than one way. Today you learn new spellings for sounds you already know, so tricky words make more sense.
Some words spell the 'uh' sound with the letter 'o' instead of 'u'. Look at 'son', 'come', and 'love'. The letter 'o' says 'uh' in each one, even though it looks like it should say 'oh'.
Words like 'station', 'fiction', and 'motion' end with the letters 't-i-o-n'. Those four letters together say 'shun'.
Some words sound exactly the same but are spelled differently because they mean different things. 'There' points to a place, 'their' shows something belongs to someone, and 'they're' means 'they are'. Read the sentence and think about the meaning to pick the right spelling.
Same sound, different spelling: match the letters to the word's meaning, not just its sound.
Some words sound the same but are spelled in different ways. These words are called homophones.
Here are some examples you may know: - there, their, and they're - here and hear - quite and quiet
The words sound alike, but they mean different things. That is why spelling them the right way matters.
Try this little trick. Put each word into a sentence and see if the meaning fits. - Their dog is brown. The word their shows who owns the dog. - I can hear you. The word hear is about listening. - Please be quiet. The word quiet means making no noise.
Homonyms are a bigger group. Homophones are one kind of homonym. Homographs are another kind. Homographs are spelled the same but can sound different, like the word bow for a ribbon and bow on a ship.
When you write, slow down at words that sound alike. Ask yourself what the word means in your sentence. Then pick the spelling that matches that meaning.
You have seen that one sound can be spelled by different letter teams, like the /j/ in jump and cage. Today Mia is writing about her son's football game, and familiar sounds keep needing new spellings.
Mia writes: my son loves football. The 'uh' sound in son is spelled with which letter?
Optional connections
24 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.