Summary This lesson is designed to teach pupils about homophones by means of a series of cooperative learning experiences. Each of the activities can be used either as an introduction for the whole class, or by groups and individuals for follow-up work. For the purpose of this lesson, homophones are defined as words that sound the same but differ in both meaning and spelling. The term homonym is sometimes used as a synonym for homophone. However, in the interest of clarity, a distinction has been made between the two terms. Homonym refers to words with the same sound and the same spelling but different meanings, such as bear (the animal) and bear (to carry). Homophones are taken to mean words that sound the same but are spelt differently such as two (the number) and too (also). Work through the activities with the class as they appear on screen. Discussion and collaboration are crucial, so choosing individuals or groups to operate the activity and justify their choices will enhance learning. Suitable for Year 3/4 Using a non-interactive whiteboard The activities can be used in the same way and controlled from the desktop computer. Prior learning required This is a discrete set of activities so no prior knowledge of homophones is necessary. It is however useful to make links with familiar homophones such as to, two and too. Aims and objectives - to understand the term homophone
- to recognise homophones within the context of a sentence
- to become familiar with a range of homophones
Timings - Part 1 (5 minutes)
Whole class introductory session defining homophones and ensuring that pupils can recognise them within a sentence. - Part 2 (10 minutes)
Each time a pair is found, ask pupils to define the words in the context of a sentence. - Part 3 (10 minutes)
Which word would make sense? Find the two possibilities and discuss the meaning of each word before making a selection. - Part 4 (10 minutes)
To be undertaken as part of the main lesson or as an extension following the activities below.
Suggestions for group activities - A selected group of pupils could operate the interactive activities independently.
- Away from the whiteboard, groups could be given copies of the words from Part 2. Explain that they must define each word and use it correctly in the context of a sentence. Once the definitions and sentences are complete, each group could collaborate to write a paragraph containing as many of the words as possible.
- If an internet link is available the teaching and learning site www.teachingandlearningresources.co.uk/learningliteracy.htm provides a series of activities focusing on key homophones. These include to, two and too and there, they're and their.
- Homophone bingo: this activity encourages pupils to use their knowledge of homophones to determine the difference between them and complete their game board correctly.
Suggestions for differentiation - Less able pupils may need support when tackling some of the activities. If an internet connection is available the Quia site "A feast of homophones" offers a series of interactive games that can be set to differing ability levels. Pupils can work with as few as four words or as many as 30: www.quia.com/jg/1055.html.
Further activities Each activity could be extended when presented or in a follow-up lesson by using the whiteboard software to record alternative homophones, building up a word bank for future use. Curriculum links Language Oracy
1.1, 1.4 share ideas and opinions, make reasoned comments
3.3, 3.6 extend and enrich vocabulary and use an increasingly varied vocabulary Reading
2.1 develop grammatical knowledge, word recognition and contextual understanding
2.6 use ICT resources Writing
3.6 distinguish between words of similar meaning, explain the meanings of words and experiment with choices of vocabulary ICT Use ICT to generate, organise and communicate ideas. | 