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Year 2 - English

The 's' spellings, including 'ss' and 'c'

Alternative GPCS for consonants and homophones

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils learn to spell homophones, near-homophones and new consonant spellings.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to spell words containing two representations of the 's' phoneme: 'ss' and 'c'.

Key Notes

  • 's' is the most common representation of the 's' phoneme at the start of a word.
  • 'c' is sometimes used to represent the 's' phoneme before 'i','e' or 'y'.
  • ss' is often used at the end of a word after a short vowel.
  • How to spell the common exception words: path and bath.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • short vowel: a vowel sound that sounds short when spoken like "a" in "cat" or "o" sound in "hot"
  • soft c: the soft 'c' sounds like 's' in words like "city."

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Children may think 'ce' represents the 's' sound in 'ice' and 'face'.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.

's' is the most common representation of the 's' phoneme at the start of a word. 'c' is sometimes used to represent the 's' phoneme before 'i','e' or 'y'.

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'short vowel'

a vowel sound that sounds short when spoken like "a" in "cat" or "o" sound in "hot".

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Children may think 'ce' represents the 's' sound in 'ice' and 'face'. Correction: Use sound buttoning as a strategy when you know it will reinforce the spelling pattern (it doesn't always work).

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 2 English guide library.