Title – English Spelling and Poetry

By – Josie Whitehead

Primary Subject – Language Arts

Grade Level – 2-5

Time Requirement – 1 Hour

Introduction:

English speaking children love poetry and they learn the English language using rhyming words right from the beginning. The problem with the English language is “pronunciation” and “spelling,” because what you see in English is not necessarily what you say.


Too/blue/grew/flu/through/threw

Does this prove the point?

The following lesson will demonstrate clearly to the children that they need to pay particular attention to sounds in the language and also to the spellings of words.

Aim:

• To show pupils the inconsistencies of the English language.
  
• To demonstrate that the sounds we hear in English are not necessarily spelled alike and also that words that can look alike can be spelled quite differently.

Objective:

• Pupils will read the poem in the class with a different person reading each verse.
  
• They will be able to write the rhyming words and then check from the poem that their own spellings are correct.
  
• Using the poem below to “shadow”, they will write their own verse. They will take two vowel sounds and give examples of differences in spellings for their chosen vowel sounds using RhymeZone.

Preparation:

Materials:
• Individual computers for pupils.
  
• Copies of the following poem for pupils.

Poem:

SEEING IS DEFINITELY NOT BELIEVING By Josie Whitehead http://www.whiteheadm.co.uk/html/seeing.html#seeing “Tree” rhymes with “debris” – is that simple to see? And “blue” rhymes with “through” that’s quite “true”. You have “me” with one “e”, also “see” and then “tea” - Is it getting confusing for you? Why does “read” rhyme with “need” and “me” rhyme with “knee” Why does “bread” rhyme with “bed” and not speed? There’s no reason or “rhyme” why “limb” is like “him” - If you’re with me so far, we’ll “proceed”. Now if “scuff” rhymes with “rough” and “cow” rhymes with “bough” Why does “off” rhyme with “cough” and not “through”? Then if “thought” rhymes with “caught” and “right” rhymes with “spite” Then like me, you may not have a clue. If “mislead” and “precede” sound exactly like greed, Then “said” and “instead” rhyme with “red”; If you say “chew” just as “blue” and “niece” is like “peace” Perhaps this spelling’s too much for your head. You must “pay” for “bouquet” and “weigh-up” what you say - Whilst “straight” and “weight” surely must “rhyme”. Whilst “grow” rhymes with “sew” – I “know” I must “go” - And do more useful things with my “time”. Whilst it may be “true” that this poem helps “you” English spelling was designed to torment. My accompanying voice, may give cause to rejoice - My microphone was money well-spent. Copyright 2006

It may be worthwhile to have your pupils read this poem at home prior to the lesson and give selected pupils each one verse to read. They can find it on the internet:


http://www.whiteheadm.co.uk/html/seeing.html#seeing


— and can hear the words at the same time by clicking on the photograph to the side, or you can give them the printed sheet before their lesson.

LESSON:

Introduction: 5 minutes

Explain to the children the fact that in the case of every vowel sound in the English language, there are many different spellings, as shown in the poem, they are going to read aloud. Pay attention to the spellings.

Read verse: 25 minutes


First pupil: Read the first verse clearly and slowly. Pupils turn papers over. Then call out the words in inverted commas and ask pupils to write them into their books, then check on spellings.

Continue in this way all the way through the poem.

Write verse: 10 minutes


Using Rhyme Zone (


http://www.rhymezone.com/


), students will write their own verse, shadowing one of the verses in the poem. Rhyme Zone will clearly show words that rhyme, but which may be spelled differently and is an excellent tool for a poet of rhyming poetry.


Read new verse: 10 minutes


Ask various pupils to read their verses, and for others to write down the rhyming words which, hopefully, will be spelt in different ways.

Homework:

What words can they discover which look alike, but are pronounced quite differently (e.g.

through; cough; though; bough

)? Which words can they discover which have silent letters in them (e.g.

comb, tomb, etc.

).

Josie Whitehead is a retired teacher and also a children’s poet. There are hundreds of new poems freely available online at:

– Josie’s Poems. She is available for Skype visits to your classrooms (see website).

E-Mail

Josie Whitehead

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