Week 17, lesson 2 New Graphemes "eigh, ei" - Phonics Phase 5, unit 3 - Lesson plan

The lesson plan for Week 17, Day 2, focuses on introducing two new graphemes for the /ai/ phoneme, specifically "eigh" and "ei". The objective of the lesson is for the children to learn these graphemes and how they relate to the /ai/ sound. The lesson begins with a revisiting activity, where the children engage in a High Frequency Word (HFW) Race, using flashcards to review ten high-frequency words. This activity is designed to be interactive and competitive, encouraging the children to read the words quickly and accurately, either by sight or by sounding them out.

During the teaching phase, the Ape pictophone is shown to the class to represent the /ai/ phoneme, and the children are asked to spell the word "weigh" as an example. The teacher models writing the word, highlighting the "eigh" grapheme with sound bars. The students then practice writing the grapheme on whiteboards, in the air, or on each other's backs. A similar approach is taken for the word "veil" and the "ei" grapheme. In the practice phase, the children engage in a Sound Spotter activity, reading sentences from the board and identifying the /ai/ phoneme. They then list all the graphemes that make the /ai/ sound. The application of the lesson involves mini whiteboard work, where the children write dictated words and sentences that include the new graphemes. Teaching notes emphasize the importance of reading practice in developing confident spelling, and the lesson is structured to ensure that the children practice both reading and spelling with the new graphemes.