Lesson video

Hello, and welcome to today's spelling lesson.

I'm Mr. Moss.

I love spelling, and I'm really looking forward to teaching you.

With you for today's lesson, you need to bring your looking eyes, your listening ears, and your thinking brains.

As well as that, something to write with and write on, and someone or something to talk to would also be excellent.

Right, let's get right into today's spelling lesson then.

In this spelling lesson, we're going to be investigating the letter string F-E-R.

The outcome of our lesson will be, I can spell words using the letter string F-E-R.

Here are the key words for today's learning.

My turn, your turn.

Root word, suffix, letter string, stressed syllable.

Great, let's have a chat about what these mean then.

A root word is the base word from which other words are formed, often by adding prefixes or suffixes.

A suffix is a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning.

A letter string is a sequence of letters that appear in several words.

A stress sound is an emphasised sound that you can clearly hear.

So we're investigating the letter string F-E-R today.

We're gonna begin by investigating it.

We're then going to have a go at creating our very own word maps.

And finally, we're going to look at spelling some curriculum words.

Let's get on with investigating that letter string then.

Read these words for me.

My turn, your turn.

Refer, referring, referral, reference, referee, preferred, preference.

All of these words contain the letter string F-E-R.

This is different to a root word because it's not a word in its own right, but it's contained within all of these words.

It can sometimes be difficult to really clearly hear that er sound.

A letter string then is a sequence of letters that appear in several words.

And we can see that we have our F-E-R letter string in all of these words.

This letter string is sometimes part of a stressed syllable.

And sometimes it's unstressed, where we can clearly hear it less.

This affects the spelling of the word and whether the letter R is doubled or not.

You'll notice sometimes that that letter R is doubled.

Refer, referring, referral, reference.

In reference, it is less stressed.

We don't hear it, it's what we would call unstressed.

Referee, preferred, preference.

In those words where we can hear that it is stressed, we have a double R.

There are many root words with the letter string F-E-R.

Sometimes F-E-R is stressed and sometimes it is unstressed.

Refer, this has our stressed fer.

Refer, we can clearly hear that fer, can't we? Offer, this is unstressed.

It can be really difficult to hear, but you have to say it really carefully.

Offer, it doesn't sound like a fer there, it sounds like an uh, doesn't it? So we would say this is an unstressed fer.

Differ, again, here our fer is unstressed.

Differ, fer, not fer.

As I say, it can be quite difficult to hear, so be very careful with this.

Identifying if the fer is stressed, the F-E-R spelling is stressed, will help us to understand the spelling of related words linked to this letter string.

You need to say the word aloud to see if it is stressed or not.

Have a go at saying each of these words.

Which words have the fer in a stressed syllable? Pause the video after you go.

Brilliant job.

As I said, this can be quite tricky, so let's really take our time and say these words aloud.

Prefer, prefer.

Well, that is very clearly stressed, isn't it? Suffer, suffer.

Ooh, it's not suffer, it's suffer.

So it's unstressed.

Transfer, transfer.

Again, unstressed.

So our fer in prefer is clearly stressed here, but in suffer and transfer, it is not stressed.

Here we can clearly hear that first syllable more clearly, can't we? Here we can hear that first syllable more clearly again.

It can be quite hard to tell the difference, so saying the words out loud is really important when practising this skill.

Which words have fer as a stressed syllable? Read these words, listen carefully.

Off you go.

Great job, team.

As I said, this is a tricky skill, isn't it? So, preference.

Hmm, I don't think I can hear that fer very clearly there.

Suffering.

Transferring.

Hmm, here I hear more clearly that first syllable, and it's the same with suffering as well.

But transferring, I can very clearly hear that fer, can't I? So here it is a stressed syllable, whereas in preference and suffering, it is unstressed.

This affects the spelling of the word, because you'll notice that we have a double R after that stressed sound.

When adding a vowel suffix, so a suffix that begins with a vowel, to the word ending in fer, the final R is doubled if the fer is still stressed when the ending is added.

So here we have refer.

It becomes referred.

I can clearly hear that fer is still stressed, so I double my R before adding my vowel suffix, E-D.

Transfer becomes transferring.

Again, my fer is stressed, so I double the R before adding my I-N-G suffix.

The final R is not doubled if the fer or F-E-R spelling is no longer stressed, so is unstressed.

Refer, well, in that instance, it is stressed, but listen to what happens when I add my E-N-C-E suffix to make the word reference.

I didn't say referrence, I say reference.

It's unstressed.

Here we have prefer.

There my fer is stressed.

That E-R sound is stressed.

But when I add my E-N-C-E suffix, it becomes preference.

I don't say preference, I say preference.

It is unstressed, so we don't double that R.

You have to listen really carefully to those stressed and unstressed sounds in the new words to know whether to double that consonant.

How will these fer words or F-E-R words change when the suffix is added? Have a go at saying the new words.

Consider whether the sound is stressed or unstressed.

Pause the video, off you go.

Amazing job, team.

This is so tricky, isn't it? 'Cause you have to really listen carefully.

Let's see how you've done then.

Remember, we're looking really carefully or listening really carefully to hear if that F-E-R is stressed or unstressed.

So our first one was prefer, becoming preferred.

Yep, we can still clearly hear that er, can't we? Preferred, it is stressed.

Refer, becoming referring.

Yep, we can clearly hear that stressed er, can't we? That fer, referring, so we double the R.

Refer, becoming referral.

Yep, referral.

We can clearly hear a stressed sound.

And transfer, becoming transference.

Transference.

Not stressed there.

So we would just add our E-N-C-E suffix, transference.

The spelling of the root word helps us to spell the new word, remember, or how that word sounds when we add the suffix.

Could you have a go, please, at completing this table to show the spelling of the new word for me? You'll need to say out loud the new word.

So for instance, suffer becomes suffered.

Is the sound stressed or unstressed? Will you need to double that final letter before adding your suffix? Pause the video, have a go at creating those new words now.

Off you go.

Brilliant job, really, really great job team, because it's so tricky and you have to listen out so carefully.

Let's see how you've done then.

So suffer became suffered.

It's not unstressed, so we don't have to double the R.

Differ becomes different.

That's always tricky, isn't it? 'Cause you don't then hear that E in the middle.

So we don't need to double it because it's unstressed.

Refer becomes referral.

Yep, we can clearly hear our further, our ER, so it's stressed, so we double the R.

Prefer becomes preferred.

Again, still stressed.

Differ becomes difference.

Again, unstressed, so we don't need to double the R.

And offer becomes offering.

Unstressed, so we don't need to double the R.

Great job.

For our practise task now, you're going to have a go at spelling some words for me.

It's really important that you listen carefully.

Sound out the words.

Identify the stressed syllables and think of the spelling rules we've looked at.

If the sound is stressed, you might need to double a letter before adding your suffix.

If it's unstressed, you won't need to.

And read the word and check.

Sometimes looking at the word can help us to see whether it looks right or not.

The first word is offering.

He was offering me a good deal.

The next word is suffering.

Number three is different.

Number four is transferred.

And number five is reference.

So offering, suffering, different, transferred, reference.

Pause the video, have a go at spelling those words for me.

Off you go.

Incredible job team.

I'm so proud of hearing you say those words out loud and listening carefully for those stressed and unstressed sounds.

So the first one we're looking at is offering.

So offer here is unstressed, isn't it? Offering, sounds like a fuh, not a fur.

So we don't need to double the R, we can just add our ING suffix.

The next one was suffering.

It's the same, isn't it? Suffer, suffering, suffering.

I don't stress that syllable, do I? So it's unstressed, so I can just add my ING suffix.

The next one is different.

Here our root word is differ.

There it is stressed, but in different, that fur letter string is not stressed.

It's not a stressed syllable, so I just add ENT.

Transferred, transfer is our root word.

It remains stressed, that sound, doesn't it? That syllable.

So I need to double my R and add my ED suffix.

And finally, reference.

My root word here is refer.

My fur letter string there in reference isn't unstressed, so I just add my ENCE suffix.

So this is how I spell reference.

How did you do? Make any corrections now and share your learning.

Remember, reading the words out loud here is really important 'cause this is a really tricky skill.

Onto our next learning cycle then, which is creating word maps.

Creating a word map is a way to help us see how words are connected and linked.

The words in a word family are connected by both their meaning and their spelling.

For example, the word offer with our FER letter string is derived from the Latin word offere, meaning to bring before.

There are many related words that can be formed by adding different suffixes and prefixes such as offering or offered, with our ING suffix or our ED suffix added.

Notice there that we haven't had to double our R because of that unstressed syllable.

Can you think of any other words that are linked to offer? Pause the video and have a think now.

Great, some brilliant thinking there.

Here are some that I've thought of.

Remember that offer, our word is derived from offere, meaning to bring before, like to make an offering before the gods.

So here are some that I thought of.

Perhaps you did too.

We obviously have offering, offered, offers, plural there with our S added, re-offer with the prefix re, re-offered, again with our prefix re and then our ED suffix, by noticing the connection between these words and thinking of the etymology.

So how those words are formed and how they've changed, we help to build our word consciousness and making links.

This really helps us with our spellings.

This is our interest and involvement with words and it helps us to acquire new vocabulary and to improve our spelling.

So which word or words would you include in a word map linked to suffer? Pause the video and choose from these four words now.

Be careful.

Great, well, suffering, yes, it has our root word suffering, doesn't it? And that letter string F-E-R, as well as that I-N-G suffix.

So that would be part of a word map.

Suffragette though, hmm, it has that suff in it, doesn't it? But it's not got that root word suffer.

So I wouldn't include that.

Suffered does have my root word suffering and I've added my ED suffix.

And supper might begin with S-U like the word suffer, but they're not linked in meaning, are they? So remember, we are finding words that have the same root word and are linked by their meaning and spelling.

Now I'd like you to have a go at creating your very own word map based on the word refer.

This word is derived from the Latin refere, meaning to relate or refer to.

So I'd like you now to have a go at creating your very own word map with words linked to refer.

Consider prefixes and suffixes.

Pause the video, off you go.

Amazing job team.

Really, really careful consideration and great word consciousness that you're showing here.

So here are some examples that I thought of.

Perhaps add these to your word maps.

Perhaps you have them already.

Be ready to share ones that I haven't come up with.

Refers with my S suffix.

Referred, ooh, remember it's a stressed syllable sound there, isn't it? Refer, that second syllable stressed.

So I double the R-E-D.

Referral, again stressed, so double R-A-L.

Reference, in that instance, reference, it's the fir letter string is not stressed, so I just add my E-N-C suffix.

Referring, it is stressed, so I double my R and add I-G.

Referee, not stressed, so I add R-E-E.

And referees with my E-E there and then my S suffix.

Did you come up with any other ones? Did you find any similar words? Which words have a double R? Share the ones that you may have found that I haven't got here.

Add these ones to your word map if you haven't and consider which words have a double R and remember our rules around that stressed sound.

Pause the video now.

Great job team.

I always, always, always would recommend creating your own word maps around the words that you're learning in spelling.

Remember, we're trying to show word consciousness and build up our spelling and our vocabulary.

Great job.

Onto our final learning cycle then, which is going to be spelling curriculum words.

Read the following curriculum words for me.

My turn, your turn.

Sincere.

Sincerely.

What do you notice about these spellings? Is there anything interesting about them? Pause the video and have a think.

Great.

So I've noticed here that in sincere, the letters C-E-R-E sound like seer, don't they? It's that soft C.

The C is a soft C followed by E-R-E spelling for that ear sound, like in the word here, as in I am right here.

When the adjective sincere has the suffix L-Y added, it becomes sincerely.

You just have to add the suffix in this instance.

We don't have to remove the E here.

Which of these words that we've just read are spelled correctly? Quick fire round.

Point to the correct spelling of sincere.

You have my most sincere apologies.

Great.

It's that soft C and that E-R-E spelling for that ear sound, isn't it? If you know how to spell this word, you'll know how to spell the next word.

Point to the correct spelling of sincerely.

I sincerely hope you've been listening.

Point to it now.

Great job.

Yep, we just have to add our L-Y suffix to that root word sincere, don't we? Brilliant.

So we are now going to use a strategy to practise spelling these words.

They're curriculum words which will appear a lot in our reading and writing.

So it's important we know how to confidently spell them.

And they have slightly tricky elements.

We're gonna use the look, cover, write, check strategy.

This is where you look carefully at a word and consider what's difficult.

And I've got that soft C.

I've got that E-R-E spelling for that ear sound like the word here.

I then cover it up.

I put it in my memory.

I've covered it up.

I then write it, ideally in my neatest handwriting using a cursive script.

Yep.

And I then look back and see how I did.

I got it right, but I don't stop there.

I have a good doing this a number of times until I've really embedded that spelling into my long-term memory.

I'd like you to practise using that strategy to write out sincere and sincerely a number of times now.

Off you go.

Brilliant job team.

Did you manage to spell them correctly? How did you get on there? I'm hoping you've got them written out just like this a number of times.

Make any corrections.

Share your learning now.

Off you go.

Excellent job in spelling today team.

We've been investigating the letter string F-E-R today.

This is a really, really tricky part of spelling.

And it's really important that you say the words that contain that letter string out loud to help you know whether you need to double a letter before adding your suffix.

When adding vowel suffixes to words ending in F-E-R, the R is doubled if that F-E-R is still stressed when the ending is adding.

The R is not doubled if the F-E-R is no longer stressed.

We can use word maps to link related words and identify connections in the meaning and spelling of words and really improve our word consciousness.

Remember to have a go at creating your own word maps.

Keep up the great spelling and I'll see you again soon.