Lesson 45
y (as in very) Materials Picture Code Cards: y with e in sack (43). Advanced Copymasters: (36)
Objectives
To know that the letter y represents a long e sound at the end of many words (as in very). To recognise and spell words ending y.
This concept was introduced briefly on page 109 of the Primary Years Letterland Teacher’s Guide. Work on this spelling pattern will be very important for any children who, in their earliest efforts to spell words ending in y, regularly choose e (e.g. ‘cose’ and ‘softle’ for cosy and softly) because this is the final sound they hear. It will also be helpful in clearing up the other common mis-spelling of -ey: ‘softley’. Show any child who has an -ey habit the list on page 68 containing the very few useful words that really do end in -ey. By contrast, there are over 5000 words which end in y sounding like an e! Picture coding will help: the child simply writes y and draws a tiny e in the Yo-yo Man’s sack instead of mis-spelling the word. This is Yellow Yo-yo Man’s biggest and best business deal.
Demonstration: Yo-yo Man’s business deal with Mr E Show the card and tell the story:
Yellow Yo-yo Man’s says e in over 5000 words for Mr E Much as the Yellow Yo-yo Man enjoys working for Mr I, he needs more work than Mr I can give him. Luckily, the Yo-yo Man has another friend who needs his help. It’s Mr E. Do you remember Mr E’s special invention for the end of words, his Silent Magic e? Well, he quite forgot that in many, many words people just do not want an e to become silent at the end. There was nothing Mr E could do to change his Silent e’s back into e’s which could still say e. In fact, his magic had worked so well that now nearly every e that anyone puts at the end of a word automatically turns into a Silent e! What could Mr E do? He was rushing about in a terrible state until he saw the Yo-yo Man.
y
“Can you say e for me?”, he cried desperately. “I don’t know,” said the Yo-yo Man slowly. He put down his yo-yos and took a deep breath. Then he said “e” quite easily! Mr E was ever so pleased, and immediately gave the Yo-yo Man the job of saying e for him in nearly every word which sounds as though it ends in e. So now the Yo-yo Man earns a very good living indeed, because there are not just hundreds but thousands of words where he can say e for Mr E. And Mr E has given him a tiny little e which he can carry in his sack, to show everybody just how many words he finishes for Mr E.
Activity ideas Live spelling
Live spell or dictate: history story body copy enemy envy empty. (Also any classmate’s name ending in y saying e.)
He went to the party with Harry and Emily. Section 3: Lesson Plans
109