**Lesson Plan: Vowel Alterations (When Suffixes Are Added)**
**Grade Level:** Primary 6
**Subject:** English - Phonics
**Topic:** Vowel Alterations (When Suffixes Are Added)
**Duration:** 60 minutes
**Lesson Objectives:**
- Students will understand what vowel alterations are and why they occur.
- Students will be able to identify and apply common vowel alterations when adding suffixes to base words.
- Students will improve their reading and spelling skills through practical exercises.
**Materials:**
- Whiteboard and markers
- Word cards with examples of vowel alterations
- Worksheets with practice exercises
- Dictionaries (optional for advanced students)
- Audio clips of pronunciation (optional)
- Chart paper and markers
**Standards Met:**
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.5.3: Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.5.3.A: Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words in context and out of context.
**Lesson Overview:**
1. **Introduction (10 minutes)**
- Greet the students and introduce the topic of vowel alterations.
- Explain that vowel alterations occur when vowels in the base word change when suffixes are added (e.g., "decision" from "decide").
- Show examples on the whiteboard and discuss why vowel alterations happen (e.g., to maintain pronunciation and spelling rules).
2. **Direct Instruction (15 minutes)**
- Explain the common vowel alterations, focusing on:
- i -> e (e.g., "decide" to "decision")
- y -> i (e.g., "happy" to "happiness")
- e -> a (e.g., "create" to "creation")
- Provide a list of base words and their altered forms with suffixes and write them on the whiteboard.
- Discuss the pattern and rules for each alteration type.
3. **Guided Practice (10 minutes)**
- Distribute worksheets with practice exercises.
- Work through the first few exercises as a class, identifying the base word and its altered form after adding a suffix.
- Encourage students to highlight or underline the altered vowels in each word.
4. **Independent Practice (15 minutes)**
- Allow students to complete the rest of the worksheet individually or in small groups.
- Walk around the room to provide assistance and ensure understanding.
- Provide dictionaries for advanced students who need extra challenges.
5. **Group Activity (5 minutes)**
- Divide students into small groups and give each group a chart paper and markers.
- Ask each group to come up with a list of base words and their altered forms with suffixes.
- Groups will then present their lists to the class.
6. **Closure (5 minutes)**
- Recap the lesson by asking students to share what they have learned about vowel alterations.
- Reinforce the importance of understanding these alterations for reading and spelling accuracy.
- Address any remaining questions.
7. **Homework (optional)**
- Assign an exercise where students must find additional examples of vowel alterations in their reading books or other texts and write sentences using those words.
**Assessment:**
- Monitor student participation during class discussions and group activities.
- Review the completed worksheets and provide feedback.
- Evaluate group presentations for understanding and accuracy.
**Differentiation Strategies:**
- For students who need extra support, provide additional examples and one-on-one guidance.
- For advanced learners, offer more complex words or ask them to create short stories using words with vowel alterations.
- Use audio clips for students who benefit from auditory learning to hear the pronunciation differences.
**Extension Activities:**
- Introduce vowel alterations in multisyllabic words.
- Explore vowel alterations in irregular words and exceptions to the rules.
- Incorporate technology by using interactive phonics games or apps to reinforce the concepts.
This lesson plan aims to help Primary 6 students grasp the concept of vowel alterations, enhancing their decoding and encoding skills essential for proficient reading and writing.