Tricky words
Spell common exception words from memory, remembering unusual spelling parts, and spell the days of the week
What a learner can do afterwards
- Correctly spell high-frequency irregular words (e.g. 'said', 'the', 'was')
- Write all seven days of the week correctly
- Recall and write exception words in dictated sentences
1 · Read
Tricky words have a spelling part that may not match the sound patterns you have learned. Use the sounds you know and remember the unusual part. Was is spelled w-a-s. Keep those letters even when their sounds differ from the patterns you expect.
Mia wants to write said. She hears the same middle sound as in bed. In said, that sound is written ai. She keeps s and d for the familiar sounds and remembers ai: s-a-i-d.
The is spelled t-h-e: I like the cat. Come is spelled c-o-m-e: Come to the park. Were is spelled w-e-r-e: We were at home. Look at a word, say it, cover it and write it. Uncover it and check every letter.
All seven day names end with day. Keep that ending. Sunday has six letters: S-u-n-d-a-y. Count letters to check that none are missing. Wednesday is spelled W-e-d-n-e-s-d-a-y. In many accents, its first d is not heard.
Use the sounds you know and remember unusual spelling parts. Check every letter in day names, including the capital at the start.
The lesson, practice questions and flashcards were written for this dataset.
Check a word card and Labels for the week were written for this dataset.
More to read
Check a word card
Make a card for come. Read the word, then name its letters: c, o, m, e.
Cover the card and write the word. Uncover it to compare the letters. Did you keep one m? Did you keep the e at the end?
Make another card for said. The s and d match familiar sounds. Its middle sound is written ai. If your writing says sed, replace e with ai.
Check one part at a time, then read the whole word.
Labels for the week
Write a label for each day: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Compare the endings. Every name ends with day. Each label also needs a capital letter at the start.
Check Wednesday carefully: W-e-d-n-e-s-d-a-y. Keep every letter, including the d before n, even if you do not hear that d when you speak.
Ask someone to say a day name. Write it with the labels covered. Uncover them and compare your spelling letter by letter.
2 · Watch
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Where it sits
Learn first
Optional connections
This opens up
8 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.