Silent Letter Super Sleuths!

English Language Arts Grades 1st Grade 4:40 Video
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Lesson Description

Let's become detectives and uncover the mystery of silent letters! This lesson helps first graders understand that some letters in words don't make a sound, but are still important for spelling.

Video Resource

How to Read Silent Letter Words

Miacademy Learning Channel

Duration: 4:40
Watch on YouTube

Key Concepts

  • Silent letters are letters that are written but not pronounced.
  • Silent letters often occur in specific letter combinations (KN, WR, SC, GN, TS, BM, DN, HC, NM).
  • Knowing silent letters is important for correct spelling and reading comprehension.

Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to identify words with silent letters.
  • Students will be able to pronounce words with silent letters correctly.
  • Students will be able to spell words containing common silent letter combinations (KN, WR, SC, GN, TS, BM, DN, HC, NM).

Educator Instructions

  • Introduction (5 mins)
    Begin by asking students if they've ever seen a letter in a word that doesn't seem to make a sound. Introduce the concept of 'silent letters' and explain that today they will become detectives to find these hidden sounds.
  • Video Viewing (7 mins)
    Play the 'How to Read Silent Letter Words' video from Miacademy Learning Channel. Encourage students to listen carefully for the examples of words with silent letters.
  • Discussion (5 mins)
    After the video, lead a discussion about the different silent letter combinations presented in the video (KN, WR, SC, GN, TS, BM, DN, HC, NM). Ask students to recall examples of words for each combination.
  • Activity: Silent Letter Word Sort (10 mins)
    Prepare cards with words containing silent letters (e.g., know, write, scissors, gnome, listen, lamb, Wednesday, choir, autumn) and cards with pictures representing those words. Have students match the word cards to the picture cards and then sort them by the silent letter combination (KN words, WR words, etc.).
  • Activity: Silent Letter Sentence Creation (10 mins)
    Have students create their own simple sentences using words with silent letters. Encourage them to share their sentences with the class. Provide sentence frames such as "I ______ (know) a secret!"
  • Wrap-up (3 mins)
    Review the key concept that some letters are silent but important for spelling. Remind students to be word detectives and look for silent letters when they read.

Interactive Exercises

  • Silent Letter Hunt
    Give students a short paragraph or a page from a children's book. Have them highlight or circle all the words with silent letters they can find.
  • Word Building with Magnetic Letters
    Provide students with magnetic letters and have them build words with silent letters, focusing on the correct spelling even though they don't hear all the letters.

Discussion Questions

  • Can you think of any other words that have silent letters?
  • Why do you think some letters are silent in words?
  • How does knowing about silent letters help you become a better reader and speller?

Skills Developed

  • Phonological awareness
  • Decoding skills
  • Spelling
  • Vocabulary
  • Active Listening

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

Which letter is silent in the word 'knee'?

Correct Answer: K

Question 2:

Which letter is silent in the word 'write'?

Correct Answer: W

Question 3:

Which letter is silent in the word 'lamb'?

Correct Answer: B

Question 4:

Which letter is silent in the word 'gnome'?

Correct Answer: G

Question 5:

Which letter is silent in the word 'listen'?

Correct Answer: T

Question 6:

In which word is the letter 'c' silent?

Correct Answer: Scissors

Question 7:

Which word has a silent 'h'?

Correct Answer: Choir

Question 8:

Which word has a silent 'w'?

Correct Answer: Wrong

Question 9:

Which word contains a silent 'n'?

Correct Answer: Autumn

Question 10:

What is the silent letter in 'sandwich'?

Correct Answer: D

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

In the word '______', the letter 'k' is silent.

Correct Answer: know

Question 2:

The letter 'w' is silent in the word '______'.

Correct Answer: write

Question 3:

A baby sheep is called a ______ and the b is silent.

Correct Answer: lamb

Question 4:

A tiny magical person might live in a garden and be called a ______.

Correct Answer: gnome

Question 5:

You can ______ to music with your ears, and the t is silent.

Correct Answer: listen

Question 6:

You can cut paper with _______ and the 'c' is silent.

Correct Answer: scissors

Question 7:

The singers stand in a ______ and sing songs.

Correct Answer: choir

Question 8:

You might get something _______ if it is not correct.

Correct Answer: wrong

Question 9:

The season after summer is ________.

Correct Answer: autumn

Question 10:

You may eat a ________ at lunchtime.

Correct Answer: sandwich

Educational Standards

1.2.PWS.1:Students will blend and decode two-phoneme and three-phoneme words. 1.2.PWS.2:Students will decode long and short vowels, including initial, medial, and final sounds in common CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words (e.g., cat, bed, pen). 1.2.F.1:Students will read grade-level text with purpose and understanding. 1.4.W.1:Students will use grade-level vocabulary to communicate ideas through speaking and writing. 1.4.W.3:Students will use appropriate spacing between letters and words in writing.

Teaching Materials

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