IRREGULAR WORDS

Lesson Plan

Grade level and subject

5th, Reading Foundations

NC Common Core/ES Goal

Phonics and Word Recognition:
NC Common Core/ES
Objective(s)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.5.3
Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.5.3.A
Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication
patterns, and morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read accurately unfamiliar
multisyllabic words in context and out of context.

Objective

Review

Students will know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding
words by using combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences,
syllabication patterns, and morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read accurately
unfamiliar multisyllabic words in context and out of context.

Teacher will begin lesson by reviewing the term, " irregular words" as those words
that are not pronounced as they are spelled and cannot be decoded using phonics
alone. Teacher will use examples and discussion to check for understanding.

After review, teacher will read the poem, "The New Colossus"
Activity

by Emma Lazarus, to the class.

After reading, teacher will point out two words that are likely not known by the
majority of class-- ancient and tempest

Teacher will give students handouts for the two words and will together as a group
review the method for decoding the word teeming by using phonics and review .
Then together as a class the worksheet for the word ancient will be reviewed as an

IRREGULAR WORDS
irregular word and strategies will be discussed for how to learn this word.

After this review, the teacher will again read the poem.
Students will be placed in small groups and asked to work together to answer the
questions on the in class handout.

Rationale for poem

selection

I selected this poem because it has a number of words that are likely to be new to
5th grade readers, but should not be beyond the grasp of most reading on grade
level. It is in my opinion, at the upper range of accessibility for 5th grade readers,
but using it within a guided lesson gives me the opportunity to expand my students
opportunity to encounter new words.

However, I will admit while developing an independent activity, I realized just how
difficult it may be for students to determine the classification of these more difficult
words as regular or irregular. I could not in fact think of a completely independent
activity based on the poem that I felt was appropriate for students at this level of
learning.

Therefore the activity is done in small groups with support from the teacher (reading
and pronunciation)

Rationale for word selection

For the word ancient, I wanted a word that some students might know, but many
will not, and that clearly is not pronounced exactly as it is spelled.
By selecting the word tempest, I think I have chosen a word that is uncommon
enough that few students will know its meaning, but almost all students should
easily be able to pronounce because of its familiar spelling pattern. Also, by using
the words surrounding it, the meaning can be deciphered.

IRREGULAR WORDS

Ancient

(n(t)-shnt)

adjective:

Having to do with the very distant past

in a sentence:

We are studying ancient history when we

talk about building the pyramids.

how to say it:

Ancient is an irregular word (that means it is

pronounced differently than it is spelled)

To say it out loud:

The "an-" sounds like the "aint" part of pAINT
( I know there is not a "t" after the n, but it sounds like there is when
you say correctly...that's why it is an IRREGULAR word!)
-cient sounds like the:
"sh" from should + the "unt" from hUNT
So if we wanted to write ancient just the way it sounds it would look
like this: aintshunt

ancient =
Whole Word
the way it looks when
we read it.

/an/cient/

Syllables
the parts that get
grouped when said
aloud

/aint / shunt/
Pronunciation Respelling-how it would look if we wrote
it as it actually sounds.

IRREGULAR WORDS

Tempest

(tem-pst)

noun:

a violent storm

in a sentence:

The swirling winds and rain from the sudden

tempest forced us to end our picnic and seek
shelter.

how to say it:

Tempest is a regular word (that means it is

pronounced as it is spelled)

To say it out loud:

we would break down the word into two syllables
like this:
tempest
Whole Word
the way it looks when
we read it.

tem / pest
Syllables
the parts that get
grouped when said
aloud

/ tem / pest /
Pronunciation Respelling-how it would look if we wrote
it as it actually sounds.

IRREGULAR WORDS

The New Colossus

by Emma Lazarus
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
13)
14)

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp! cries she
With silent lips. Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

Directions: As a group, discuss and decide on the answers to the following questions. We will
review answers as a class after each group finishes.
1)

In line 1, what do you think the word "brazen" means? Tell me what clues make you think
that?

2)

In line 4, the word "torch" is a regular word and can be pronounced phonetically. Explain
what this means in your words.

3)

Write a least 4 words that rhyme with "Glows" found in line 7.

4)

What is a good word to substitute for "yearning" in line 11?

Explain why.

IRREGULAR WORDS

(sheets for presentation-would be on screen of Smartboard)

NO is a "regular" word.
WHY?
BECAUSE,
each letter represents a
sound when said aloud.

IRREGULAR WORDS

(sheets for presentation-would be on screen of Smartboard)

KNOW is an "irregular" word.

WHY?
BECAUSE,
each letter does not represent
a sound said aloud.

IRREGULAR WORDS

Take Home:
Use syllabication to divide these words into smaller parts to aid in their
pronunciation. Draw a line between the syllables of each word below.
If there is only one syllable, circle the whole word. The first is done for
you as an example.

tem/pest

harbor

sea-washed

ancient

conquering

huddled

astride

wretched

imprisoned

mighty

beacon-hand

sunset

welcome

limbs

command

breathe

IRREGULAR WORDS

IRREGULAR WORDS