Year 3 - English
Writing words with silent letters
Building fluency in silent letters, homophones, and common exception words
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils practise their handwriting with a focus on increasing legibility, consistency and quality. They practise writing words with silent letters, homophones and common exception words. The unit culminates in pupils applying their handwriting skills to reviewing and copying poems.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to correctly form words with silent letters, using cursive handwriting.
Key Notes
- Silent letters are letters that are not pronounced when the word is spoken.
- Practising writing words with silent letters in cursive can improve your handwriting.
- The words start with a lead in and finish with a lead out.
- There are four cursive joins; which is used depends on which letter is joining to which letter within a letter string.
- You do not lift your pencil when forming the joins.
Vocabulary To Learn
- silent letter: a letter in a word that is not pronounced when the word is spoken
- join: how the letters are connected together
- letter string: a group of letters that are written together in a word
- lead in: the stroke or line that guides us into starting a letter
- lead out: the stroke or line that guides us to smoothly finish a letter
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Children might forget the silent letter when forming the words in Tasks B and C.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
Silent letters are letters that are not pronounced when the word is spoken. Practising writing words with silent letters in cursive can improve your handwriting.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'silent letter'
a letter in a word that is not pronounced when the word is spoken.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: Children might forget the silent letter when forming the words in Tasks B and C. Correction: Remind children that the purpose of the task is to write words with silent letters. Ask them to look back and ensure they have included the silent letter.
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 3 English guide library.