Word study: eighth to favourite

1 · Learn

Work on one or two words at a time, then come back on another day. Say a word with an adult, explain its meaning and notice its tricky letters. Look, cover, write, uncover and check. A copied word is a useful start; remembering it later and using it correctly are the next steps.

eighth: in position eight. Add h to eight to write eighth; do not lose the t. Read: 'The eighth page showed a map.'

enough: as much or as many as needed. Enough ends ough; here gh represents the f sound. Read: 'We had enough paper for every group.'

exercise: physical activity in this sentence. Exercise contains c-i-s and ends with e. Read: 'A gentle walk was the character's favourite exercise.'

experience: knowledge gained by doing or seeing something. Experience ends ience; compare the whole ending carefully. Read: 'Building two models gave us experience of testing supports.'

experiment: a planned test used to find something out. Experiment begins experi and ends ment. Read: 'Our experiment compared the same toy car on two surfaces.'

extreme: very great or far from the usual level. Extreme has x followed by t-r and ends eme. Read: 'The fictional weather report warned of extreme cold.'

famous: known by many people. Compare fame and famous: remove e before adding ous. Read: 'A famous illustrator visited the school.'

favourite: liked more than the others. This British spelling keeps ou and ends ite. Read: 'The blue bookmark was my favourite.'

2 · Worked example

Study eighth. I say what it means: in position eight. I notice the spelling: Add h to eight to write eighth; do not lose the t. I cover the model, write the word, then compare every letter. If a letter is wrong, I correct that part and try again later, rather than copying it many times without thinking.

3 · Your turn

Cover the word list. Write the word meaning 'as much or as many as needed'. Uncover and check it. Now write a different sentence using enough; explain to an adult how your sentence shows its meaning.

4 · Apply your learning

Choose two words you found difficult. Ask an adult to read the model sentences aloud, discuss unfamiliar meanings, then dictate one sentence without showing it. Check the spelling and punctuation together. Revisit those words tomorrow and later in the week; record the words you still need to practise on paper or the pad.