The Meridian of Wonkiness

Learning Intention:

I am learning to utilise a range of spelling strategies so that I can attempt to spell more complex words.

Success Criteria:

• I can locate and list a range of complex words in a text.
• I can recall a range of spelling strategies such as morphemic knowledge, spelling generalisations and double letter combination rules.
• I can apply these rules to words in the text in a competitive game format.

Prior to reading part two of the story, recall both the events of part one, and the learning resource that accompanied it. The learning resource required students to use comprehension strategies to determine the meaning of unknown words and then use these words as the basis of a prediction of the events of part two. Discuss and display students’ predictions, returning to them after reading the rest of the story, confirming or amending them as necessary.

Read the story as a class, or alternatively if you have a digital subscription you can listen to the audio recording. Instruct students to follow the same reading process as part one: as they read, they should note down any unfamiliar or complex words and share them with the class at the story’s conclusion. Some possible words include:

• meridian
• wonkiness
• tangerine
• whiskery
• hullabaloo
• scampering
• foredeck
• commotion
• hurriedly
• antidote
• plummeting
• spiraling
• shudder
• carnage
• rudder

Write the class list down for your own records, but do not display it to the students. This list will eventually become the class spelling list and will also form the basis of a game: ‘We’re going on a WORD hunt’.

With a consideration of the morphology, spelling generalisations and spelling rules that you have explicitly taught the class, construct a series of question cards after reading the story and before the next lesson, where you will play the game with the students. The answers should be mostly made up from the words in the class list. Depending on the ability of the class, you may come up with all the questions yourself, or students may also generate some questions. Some possible question cards could include:

• We’re going on a word hunt. We’re going to spell a complex one. Find a word that demonstrates the doubling letter rule number one: if a one syllable word ends with a vowel and a consonant, double the consonant before adding the ending (sitting, tugging).
• We’re going on a word hunt. We’re going to spell a complex one. Find a word that demonstrates the doubling letter rule number two: find a word with two syllables, a short vowel at the beginning and a double consonant separating the two vowels (shudder, rudder, wuffle).
• We’re going on a word hunt. We’re going to spell a complex one. Find a word that demonstrates the doubling letter rule number three: if a two-syllable word starts with a stressed syllable, do not double the last consonant before adding the ending (plummeting). N.B. As this is a complex rule, it should only be included as a challenge card and after the rule has been explicitly taught to the class.
• We’re going on a word hunt. We’re going to spell a complex one. Sometimes, there are no rules for double letters! Find a word with a double letter and come up with a mnemonic to remember it. (For example: necessary – can a silly sausage remember how to spell necessary?)
• We’re going on a word hunt. We’re going to spell a complex one. Find a word that is named after the North African city Tangiers (tangerine).
• We’re going on a word hunt. We’re going to spell a complex one. Find a word with a prefix that means in front of or before. Challenge: can you think of any other words that use this prefix? (foredeck; forearm, forehead, forecast)

In the next lesson (and after the question cards have been constructed) break the class into teams. Display the question cards to the class and score points to the groups that can locate an appropriate word most quickly. After asking a series of question cards, award places to the teams with the highest points.

Finally, use the class list as a future spelling list. Discuss with the students whether the game helped them to remember spelling rules and therefore spell the complex words in the story correctly.