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Year 2 - English

The 'er' spellings, including 'er', 'ir' and 'ur'

Alternative GPCs for long vowels

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils learn new GPCs (grapheme phoneme correspondences) for long vowel sounds.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to read and spell words containing the three most common representations of the 'er' phoneme: 'er', 'ir' and 'ur'.

Key Notes

  • er', 'ir' and 'ur' are common representations of the 'er' phoneme.
  • How to spell the common exception words: some and come.
  • A mnemonic can help us to remember tricky spellings.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • digraph: two letters that represent one sound
  • mnemonic: a word, short poem, or sentence that can help you remember things such as spelling rules

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Pupils can think spelling generalisations are always true e.g. 'er' found at the end.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

er', 'ir' and 'ur' are common representations of the 'er' phoneme. How to spell the common exception words: some and come.

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

two letters that represent one sound.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Pupils can think spelling generalisations are always true e.g. 'er' found at the end. Correction: Careful with wording. Say 'ir' and 'ur' are 'often' not 'always' found in the middle. Show a familiar exception to the rule if necessary.

More Lessons In This Unit

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