Building Skills
Phonics
Vowel diphthong
Explain to the children that a vowel diphthong is when two vowels come side by side in a word, but in most cases make only one sound. Use the following words from the story: boil (page 11) and brown (page 7). Have the children think of other vowel diphthongs. Ask: Can you find any words in the story that have vowel diphthongs? What are they? Can you think of any other words that have vowel diphthongs? Write the children’s answers on the board.
Word Work
Regular plural endings
Explain to the children that one type of regular plural ending is: When a word ends in y, it is made plural by dropping the y and adding ies. Use the following example from the story: countries (page 4). Ask: Can you find any other words with regular plural endings in the story? Write these on to a chart as they find them. Discuss what the singular word would have been. Write these on the chart alongside the plural version. Ask: What would the singular word have been? Ask: Can you think of some other words with the same regular plural ending? Add these to the list.
Multiple-meaning words
Explain to the children that multiple-meaning words are words that have more than one meaning. Use the following example from the story: rulers (page 3). Ask: Can you find any other multiple meaning words in the story? Write these on to another chart as they find them. Discuss what two meanings they have. Write these on the chart alongside the plural version. Ask: What two meanings does this word have? Have the children think of other multiple meaning words and list on a chart. Ask: Can you think of any other multiple meaning words? Add these to the chart.
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