Gr
fro oup
P
m
jus acks
t£
195
!
READING AND SPELLING INTERVENTION
Proven to help children meet
end of Key Stage 2 expectations
for reading and spelling
SAMPLE BOOKLET
enge
Chall
4
enge
Chall
5
enge
Chall
6
What’s included?
Pages 2 & 3 - What is WordBlaze?
Pages 4 & 5 - Introduction to
WordBlaze
Pages 6 & 7 - Teaching with WordBlaze
ge
allen
Ch
Name:
Name:
Name:
Date started:
Date started:
Date started:
Date completed:
Date completed:
Date completed:
Pages 8 & 9 - S
ample lesson plan
Pages 10 & 11 - H
ow to teach ir and oi
letter patterns
1
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Chall
2
enge
Chall
3
Pages 12 & 13 - P
upil Booklet pages ir letter pattern
Pages 14 & 15 - P
upil Booklet pages oi letter pattern
6
Challenge
Name:
READING AND SPELLING INTERVENTION
Name:
Date started:
Date completed:
Date started:
Name:
Name:
READING AND SPELLING INTERVENTION
5
Challenge
Date started:
Date started:
Name:
Date started:
Date completed:
This handbook includes:
3
Challenge
Additional activities to support reinforcement,
differentiation and extension
4
40-
9-3
833
-1-7
Name:
UK
Ltd
15
20
978
ta
Full support to deliver the WordBlaze programme
Guidance on teaching reading and spelling at
Key Stage 2
Date completed:
rs
Name:
Date completed:
4
Challenge
TEACHER’S HANDBOOK
Date completed:
ng
S
Date completed:
Date started:
Date started:
sign
©
Risi
Date completed:
De
2
McPhail
, An
son
2015
Challenge
Text © Bass,
CD-ROM (includes permanent
whole-school site licence)
Name:
Flashcards
Spelling lists
Gameboards
Award certificates
Record-keeping forms to demonstrate progress
PDFs of all teacher and pupil materials
Date started:
Date completed:
1
Challenge
Name:
Date started:
Date completed:
For more information
please call 0800 091 1602
ISBN 978-1-78339-340-4
ISBN 978-1-78339-340-4
www.risingstars-uk.com
9 781783 393404
9 781783 393404
Freephone 0800 091 1602
www.risingstars-uk.com
OM
-R E
CDNSID
I
READING AND SPELLING INTERVENTION
What is
WordBlaze?
Try WordBlaze
with your Class!
99 Wordblaze can be used flexibly in 2-3 intervention
sessions a week
99 Includes clear teacher support for teachers and
teaching assistants
99 Covers all national curriculum reading and spelling
expectations
This sample pack includes pages from the
Teacher’s Handbook and Pupil Booklets so
you can try it out at your school.
Sample Lesson Plan
Letter pattern:
Warm up
TEACHER’S HANDBOOK
Step 1
4
40-
1
llenge
Cha
ge 2
G INTERVENTION
Date started:
15
20
ge 4
Challen
Challen
978
sign
©
Date completed:
5
Challenge
Date completed:
4
Challenge
HANDBOOK
Name:
Date started:
Date completed:
3
Challenge
Step 2
• Say: Look at the memory hook picture. Say the memory hook phrase with the pupils and
the letters again, e.g. “a - i”, “ai”, “Snail Train”.
• Discuss the memory hook picture with the pupils.
Step 3
• Say: Now let’s look at the Phonic Box and see the other ways to spell this sound that you
have already learnt.
• Ask for examples of words which use the other spellings and write them on the board for
pupils to see.
Step 4
• Say: It’s time to read the story and see what happens. Read the story to the pupils. Ask them
to find all the pattern words and underline each one.
• Read the story to the class again, stressing the pattern words, then a third time leaving out
the pattern words for the pupils to call out.
• Ask pupils about the punctuation used in the story.
Step 5
• Say: You are now going to draw your very best picture to illustrate this story. Remember to
use your own ideas and include all the story words that have the pattern.
• Allow about 10 minutes for the drawing. Circulate and show some drawings in progress to
encourage and inspire pupils.
• Pupils who finish early can try reading the words from the Word Bank ready for the One
Minute Wonder.
Plenary
• Tell the pupils they have worked really well and finish the lesson with a game. Select from
the Adaptable Activities, e.g. Big Ears or Finish with a Flourish.
READING AND SPELLING INTERVENTION
Text © Bass,
Date started:
McPhail
, An
son
TEACHER’S
Name:
includes:
This handbook
programme
deliver the WordBlaze
Full support to
at
reading and spelling
Guidance on teaching
Key Stage 2
to support reinforcement,
Additional activitiesextension
and
differentiation
2015
De
SPELLING INTERVENTION
Ltd
Risi
ng
S
Name:
READING AND
UK
ge 5
Date started:
Date completed:
ge 6
Challen
Name:
Challen
Name:
Name:
Name:
Date started:
Date started:
Date started:
Date completed:
Date completed:
Date completed:
Name:
Date started:
Date completed:
2
Challenge
permanent
CD-ROM (includes
site licence)
whole-school
Name:
Date started:
Date completed:
1
Challenge
Flashcards
Spelling lists
Gameboards
progress
Award certificates
g forms to demonstrate
Record-keepin
and pupil materials
PDFs of all teacher
For more information
091 1602
please call 0800
m
www.risingstars-uk.co
Name:
Date started:
Date completed:
9-340-4
ISBN 978-1-7833
9-340-4
ISBN 978-1-7833
OM
-R E
CD SID
IN
Name:
9 781783 393404
Name:
Date started:
Date started:
Date completed:
Date completed:
9 781783 393404
•Detailed Lesson Plans
•Guidance for teaching each
letter pattern
•Support on teaching reading and
spelling to intervention groups
•PDFs of the Pupil Booklets to use on
the whiteboard
•Supporting flashcards, games and
activities
•Weekly spelling lists and dictation
activities
•Resources to engage parents
•Record-keeping sheets
•6 Pupil Booklets covering all
national curriculum spelling and
reading expectations which can
be used over two years with
Years 5 and 6 intervention groups
ir
ere
The ‘three Hs’: Homophones: fur (dressed in fur)
– fir (fir tree); birth (baby) – berth (cabin).
Act it out!
Smirk. Squirt water. Stir a huge bowl of thick
porridge. Be a circus master and introduce the acts.
Mime one of the performers for others to guess.
Be active!
Circulate a note and have all pupils add a
sentence, in the style of the game Consequences.
Pupils twirl like a ballet dancer, bringing their eyes back
to one point. After twirling, try to walk to a set point, but
only try this on grass as they might fall over! Count first,
second, third, fourth, fifth, up to thirteenth or thirtieth!
Pupils make up three points, e.g. Firstly, there are no
more sweets. Secondly, they rot your teeth and thirdly,
they make you put on weight.
Build your word power
Pupils find all the number words on page 4 of
Ski the South Pole and write them in order. They
write all the words with circ in them inside a circle.
Scanning
Ask pupils to find ten words that end in y on
page 4 of Ski the South Pole. Ask them to find the words
that contain the syllable firm.
© McPhail, Bass, Anson 2015. You may photocopy this page
oi
oy
A vowel team
oi is mainly used in the middle of a word and
occasionally at the beginning. It will never be at the
end. oi is the partner to oy, which is used mostly at
the end of a word.
Say it daft!
Mois-ten, poi-g-nant, boi-ster-ous.
Synonyms
Coiled, hoist, toilet, noises.
Visual media for memory
Joist, poise, anoint, embroidery.
Tricky meanings to explore
Void, poignant, embroil, exploit, anoint.
The ‘three Hs’: Homonyms: foil (tinfoil) – foil
(foil a plan); oily (as in cooking) – oily (as in
character).
Act it out!
Act out finding a really poisonous toilet! Be a
spoilsport. Loiter.
Be active!
Exploit: Discuss the exploitation of farmers such
as coffee and cocoa growers, and explain the
links to Fairtrade products. Who can bring in a Fairtrade
product from home? Eat Fairtrade chocolate or biscuits in
class. Have pupils draw the Fairtrade symbol.
Build your word power
Write comparatives, e.g. noise – noisy – noisier.
Scanning
Ask pupils to find the two compound words on
page 6 of Ski the South Pole: loincloth, spoilsport. Ask
pupils how many words there are of three syllables in Set
4. Memory training: Tell pupils to look for and remember
the first two-syllable word and the first three-syllable
word.
Read the story then draw the picture.
Birthday Girl
ir
ur
ir
er
ur
ir
Set 1 (13 words)
affirm
skirt
squirm
sirloin
shirt
whirl
virtue
chirp
firm
thirst
Set 4 (20birth
words)
shirty
twirling
birch
whirlpool
first
squirt
swirling
third
smirk
thirdly
confirm
shirty
girlfriend
squirting
affirm
sirloin
virtue
Sir
birthmark
squirtingchirp
firstly
twirling
birch
flirtation
reconfirm
firmest
encircled
smirk
thirdly
fir
dirty
thirtieth
semicircle
thirty
virtual
confirmation
firmness flirt
virtuous
dirt
13 words so far
chirpy
swirl
te
nu
Wo
n
quirky
toil
exploit
adjoining
joinery
joist
android
disjointed
noiselessly
11 words so far
groin
steroid
pointedly
Well
moisturising
foil
moisten
embroider
embroidery
ui
spoiling
disappoint
Silent
disappointing
uncoil
boisterous
embroidering
infirmary
poise
unspoiled
noisily
boisterously
whirlwind
thirstiness
spoilt
embroiled
avoiding
disappointment
ou
girth
flirtation circuses
birthdays
infirmaries
virtuously
smirked
firmly
shirtily
circumnavigation
33 words so far
53 words so far
73 words so far
93 words so far
squirming
firmest
up to 39
Sparkling
circumvent
circulate
stirring
reconfirm
encircled
40–49
Glowing
50–59
Burning
60–69
Sizzling
virtually
thirtieth
semicircle
confirmation
swirl
quirky
dirtier
unicycle
firms
irksome
circular
circulation
shirk
thirsty
thirstier
circulating
quirk
stirring
circulate
infirmary
rs
de
mirth
whirlwind
thirstiness
infirmaries
girth
birthdays
circuses
virtuously
smirked
firmly
shirtily
circumnavigation
33 words so far
53 words so far
73 words so far
93 words so far
60–69
Sizzling
70+
Red hot!
70+
Red hot!
hoist
te
nu
Wo
n
Brilliant! You are off!
1
voices
recoiling
exploitation
oo
Letters
ea
ow
foist
jointed
anointed
disappointed
aw
poised
pointless
noisiness
unavoidable
au
31 words so far
51 words so far
71 words so far
oy so far
91 words
Firstly, you have found a team with all the qualities needed:
fitness, up
bravery,
loyalty,40–49
respect, pride,50–59
attention to detail
to 39
60–69
Sparkling No one
Glowing
Burning
Sizzling
and leadership.
can shirk their
share of the work.
Antarctica is a very dangerous place. Circumstances can
Score/Date
change at any moment and there is no rescue service, so
Score/Date
having the right people with you is a matter of life and death.
Build your word power.
Build your word power.
done!
void
virtual
One M
i
noises
loiter
Build your word power.
oink
mirth
Avoid the poisonous toilet if you
It is making truly terrible noises.
Practise writing.
humanoid
moisturise
pointlessly
unicycle
dirty
Score/Date
spoilsport
oilier
noisier
circulation
thirty
Score/Date
ointment
recoil
rejoice
circulating
Score/Date
circling
Score/Date
50–59
Burning
appointment
noisiest
dirtier
fir
40–49
Glowing
boiler
oily
thirstier
irksome
thirsty
flirt
up to 39
Sparkling
poison
oil
joint
Practise
writing.
coiled
boil
virtually
stirringly circular
firms
shirk
confirmed
quirk
birches
thirstiest circling
moisture
voice
For her thirteenth birthday, Shirley went to the circus in her brand new skirt and
choice
appoint
anoint
coiling
exploited
the circle
the acrobats
whirling
twirling above her. At first, all w
moistand watched
noise
embroil
moistened and
loitering
soil
coin
poignant
voiceless
exploiting
third act
a bird flew
in and dropped
dirt
on Shirley’s
skirt! Oh dear!
circumvent
birches
bird
Wo
n
spoil
poisonous
virtuous
squirming
dirt
te
nu
boiling
thirstiest
stirringly
unconfirmed
confirmed
swirling
join
third
circles
squirt
Practise
writing.
toilet
circles
birdsong
dirtiest
whirlpool
unconfirmed
dirtiest
bird
first
By Geordie
1 (11 words)
2 (20went
words)
3 (20
words)
Set skirt
4 (20and
words)
Setsat
5 (20
For herSet
thirteenth
birthday,Set
Shirley
to theSet
circus
in her
brand new
shirt. She
nextwords)
to
the circle
and watched thepoint
acrobats whirling and
twirling above her.noisy
At first, all went well,
but in the
avoid
foiled
rejoicing
third act a bird flew in and dropped dirt on Shirley’s skirt! Oh dear!
chirpy
circumstance
firmness
squirm
Set 5 (20 words)
circumstance
Set 5 (20firstly
words)
whirl
circle
Set 4 (20 words)
thirteen
skirt
whirling
oy
rs
de
birthmark
stir
Set 3 (20 words)
shirt
rs
de
Sir
Set 2 (20 words)
thirteenth
circus
oi
Read the story then draw t
Poisonous Toilet
Read the words.
birthday
birdsong
whirling
13 words so far
oi
By Kayleigh
By Kayleigh
Shirley
One M
i
stir
circle
Read the story then draw the picture.
Birthday Girl
Read the words.
Set 2 (20oi
words)
Set 3 (20 words)
Try the ir and
letter
thirteenth
firm
confirm
patterns with your class
birthday
thirst
girlfriend
or intervention
group
Shirley
birth
thirteen
circus
Use the Sample Lesson Plan
and letter pattern notes to
prepare for your class
Poisonous Toilet
oi
our
Tricky meanings to explore
Smirk, shirk, quirky, mirth, virtuous, infirmary.
Set 1 (13 words)
WordBlaze covers 66 key letter
patterns included in the new
national curriculum relevant to Key
Stage 2, in addition to 32 other
patterns and rules that appear in
the Blazing Extras
or
Visual media for memory
Mirth, whirlpool (show a video clip), birch, fir
(discuss evergreen and deciduous trees), sirloin steak.
Read the words.
Letter Patterns
Covered in WordBlaze
ear
Revision
Review soft c (ce, ci, cy) for all the words with
circle as the root word on page 4 of Ski the South Pole.
2. TEACH
er
ir
Memory hook
Pupils say ‘I have a birthday’ to emphasise the i
in the middle.
• Ask the pupils to open their booklets at page ____ Say: Put your hand up if you think you
know what sound these new letters say. Invite one pupil to read the sound.
• Say: Look at the pattern letters. Say the letters and sound together with the pupils, e.g. "ai",
"a - i" says "ai".
• Use the Teacher Tips for ideas specific to this pattern.
• Say: Now let’s colour in the letters at the top of the page. Remember, use just one colour
because they make one sound.
ta
rs
SPELLIN
READING AND
ge 3
Challen
9-3
833
-1-7
6
Challenge
ur
This is the last of the -r syllables in the six syllable types.
Challenge Booklets
Crayons
Mini whiteboards and pens/rubbers
Award Certificates from the CD-ROM
Sound flashcards from the CD-ROM
• Tell the pupils that today they are going to start the next stage of their WordBlaze Challenge
journey and learn a new letter pattern.
• Say: First, I am going to award some certificates for last week's performance. Award the
Sizzling Speller, Perfect Punctuator, Red Hot Reader and Amazing Artist Awards to motivate
pupils.
• Say: Let’s see who can remember all the letter patterns we have done so far this term.
Hold up flashcards for each one/point to it written on the board. Say its sound aloud with
the pupils.
• Say: I will say one of those sounds. Can you write it on your mini whiteboard and hold it
up to show me? Can you write one word that goes with that sound? Repeat for two or three
more sounds.
PUPIL CHALLENGE
BOOKLETS
CD-ROM
er
Resources
•
•
•
•
•
Birthday Girl
ir
The following lesson plan can be used as a sample script for introducing a new sound/letter pattern in a
WordBlaze Challenge Booklet. It covers steps 1 to 5 in Lesson 1 on the Weekly Plan Template on page 10.
It can be photocopied and given to a Teaching Assistant or other adult helper as a prompt. Sample scripts for
the other lessons can be found on the CD-ROM.
1. PLAN
One M
i
WordBlaze is a flexible reading and
spelling programme to be used with
Year 5 and Year 6 intervention groups
to quickly bring them up to speed
with the new national curriculum’s
reading and spelling expectations.
oi
ir
70+
Red hot!
Brilliant! You made it to th
2
It is sum
go. You
specially
Your aim
remote,
incredib
choice o
unpacke
3. ASSESS
Use the ‘One Minute Wonders’
challenge to assess your
Brilliant!progress
You are off!
pupils’
1
Firstly, you have found a team with all the qualities nee
fitness, bravery, loyalty, respect, pride, attention to deta
and leadership. No one can shirk their share of the work
Antarctica is a very dangerous place. Circumstances can
change at any moment and there is no rescue service, s
having the right people with you is a matter of life and
Sample from the WordBlaze
Teacher’s Handbook
Welcome to
What is WordBlaze?
WordBlaze has been developed by three specialist
literacy teachers with extensive experience in
both classroom teaching, as well as one-to-one
teaching of pupils with specific learning difficulties.
Their goal over the years has been to develop a
method of teaching spelling and reading that is
truly multi-sensory, uses study skills techniques,
and engages pupils in their learning. WordBlaze
is a highly structured and rigorous programme
that consolidates and extends spelling and reading
beyond the early phonics. Teaching with WordBlaze
brings together the best practices for making
learning motivating, fun and therefore, memorable.
Pupils using the WordBlaze approach and materials
have made excellent progress and enjoyed its
humour, and the opportunities to be creative. The
global Challenge expeditions add an exciting, and
fascinating dimension, which helps to inspire pupils
to succeed.
There are six pupil Challenge Booklets in the
WordBlaze programme, each designed to contain
enough material for one term, if focusing on
teaching one letter pattern per week. Used in this
way, WordBlaze offers a two-year programme of
teaching and learning, which can be started in Year
3 to consolidate phonics learning from Key Stage
1, or used later in Key Stage 2 as an intervention
or catch-up programme for pupils who still need
to improve reading fluency, embed spelling rules
and widen their vocabulary. WordBlaze can also be
used flexibly and dipped into to focus on particular
letter patterns that pupils find challenging or moved
through at a faster pace if pupils are already secure
with other letter patterns.
The Challenge Booklets are:
1 Row the Atlantic
2 Paddle the Amazon
3 Cycle Africa
4 Ski the South Pole
5 Run Australia
6 Conquer Everest
Learning to read and spell with WordBlaze
Spelling supports reading and writing
Across the six Challenge Booklets, the WordBlaze
programme teaches pupils to read and spell
hundreds of words fluently and automatically. With
WordBlaze, pupils are taught the ‘Powerful Tools’
of phonic rules and syllabification which, when
grasped, enable pupils to decode and encode words
successfully. In the Challenge Booklets, words are
grouped into 66 letter patterns, each with its own
entertaining, colourful memory hook and story.
Pupils enjoy personalising these with their own
illustrations, making them yet more memorable.
Research points to the importance of spelling for
reading:
A further 32 patterns are covered by the ‘Blazing
Extras’!
Research also points to a strong relationship
between spelling and writing. Automatic recall of
how words are spelled is vital when writing, so that
pupils can focus on expressing their thoughts and
ideas. Pupils can easily lose track of what they want
to say when they are stuck on how to spell a word.
Weak spellers may also restrict their writing and only
use simple words.
To practise their reading and spelling, pupils have
access to an extensive bank of over 5500 words.
This includes all the words from the National
Curriculum statutory spelling lists for Years 3/4
and Years 5/6, plus 1000 high frequency words,
highlighted for easy identification. Pupils are
motivated to develop their automatic recognition of
words, using the engaging ‘One Minute Wonders’,
where even the most reluctant pupils are inspired to
practise and improve their scores.
“Spelling and reading build and rely on
the same mental representation of a word.
Knowing the spelling of a word makes the
representation of it sturdy and accessible for
fluent reading.”
Snow et al 2005 [1]
We hope that your pupils will enjoy using all the
different components of WordBlaze, and that the
Challenges will stimulate an interest in the world
around them as well as encouraging them to set
themselves goals, persevere until they achieve them,
and finally savour their success.
Motivating activities and challenges
WordBlaze combines learning how to decode
unknown words, with building up an ever-increasing
store of sight words for reading and spelling. When
pupils experience success with this, their confidence
improves and their progress accelerates.
WordBlaze helps pupils to achieve automaticity
when reading and spelling with very clear lesson
outlines, in addition to suggestions for subsequent
activities to consolidate pupils’ learning. A wealth
of tips, ideas and games, found in the Adaptable
Activities (page 28) and Teaching Tips (page 30) of
this Teacher’s Handbook, add fun and interest
every week.
Reading fluency, vocabulary and comprehension
Weekly spelling tests and dictations
Automatic recognition of words is the starting point
for fluent reading. If individual words are identified
effortlessly, pupils’ comprehension is greatly
enhanced. However, fluency and comprehension
also involve using the correct rhythm, intonation,
and phrasing when reading, so WordBlaze
includes some ‘Fiery Phrases’ to offer practice in
reading words in context. WordBlaze is intended
to complement pupils’ reading of a wide range of
texts. The more automatic their word recognition
becomes, the easier and more enjoyable their wider
reading will be. WordBlaze also incorporates explicit
vocabulary teaching, another vital component of
comprehension.
The Challenge Booklets provide a rich resource for
review and revision. Pupils enjoy looking back over
them to see their drawings, their reading scores,
(which they might be tempted to try and improve
upon), and their success across the stepping stones
of the Challenge.
WordBlaze includes cheerful spelling lists, with the
Memory Hook and Picture for each week’s pattern.
Pupils learn to spell 20 words each week and
these can be tested either in the weekly dictation
sentences provided, as a simple list, or a combination
of the two. The use of dictations with the target
words ‘lost’ in a sentence is recommended, as it
is a more realistic form of testing, and also gives
regular opportunities to discuss different forms of
punctuation and sentence structure.
Snow, C. E., Griffin, P., and Burns, M. S. (Eds.) (2005). Knowledge to Support the Teaching of Reading: Preparing Teachers for a
Changing World. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
[1]
4
Teacher’s Handbook
5
Sample from the WordBlaze
Teacher’s Handbook
Teaching with
WordBlaze uses a multi-sensory teaching approach based on proven study skills techniques. It:
Challenge Booklet letter pattern pages
•
•
•
•
•
The majority of WordBlaze lessons follow the format of the letter pattern pages shown below. The steps
show how the different sections of these pages should be introduced. See the Step-by-step guide to using
the Challenge Booklets on pages 12–15 for more details on how to use each section. Specific teaching ideas
for each letter pattern or spelling rule can be found in the Teaching Tips section from pages 30–80.
creates a visual and an auditory memory of letter patterns and words
links letter patterns and words using memory hooks, colour, humour, stories and creativity
encourages active engagement with patterns and words
uses repetition and review to secure learning
uses motivating activities and challenges to give a sense of achievement.
Step 1
Colour the letters in one
colour to show one sound.
Step 2
Step 4
Read the Memory Hook phrase, notice the
pattern letters and look at the picture.
Read the story and underline the
words containing the pattern letters.
Step 5
Draw a picture
of the story.
Step 3
Look at the different ways
to write this sound that
have been covered so far.
Step 6
Read the words:
• identify/highlight
the pattern
• decode
• look for blends
• scoop syllables
• count syllables
• practise scanning
• extend vocabulary
Practise the sets in
preparation for the One
Minute Wonder challenge.
See the ideas in The
Powerful Tools, Teaching
Tips and Adaptable
Activities sections.
Step 7
Take the One Minute
Wonder challenge. Time
and record the scores.
8
Step 8
Select from the writing
activities suggested in the
Teaching Tips section.
Step 9
Consolidate with spelling
and vocabulary activities
suggested in the Teaching
Tips and Adaptable
Activities sections.
Step 10
Colour in the sounds
covered so far in the
Challenge Booklet.
Step 11
Read the Challenge Log
paragraph and find the
letter pattern words. Add a
sticker or colour the matching stepping stone on the
Challenge Map to complete
the stage.
Teacher’s Handbook
9
Try it out with your Year 5 or
Year 6 intervention group
How to use the One Minute
Wonder
Sample Lesson Plan
One Minute Wonder
The following lesson plan can be used as a sample script for introducing a new sound/letter pattern in a
WordBlaze Challenge Booklet. It covers steps 1 to 5 in Lesson 1 on the Weekly Plan Template on page 10.
It can be photocopied and given to a Teaching Assistant or other adult helper as a prompt. Sample scripts for
the other lessons can be found on the CD-ROM.
Letter pattern:
Resources
•
•
•
•
•
Warm up
Challenge Booklets
Crayons
Mini whiteboards and pens/rubbers
Award Certificates from the CD-ROM
Sound flashcards from the CD-ROM
• Tell the pupils that today they are going to start the next stage of their WordBlaze Challenge
journey and learn a new letter pattern.
• Say: First, I am going to award some certificates for last week's performance. Award the
Sizzling Speller, Perfect Punctuator, Red Hot Reader and Amazing Artist Awards to motivate
pupils.
• Say: Let’s see who can remember all the letter patterns we have done so far this term.
Hold up flashcards for each one/point to it written on the board. Say its sound aloud with
the pupils.
• Say: I will say one of those sounds. Can you write it on your mini whiteboard and hold it
up to show me? Can you write one word that goes with that sound? Repeat for two or three
more sounds.
Step 1
• Ask the pupils to open their booklets at page ____ Say: Put your hand up if you think you
know what sound these new letters say. Invite one pupil to read the sound.
• Say: Look at the pattern letters. Say the letters and sound together with the pupils, e.g. "ai",
"a - i" says "ai".
• Use the Teacher Tips for ideas specific to this pattern.
• Say: Now let’s colour in the letters at the top of the page. Remember, use just one colour
because they make one sound.
Step 2
• Say: Look at the memory hook picture. Say the memory hook phrase with the pupils and
the letters again, e.g. “a - i”, “ai”, “Snail Train”.
• Discuss the memory hook picture with the pupils.
Step 3
Step 4
• Say: Now let’s look at the Phonic Box and see the other ways to spell this sound that you
have already learnt.
• Ask for examples of words which use the other spellings and write them on the board for
pupils to see.
• Say: It’s time to read the story and see what happens. Read the story to the pupils. Ask them
to find all the pattern words and underline each one.
• Read the story to the class again, stressing the pattern words, then a third time leaving out
the pattern words for the pupils to call out.
• Ask pupils about the punctuation used in the story.
Step 5
• Say: You are now going to draw your very best picture to illustrate this story. Remember to
use your own ideas and include all the story words that have the pattern.
• Allow about 10 minutes for the drawing. Circulate and show some drawings in progress to
encourage and inspire pupils.
• Pupils who finish early can try reading the words from the Word Bank ready for the One
Minute Wonder.
Plenary
• Tell the pupils they have worked really well and finish the lesson with a game. Select from
the Adaptable Activities, e.g. Big Ears or Finish with a Flourish.
© McPhail, Bass, Anson 2015. You may photocopy this page
Using the One Minute Wonder
How many words can
be read correctly in one
minute?
This is the main motivational tool for encouraging
pupils to practise reading the words repeatedly. It is
also an extremely time-efficient method of tracking
progress. Once pupils have practised, they are timed
with a stopwatch for one minute. It is vital to stress
to the pupils that accuracy comes first and speed
will follow naturally. As it can equally be applied to
reading continuous text, this method can monitor a
pupil’s fluency and overall reading ability.
Pupils are timed and the words read correctly in a
minute are counted up. Pupils record the sets they
have read, their score and the date in their One
Minute Wonders chart. The aim is to be a ‘Red Hot!’
reader for each pattern, but it is just as exciting to
move from ‘Glowing’ to ‘Burning’!
up to 39
Sparkling
40–49
Glowing
50–59
Burning
60–69
Sizzling
70+
Red hot!
Score/Date
Score/Date
You/teaching assistants/other adults in the
classroom or parents at home need to monitor
accuracy, especially for struggling pupils working in
pairs as they may not be able to judge their partner’s
accuracy.
Timing can be done in a way that suits you and the
pupils:
• pupils can work in pairs taking turns to time one
another with a stop watch
• individuals, groups or whole classes can be timed
together by you or a teaching assistant
• some pupils might like to ‘show off’ their One
Minute Wonder reading to the class.
Differentiation
Pupils can be supported or challenged by
allocating different sets to be read during the
One Minute Wonder challenge. For example:
• Only Sets 1 and 2 (revisit the pattern another
time to read the other Sets).
• All the words, restarting from Set 1 again,
if time allows.
• All the words, followed by the last set
repeatedly.
• Pupils’ own choice of target sets.
Red Hot Reader Award
Experience shows that once pupils get into it,
they are always keen to see if they can read
the sets again to improve their scores. Your
role is to kindle and encourage this enthusiasm.
Choosing a ‘Red Hot’ reader each
week helps motivate pupils, especially as it can
be awarded to the most improved reader, or the
pupil who has made the most effort, and not
just the fastest.
Red Hot Reading Team Award
Another effective motivator is for pairs or teams
of pupils at a similar level to work together.
Pupils can help each other to practise the
words and be timed. The team with the best
combined progress after a ten-minute session
can be given this award.
Sample from the WordBlaze
Teacher’s Handbook
Birthday Girl
ir
er
ur
ir
ear
or
ere
our
This is the last of the -r syllables in the six syllable types.
ir
oi
oy
au
aw
ou
ow
ea
Silent
Letters
oo
ui
Memory hook
Pupils say ‘I have a birthday’ to emphasise the i
in the middle.
The Challenge
To reach the South Pole has been one of the ultimate challenges and until recently was achieved by very
few. Antarctica was first sighted in 1820 and confirmed as a new continent in 1840. The South Pole was first
reached in 1911 by Roald Amundsen who was closely followed, in 1912, by Robert Falcon Scott. Humans
did not return until 1956 when the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station was established. Although there
were a few expeditions after that, it was not until the late 1980s that it became more accessible to private
expeditions. Skiing and pulling all equipment on a pulk is the most usual method of transport, although some
have attempted it by bicycle and even on foot. This is an expedition of extreme danger and one that requires
incredible endurance. There are many fascinating personal accounts including the expedition of disabled
veterans in 2013, and stunning photographs to appreciate. There are no films of the expedition because of
the difficulties of stopping for long in the extreme cold. However, David Attenborough’s series ‘Life in the
Freezer’ shows wonderful scenes of the animal life around the edges of Antarctica. In terms of environmental
interest, Antarctica is at the centre of research and debate on global warming and thus offers plenty of scope
for research and discussion.
Introduction
We are going on one of the world’s most difficult expeditions this term. We are going to ski to the
South Pole, pulling everything we need in a special kind of sledge called a pulk. The route we will take
is around 1000 kilometres and it will take us about 47 days of walking, all day every day. It is such a
dangerous expedition that it is almost impossible to do this without a great team. It is extremely difficult
to get help if something goes wrong so we will have to be incredibly careful not to get injured or allow
ourselves to get too cold and suffer frostbite. Are we all ready to take on this great challenge as a team?!
(To give pupils the feeling of pulling a pulk, use an old car tyre attached to a rope and pull it around the
playground – see training photos on the internet.)
Remember to Use the
Powerful Tools!
For every pattern,
encourage pupils to:
• scoop syllables
• word build, noticing
root words, prefixes and
suffixes
• look for short and long
vowels and their rules
• spot blends and phonic
patterns.
Teacher’s Handbook
57
Revision
Review soft c (ce, ci, cy) for all the words with
circle as the root word on page 4 of Ski the South Pole.
Visual media for memory
Mirth, whirlpool (show a video clip), birch, fir
(discuss evergreen and deciduous trees), sirloin steak.
Tricky meanings to explore
Smirk, shirk, quirky, mirth, virtuous, infirmary.
The ‘three Hs’: Homophones: fur (dressed in fur)
– fir (fir tree); birth (baby) – berth (cabin).
Act it out!
Smirk. Squirt water. Stir a huge bowl of thick
porridge. Be a circus master and introduce the acts.
Mime one of the performers for others to guess.
Be active!
Circulate a note and have all pupils add a
sentence, in the style of the game Consequences.
Pupils twirl like a ballet dancer, bringing their eyes back
to one point. After twirling, try to walk to a set point, but
only try this on grass as they might fall over! Count first,
second, third, fourth, fifth, up to thirteenth or thirtieth!
Pupils make up three points, e.g. Firstly, there are no
more sweets. Secondly, they rot your teeth and thirdly,
they make you put on weight.
Build your word power
Pupils find all the number words on page 4 of
Ski the South Pole and write them in order. They
write all the words with circ in them inside a circle.
Scanning
Ask pupils to find ten words that end in y on
page 4 of Ski the South Pole. Ask them to find the words
that contain the syllable firm.
58
Poisonous Toilet
oi
oi
oy
A vowel team
oi is mainly used in the middle of a word and
occasionally at the beginning. It will never be at the
end. oi is the partner to oy, which is used mostly at
the end of a word.
Say it daft!
Mois-ten, poi-g-nant, boi-ster-ous.
Synonyms
Coiled, hoist, toilet, noises.
Visual media for memory
Joist, poise, anoint, embroidery.
Tricky meanings to explore
Void, poignant, embroil, exploit, anoint.
The ‘three Hs’: Homonyms: foil (tinfoil) – foil
(foil a plan); oily (as in cooking) – oily (as in
character).
Act it out!
Act out finding a really poisonous toilet! Be a
spoilsport. Loiter.
Be active!
Exploit: Discuss the exploitation of farmers such
as coffee and cocoa growers, and explain the
links to Fairtrade products. Who can bring in a Fairtrade
product from home? Eat Fairtrade chocolate or biscuits in
class. Have pupils draw the Fairtrade symbol.
Build your word power
Write comparatives, e.g. noise – noisy – noisier.
Scanning
Ask pupils to find the two compound words on
page 6 of Ski the South Pole: loincloth, spoilsport. Ask
pupils how many words there are of three syllables in Set
4. Memory training: Tell pupils to look for and remember
the first two-syllable word and the first three-syllable
word.
Sample from the WordBlaze Pupil
Challenge Booklet 4 - Ski to the South Pole
ir
er
Read the story then draw the picture.
Birthday Girl
ur
ir
By Kayleigh
Read the words.
Set 1 (13 words)
Set 2 (20 words)
Set 3 (20 words)
Set 4 (20 words)
Set 5 (20 words)
thirteenth
firm
confirm
shirty
circumstance
birthday
thirst
girlfriend
squirting
unconfirmed
For her thirteenth birthday, Shirley went to the circus in her brand new skirt and shirt. She sat next to
the circle and watched the acrobats whirling and twirling above her. At first, all went well, but in the
third act a bird flew in and dropped dirt on Shirley’s skirt! Oh dear!
Shirley
birth
thirteen
firstly
dirtiest
Practise writing.
circus
stir
affirm
circles
thirstiest
skirt
squirm
sirloin
firmness
virtuous
shirt
whirl
virtue
chirpy
stirringly
circle
chirp
birdsong
confirmed
circumvent
whirling
Sir
birthmark
birches
flirtation
twirling
birch
whirlpool
squirming
reconfirm
first
squirt
swirling
firmest
encircled
third
smirk
thirdly
circling
virtually
bird
fir
dirty
thirtieth
semicircle
dirt
flirt
thirty
virtual
confirmation
13 words so far
swirl
quirky
dirtier
unicycle
firms
irksome
circular
circulation
shirk
thirsty
thirstier
circulating
quirk
stirring
circulate
infirmary
mirth
whirlwind
thirstiness
infirmaries
girth
birthdays
circuses
virtuously
smirked
firmly
shirtily
circumnavigation
33 words so far
53 words so far
73 words so far
93 words so far
One M
i
Wo
n
rs
de
te
nu
up to 39
Sparkling
Score/Date
Score/Date
40–49
Glowing
50–59
Burning
60–69
Sizzling
70+
Red hot!
Build your word power.
Well
done!
ui
oo
Silent
Letters
ea
ow
ou
aw
Brilliant! You are off!
1
Firstly, you have found a team with all the qualities needed:
fitness, bravery, loyalty, respect, pride, attention to detail
and leadership. No one can shirk their share of the work.
Antarctica is a very dangerous place. Circumstances can
change at any moment and there is no rescue service, so
having the right people with you is a matter of life and death.
au
oy
oi
ir
Sample from the WordBlaze Pupil
Challenge Booklet 4 - Ski the South Pole
oi
oi
Read the story then draw the picture.
Poisonous Toilet
oy
By Geordie
Read the words.
Set 1 (11 words)
Set 2 (20 words)
Set 3 (20 words)
Set 4 (20 words)
Set 5 (20 words)
avoid
point
foiled
noisy
rejoicing
poisonous
voice
moisture
boiler
appointment
toilet
join
poison
oily
noisiest
choice
appoint
anoint
coiling
exploited
moist
noise
embroil
moistened
loitering
soil
coin
poignant
voiceless
exploiting
boiling
spoil
ointment
spoilsport
humanoid
oil
joint
recoil
oilier
moisturise
coiled
boil
rejoice
noisier
pointlessly
noises
toil
exploit
adjoining
joinery
loiter
joist
android
disjointed
noiselessly
11 words so far
groin
steroid
pointedly
moisturising
Well
done!
foil
moisten
embroider
embroidery
ui
hoist
voices
recoiling
exploitation
oo
void
spoiling
disappoint
disappointing
oink
uncoil
boisterous
embroidering
poise
unspoiled
noisily
boisterously
ow
spoilt
embroiled
avoiding
disappointment
ou
foist
jointed
anointed
disappointed
poised
pointless
noisiness
unavoidable
31 words so far
51 words so far
71 words so far
91 words so far
One M
i
Wo
n
rs
de
te
nu
up to 39
Sparkling
Score/Date
Score/Date
40–49
Glowing
50–59
Burning
60–69
Sizzling
70+
Red hot!
Avoid the poisonous toilet if you have the choice. It’s full of moist soil, boiling oil and coiled snakes!
It is making truly terrible noises. Don’t loiter …
Practise writing.
Build your word power.
Silent
Letters
ea
Brilliant! You made it to the next stage!
2
It is summer in the Southern Hemisphere and the best time to
go. You have landed safely on Antarctica in a noisy Hercules,
specially fitted with skis. The ice can be 4 kilometres deep!
Your aim is the geographical South Pole, one of the most
remote, extreme and untouched places on earth; it is an
incredible, breathtaking landscape. You have made a good
choice of campsite for the first night and all your equipment is
unpacked.
aw
au
oy
oi
ir
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