Week 7, lesson 3 Tricky Word (they) - Phonics Phase 3 - Lesson plan

In the third lesson of Week 7, the objective is to familiarize Year 1 students with a new 'tricky word': "they". These tricky words are so named because they do not follow the usual phonetic rules that the children have been learning. The lesson begins with a quick revision activity where the children are asked to write down graphemes corresponding to phonemes spoken by the teacher. This warm-up activity encourages the children to recall their phonics knowledge and prepares them for the introduction of the new tricky word.

The teaching segment of the lesson involves sound-talking the word "they" with the aid of sound dots and bars to highlight its unusual sound representation. The children are guided through this process multiple times to ensure understanding. Practice is reinforced through a 'Tricky Word Race', where children use flashcards of all the tricky words learned so far, including "they", and compete in teams to read them quickly and accurately. Following this, the children apply their knowledge by writing the word "they" on mini whiteboards and constructing the phrase "They will quit", discussing the tricky word in context. For those ready for more challenge, extension activities such as using magnetic letters for word building and printing are available to deepen their understanding.