In this chapter – Who we are
Term 1 | Level 1 | Phonics focus: long and short vowels, vowel teams review
For the adult: these lessons are worksheets. Open a lesson and work on paper next to the screen. Printable PDFs are free to download after you subscribe.
All Grade 2 English chapters and lessons | Download lesson PDFs
Unit of inquiry
Transdisciplinary theme: Who we are
In short: This theme is about who we are: our bodies and feelings, our families and friends, where we belong, and how we learn and grow.
Central idea: People grow and change over time, and we can share the story of how we have changed.
Lines of inquiry
- How our bodies change as we grow
- How the things we can do change over time
- How we share the story of our lives with others
Key concepts
- Change: How is it transforming?
- Form: What is it like?
- Connection: How is it linked to other things?
Related concepts: growth, time, identity
Learner profile attributes
Inquirers, Thinkers, Reflective, Communicators, Risk-takers, Knowledgeable
Approaches to learning
Research skills, Thinking skills, Communication skills, Social skills, Self-management skills
Language: Phase 2 conceptual understandings
- Reading: People read to learn.
- Reading: The words we see and hear enable us to create pictures in our minds.
- Writing: People write to communicate.
- Oral language: Everyone has the right to speak and be listened to.
- Visual language: People use static and moving images to communicate ideas and information.
Tuning in
For the adult: do this before Lesson 1.1.
Find two or three photos of the learner as a baby or a toddler, or of another family member. Look at them together. Ask: How were you different then? What could you do then, and what can you do now? What do you think you will be able to do next year? Write down the learner’s ideas and keep them. Look at them again at the end of the chapter.
Lessons in this chapter
| Lesson | Title | PYP strand | Line of inquiry | Key concept | Learner profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | A Book About Growing Up: Blurb and Contents | Written language: receptive (reading) | 3 | Form | Inquirers |
| 1.2 | When I Was Little | Written language: receptive (reading) | 2 | Change | Thinkers |
| 1.3 | Then and Now Sentences | Written language: expressive (writing) | 2 | Change | Reflective |
| 1.4 | Four Kinds of Sentences | Written language: expressive (writing) | 3 | Form | Communicators |
| 1.5 | Introduce a Friend | Oral language: receptive and expressive (listening and speaking) | 3 | Connection | Communicators |
| 1.6 | Tell Me About This Photo | Oral language: expressive (speaking) | 1 | Change | Risk-takers |
| 1.7 | Baby to Grandparent: Life in Pictures | Visual language: receptive (viewing) | 1 | Change | Thinkers |
| 1.8 | Read a Height Chart | Visual language: receptive (viewing) | 1 | Form | Knowledgeable |
| 1.9 | Long or Short? Vowel Sounds | Written language: receptive and expressive (reading and spelling) | 2 | Form | Thinkers |
| 1.10 | Vowel Teams Review: ai, ay, ee, ea, oa, ow, igh | Written language: receptive and expressive (reading and spelling) | 2 | Form | Thinkers |
| 1.11 | Tricky Words: door, floor, poor, find, kind, behind | Written language: receptive and expressive (reading and spelling) | 2 | Form | Knowledgeable |
| 1.12 | Chapter 1 Review | All strands: receptive and expressive | All | Change, Form and Connection | Reflective |
How each lesson works
PYP organises language into three strands: oral language, visual language and written language. Each strand has a receptive side (understanding: listening, viewing, reading) and an expressive side (sharing: speaking, presenting, writing). Every lesson names its strand and side.
Every lesson starts with a Wonder question. The learner then moves through Let’s Learn, Watch Me, Let’s Try Together and Your Turn. Each lesson ends with Reflect, where the learner returns to the Wonder question, names a learner profile attribute they showed, and chooses an action to take.
The 12 lessons
For the adult: tap a lesson to open it. Each lesson takes about 20 minutes. Tap the lesson title again, or use the link at the end of the lesson, to close it. An optional Challenge section with a read-aloud story and a grammar task follows Lesson 1.12.
Lesson 1.1: A Book About Growing Up: Blurb and Contents | Reading | About 20 minutes
Term 1 | Level 1
Unit of inquiry: Who we are | Line of inquiry: How we share the story of our lives with others
Key concept: Form (What is it like?) | Learner profile: Inquirers | ATL skills: Research skills
PYP strand: Written language: receptive (reading)
I can use a blurb to tell a story book from a fact book, and use a contents page to find the pages I need.
Curriculum links: IB PYP Language, Reading, Phase 2: read and understand the meaning of self-selected and teacher-selected texts at an appropriate level. Reading, Phase 3: make predictions about a story, based on their own knowledge and experience. England Year 2: be introduced to non-fiction books that are structured in different ways; predict what might happen on the basis of what has been read so far. Common Core RI.2.5: know and use various text features (e.g., captions, bold print, subheadings, glossaries, indexes, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a text efficiently.
Key words: blurb | story | fact book | contents page | glossary | heading
Wonder
For the adult: ask this question before you start. Accept every idea. You will come back to it in Reflect.
How can you find out what a book is about, and where to look in it, before you read all of it?
Let’s Learn
For the adult: read this part aloud. If you can, show the back cover and the contents page of a real book, and a glossary in a fact book.
You can find out a lot about a book before you read all of it.
The blurb is on the back cover. It tells you a little about the book, but not the ending. A blurb often asks a question to make you want to read on.
A blurb can tell you if a book is a story or a fact book. A story blurb talks about characters and what they want. A fact book blurb talks about facts, questions and things you will learn.
The contents page is near the front. It lists the chapters in order, with the page where each one starts. A chapter ends on the page before the next chapter starts.
Some fact books have a glossary at the back. It explains the meaning of new words.
Watch Me
For the adult: read the thinking aloud. Run your finger along the dots, then down to the next chapter to find the last page.
“I want to find out when babies get their teeth. I read down the titles. First Teeth is Chapter 2. It starts on page 6.”
“Where does it end? The next chapter, First Words, starts on page 10. So First Teeth ends on page 9. The chapter is on pages 6 to 9.”
“Now I want to know how babies learn to say words. No title has the word ‘say’, so I think about what the titles mean. First Words is about talking. That is Chapter 3, pages 10 to 13.”
Let’s Try Together
For the adult: use the contents page from Watch Me.
1. Which pages are about starting school? Say the first page and the last page.
Hint: Find where Starting School begins. Then look at where the next chapter begins.
2. You want to find out how tall children grow. Which chapter would you read? Say its number, its title and its pages.
Hint: Which title is about getting bigger? The last chapter ends at the end of the book, so say “from page ___ onwards”.
Your Turn
Name: ______________________
1. Read two blurbs. Answer the questions.
Read both back covers with an adult, or on your own if you can.
a) Which book is a story? Book ____ Which book gives facts? Book ____
b) Write one clue from each blurb that helped you decide.
Book A clue: ______________________________________________
Book B clue: ______________________________________________
c) The blurb for Book A says, “nothing goes the way Leo expects.” What do you think might happen? Write two or three sentences.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. Use the contents page of Book B.
Hint: A chapter ends on the page before the next chapter starts.
a) Which pages are about first teeth? From page ______ to page ______
b) Which chapter title tells you it will talk about sleep? Chapter ____ ______________________________
c) You read the word skeleton and you do not know what it means. Which page should you turn to? Page ______ Why? ______________________
3. Read a page from Book B. Answer the questions.
Your Growing Bones
Inside your body is a skeleton. It is made of bones. Your skeleton holds you up. It also keeps soft parts of your body, like your heart and your brain, safe.
Babies have more bones than adults
A new baby has about 300 bones. Many of them are small and soft. As a child grows, some of these small bones join together. They make bigger, stronger bones. By the time you are a grown-up, you will have 206 bones.
Helping your bones grow
Your body does a lot of its growing while you sleep. That is one reason children need plenty of sleep. Bones also need food with calcium, such as milk, cheese and yoghurt. Running, jumping and climbing make bones stronger too.
Most people stop growing taller when they are teenagers. But your bones keep working hard for your whole life.
a) How many bones does a grown-up have? ______________
b) Why does a new baby have more bones than a grown-up? Write two sentences.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
c) Write two things that help your bones to grow.
1. ______________________________ 2. ______________________________
d) The page has two headings in bold under the title. How do they help a reader?
__________________________________________________________________
4. Write a blurb for a book about you.
Imagine a book about your life so far. Write a blurb of three or four sentences. Start with a question. Do not give away the ending.
Title: ______________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Reflect
For the adult: talk about these with the learner.
1. Go back to the Wonder question: “How can you find out what a book is about, and where to look in it, before you read all of it?” What do you think now?
2. I was an inquirer today when I ______________________________.
For the adult: An inquirer asks questions and finds things out. Example: I was an inquirer today when I used the contents page to find the pages about first teeth.
Take action: Choose a fact book at home or at the library. Use its contents page to find one fact you did not know, and tell someone the page number.
Answer Key
Reveal Answers
Let’s Try Together
1. Pages 18 to 21
2. Chapter 6, Growing Tall, from page 22 onwards
Look for: in 1, the learner works out the last page from the start of the next chapter (22, so 21).
1. Read two blurbs
a) Book A is a story. Book B gives facts.
b) Sample clues: Book A: “A funny story about growing up”, or it is about a character called Leo and what he wants. Book B: “It has real facts, clear diagrams and a glossary”, or it asks questions that the book answers.
c) Sample answer: I think Leo will fall off his bike the first time. He might swallow water in the deep end. In the end, I think he will do it all on his birthday.
Look for: a prediction that fits the blurb, not a random idea. Two or three sentences with capital letters and full stops.
2. Use the contents page
a) From page 6 to page 9
b) Chapter 4, Food, Sleep and Play
c) Page 22, because the glossary explains the meaning of new words.
3. Read a page
a) 206
b) Sample answer: A new baby has lots of small, soft bones. As the child grows, some of them join together to make bigger bones.
c) Any two of: sleep, food with calcium (milk, cheese, yoghurt), running, jumping, climbing.
d) Sample answer: They tell you what each part is about, so you can find the part you need quickly.
Look for: in b), the learner uses the word “join” or explains the idea in their own words. Copying “about 300” alone is not enough.
4. Write a blurb
Sample answer: Title: Ava Grows Up. How did a tiny baby who cried all night learn to swim and ride a bike? This book tells the story of Ava’s first seven years. There are funny moments, brave moments and a few wobbly teeth. What will Ava learn next?
Look for: a question at the start, three or four sentences about the learner, and no ending given away.
Reflect
2. Any real moment from the lesson that shows the learner was an inquirer. Examples: “I was an inquirer today when I used the contents page to find the pages about first teeth.” “I was an inquirer today when I asked myself what the book was about before I read the blurb.”
Next Steps
If this was easy, try: Find a fact book with a glossary. Choose three words from the glossary and use each one in a sentence of your own.
If this was hard, go back to: Watch Me. Cover all the lines on the contents page except two, so you can see where one chapter starts and the next one begins. Work out the last page of the first chapter. Then try the next two lines.
Download this lesson as a PDF (free after you subscribe)
Lesson 1.2: When I Was Little | Reading | About 20 minutes
Term 1 | Level 1
Unit of inquiry: Who we are | Line of inquiry: How the things we can do change over time
Key concept: Change (How is it transforming?) | Learner profile: Thinkers | ATL skills: Thinking skills
PYP strand: Written language: receptive (reading)
I can read a recount, answer questions with a clue from the text, and find the time words and past tense verbs.
Curriculum links: IB PYP Language, Reading, Phase 2: make connections between personal experience and storybook characters. Reading, Phase 3: recognize a range of different text types. England Year 2: discuss the sequence of events in books and how items of information are related; make inferences on the basis of what is being said and done; answer and ask questions. Common Core RI.2.1: ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text. RI.2.3: describe the connection between a series of historical events.
Key words: recount | time word | past tense | clue | because
Wonder
For the adult: ask this question before you start. Accept every idea. You will come back to it in Reflect.
How can a story about someone’s life help us learn about growing up?
Let’s Learn
For the adult: read this part aloud. Point to each question card as you read it.
A recount tells about real things that happened, in the order they happened.
A recount usually has:
- time words and phrases, such as “when I was two”, “then”, “one Sunday” and “now”;
- verbs in the past tense, such as walked, cried and slept;
- words like I and we, because the writer was there.
We can ask question words about a recount: who, what, when, where, why and how.
Some answers are written in the text. For others, you need to think about the clues. When you answer, say the clue that shows how you know.
Watch Me
For the adult: read Sam’s recount first. Then read the thinking aloud and point to the clue that gives each answer.
Sam’s recount: When I was three, I got a red trike for my birthday. Every Saturday, Dad and I went to the park. I pedalled so fast that Dad had to run to keep up. One day I rode into a puddle and got soaked, but I just laughed.
“Question: When did Sam get the trike? It is a When? question, so I look for a time. I find when I was three, for his birthday.”
“Question: How did Sam feel when he got soaked? The text does not say a feeling word. But it says I just laughed. That is my clue. So I think Sam did not mind. He thought it was funny.”
“I answer in a sentence and give the clue: Sam thought it was funny, because he laughed.”
Let’s Try Together
Mia’s recount: When I was five, my front tooth was wobbly for two weeks. I was scared to bite apples. One night at dinner, it fell out into my soup! I put it under my pillow because I hoped for a surprise in the morning.
1. Why was Mia scared to bite apples?
Hint: The text does not say why. What do you know about wobbly teeth?
2. How do you know that Mia wanted something to happen in the morning? Say the clue.
Hint: Look for the word “because”.
Your Turn
Name: ______________________
Read the recount on your own. Ask an adult if you get stuck.
When I Was Little
by Ava
When I was a baby, I could not walk or talk. I slept for most of the day and woke up at night. Mum says I cried whenever I was hungry, even at three o’clock in the morning! My dad sang the same song to me every night until I fell asleep.
When I was two, I learned to walk. At first, I held on to the sofa and took tiny steps. Then one Sunday, I let go and walked across the room to Grandpa. Everyone clapped, so I sat down on the floor and clapped too.
When I was four, I started school. On the first morning, I hid behind Mum’s legs because the classroom was so big and noisy. Then a boy with red hair showed me where to hang my coat. His name was Sam, and he is still my best friend.
Now I am seven. I can read chapter books, swim a whole length of the pool and ride my bike without stabilisers. I still love Dad’s song, but now I sing it to my baby cousin. Next year, I want to learn to play the drums.
1. Answer the questions. Give a clue from the recount.
a) How did Ava feel on her first morning at school? How do you know?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
b) Why do you think Ava sat down on the floor and clapped too? Write two sentences.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
c) What is the same about Dad’s song then and now? What has changed?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. Number the events 1 to 5 in the order they happened.
____ Ava walked across the room to Grandpa.
____ Ava sings Dad’s song to her baby cousin.
____ Ava cried at three o’clock in the morning.
____ Sam showed Ava where to hang her coat.
____ Ava held on to the sofa and took tiny steps.
3. Find the parts of a recount.
a) Write three time words or phrases from the recount.
1. ____________________ 2. ____________________ 3. ____________________
b) Write four past tense verbs from the recount.
1. ______________ 2. ______________ 3. ______________ 4. ______________
4. What do you think?
Which change in Ava’s life do you think was the biggest? Write three or four sentences. Use because to give a reason.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Reflect
For the adult: talk about these with the learner.
1. Go back to the Wonder question: “How can a story about someone’s life help us learn about growing up?” What do you think now?
2. I was a thinker today when I ______________________________.
For the adult: A thinker thinks carefully to work things out. Example: I was a thinker today when I used clues to work out how Ava felt on her first day at school.
Take action: Ask someone at home to tell you about when you were little. Ask them a when, a where and a why question, and listen for clues.
Answer Key
Reveal Answers
Let’s Try Together
1. Sample answer: She was scared it would hurt, or that the tooth would come out in the apple.
2. She put the tooth under her pillow “because I hoped for a surprise in the morning.”
Look for: in 1, the learner uses what they know about wobbly teeth, because the text does not say why.
1. Answer the questions
a) Sample answer: She felt shy or scared. I know because she hid behind Mum’s legs, and the classroom was big and noisy.
b) Sample answer: She was only two and she copied what everyone else was doing. She was happy and proud that she could walk.
c) Sample answer: She still loves the song. Then, Dad sang it to her. Now, she sings it to her baby cousin.
Look for: each answer gives a clue from the text. In a), “scared” without a clue is not enough. In c), the learner names one thing that is the same and one that has changed.
2. Number the events
3 Ava walked across the room to Grandpa.
5 Ava sings Dad’s song to her baby cousin.
1 Ava cried at three o’clock in the morning.
4 Sam showed Ava where to hang her coat.
2 Ava held on to the sofa and took tiny steps.
3. Parts of a recount
a) Any three of: When I was a baby, When I was two, At first, Then one Sunday, When I was four, On the first morning, Then, Now, Next year.
b) Any four of: could, slept, woke, cried, sang, fell, learned, held, took, let, walked, clapped, sat, started, hid, was, showed.
Look for: “sings” and “can” are present tense, so they do not count in b).
4. What do you think?
Sample answer: I think learning to walk was the biggest change. Before that, Ava could not go anywhere on her own. After that, she could walk to Grandpa. It was a big change because it helped her do lots of other things.
Look for: three or four sentences, a clear choice and a reason with “because”.
Reflect
2. Any real moment from the lesson that shows the learner was a thinker. Examples: “I was a thinker today when I used clues to work out how Ava felt on her first day at school.” “I was a thinker today when I put the events of Ava’s life in the right order.”
Next Steps
If this was easy, try: Write your own recount called When I Was Little. Use four paragraphs: a baby, a toddler, starting school and now. Use a time phrase to start each paragraph.
If this was hard, go back to: Watch Me. Read Sam’s recount again. Answer one When? question and one How did he feel? question, and point to the clue for each before you say the answer.
Download this lesson as a PDF (free after you subscribe)
Lesson 1.3: Then and Now Sentences | Writing | About 20 minutes
Term 1 | Level 1
Unit of inquiry: Who we are | Line of inquiry: How the things we can do change over time
Key concept: Change (How is it transforming?) | Learner profile: Reflective | ATL skills: Communication skills
PYP strand: Written language: expressive (writing)
I can join ideas with and, but, or and so, and write a Then and Now paragraph with an opening and a closing sentence.
Curriculum links: IB PYP Language, Writing, Phase 2: write informally about their own ideas, experiences and feelings in a personal journal or diary, using simple sentence structures; read their own writing to the teacher and to classmates. England Year 2: use co-ordination (using or, and, or but); write about real events; plan or say out loud what they are going to write about. Common Core L.2.1f: produce, expand, and rearrange complete simple and compound sentences. W.2.8: recall information from experiences.
Key words: joining word | and | but | or | so | paragraph | opening sentence | closing sentence
Wonder
For the adult: ask this question before you start. Accept every idea. You will come back to it in Reflect.
What can you do now that you could not do when you were a baby?
Let’s Learn
For the adult: read this part aloud. Say each example sentence and stress the joining word.
A joining word joins two ideas to make one longer sentence. Each joining word does a different job.
| Joining word | Its job | Example |
|---|---|---|
| and | adds an idea that goes with the first one | I can run and I can jump. |
| but | adds an idea that is different | I could not walk when I was a baby but now I can run. |
| or | gives a choice | Do you want to play inside or outside? |
| so | tells what happened because of the first idea | My coat was too small so Mum bought a new one. |
A joined sentence starts with one capital letter and ends with one full stop.
A paragraph is a group of sentences about one idea. It starts with an opening sentence that says what it is about, and it ends with a closing sentence.
Watch Me
For the adult: read the thinking aloud. Write the paragraph on paper as you say it, so the learner sees each step.
“I am writing a Then and Now paragraph about Sam. First I write an opening sentence: Sam has changed a lot since he was a baby.“
“I have two ideas: Sam could not read when he was a baby. Now he reads books every night. They are different, so I join them with but. I take away the first full stop and write a small n for now.”
“Next: He drank milk from a bottle. He could not eat on his own. These go together, so I use and.”
“Last, a closing sentence: Sam wonders what he will learn next.“
Sam has changed a lot since he was a baby. He could not read when he was a baby but now he reads books every night. He drank milk from a bottle and he could not eat on his own. Sam wonders what he will learn next.
Let’s Try Together
1. Join these two sentences. Choose but or so. Say the new sentence.
I grew very tall this year. My trousers are too short.
Hint: Did the second thing happen because of the first thing?
2. Which word fits: and, but or or?
Shall we look at your baby photos ______ your school photos?
Hint: Is the sentence giving a choice?
Your Turn
Name: ______________________
1. Write the best joining word: and, but, or, so.
a) I could not walk as a baby ______ now I can run fast.
b) Do you want to read my baby book ______ my school book?
c) I was very tired ______ I went to bed early.
d) I can swim ______ I can ride a bike.
e) My shoes were too small ______ Mum bought me new ones.
f) Would you like milk ______ juice?
2. Join the two sentences. Use the best joining word.
a) I could not climb when I was a baby. Now I can climb a tree.
__________________________________________________________________
b) I slept in a cot when I was a baby. Now I sleep in a big bed.
__________________________________________________________________
c) My baby clothes were too small. Mum gave them to my cousin.
__________________________________________________________________
3. Write a Then and Now paragraph about you.
First, plan. Write three things you could not do as a baby, and what you can do now.
| Then (when I was a baby) | Now |
|---|---|
| ______________________ | ______________________ |
| ______________________ | ______________________ |
| ______________________ | ______________________ |
Now write five or six sentences. Start with an opening sentence. Use but at least twice, and use and or so once. End with a closing sentence.
Word bank: walk | talk | read | write | swim | climb | ride a bike | tie my shoes
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
☐ I wrote an opening sentence. ☐ I used but twice. ☐ I used and or so. ☐ I wrote a closing sentence.
Reflect
For the adult: talk about these with the learner.
1. Go back to the Wonder question: “What can you do now that you could not do when you were a baby?” What do you think now?
2. I was reflective today when I ______________________________.
For the adult: Being reflective means looking back at your work and thinking how to make it better. Example: I was reflective today when I read my Then and Now paragraph back and changed a joining word.
Take action: Read your Then and Now paragraph to someone at home. Ask them to tell you one thing about you as a baby that you could add.
Answer Key
Reveal Answers
Let’s Try Together
1. I grew very tall this year so my trousers are too short.
2. or
Look for: in 1, the learner hears that the short trousers happened because of growing, so “so” fits.
1. Write the best joining word
a) but
b) or
c) so
d) and
e) so
f) or
Look for: the learner can say why each word fits. “and” in a) does not show that the ideas are different.
2. Join the sentences
a) I could not climb when I was a baby but now I can climb a tree.
b) I slept in a cot when I was a baby but now I sleep in a big bed.
c) My baby clothes were too small so Mum gave them to my cousin.
Look for: one capital letter at the start, no full stop in the middle, a small letter after the joining word (except for I and names), and one full stop at the end.
3. Then and Now paragraph
Sample answer: I have changed a lot since I was a baby. I could not talk when I was a baby but now I can tell long stories. I could not walk but now I can run and climb. I could not hold a spoon so Mum fed me. Now I make my own breakfast and I tie my own shoes. I wonder what I will learn next.
Look for: all four boxes ticked, five or six sentences about one idea, and joining words that fit their job.
Reflect
2. Any real moment from the lesson that shows the learner was reflective. Examples: “I was reflective today when I read my Then and Now paragraph back and changed a joining word.” “I was reflective today when I thought about how I have changed since I was a baby.”
Next Steps
If this was easy, try: Write a second paragraph about what you hope to do next year. Use or to give a choice, such as: Next year I might learn to dive or I might learn to skate.
If this was hard, go back to: Let’s Learn. Practise with and and but only. Say two ideas out loud, then say them again joined with the right word. Write two joined sentences before you try a paragraph.
Download this lesson as a PDF (free after you subscribe)
Lesson 1.4: Four Kinds of Sentences | Writing | About 20 minutes
Term 1 | Level 1
Unit of inquiry: Who we are | Line of inquiry: How we share the story of our lives with others
Key concept: Form (What is it like?) | Learner profile: Communicators | ATL skills: Communication skills
PYP strand: Written language: expressive (writing)
I can name and write statements, questions, commands and exclamations, and fix a paragraph with missing capital letters and end marks.
Curriculum links: IB PYP Language, Writing, Phase 2: write to communicate a message to a particular audience; demonstrate an awareness of the conventions of written text, for example, sequence, spacing, directionality. England Year 2: learn how to use sentences with different forms: statement, question, exclamation, command; use capital letters, full stops, question marks and exclamation marks to demarcate sentences. Common Core L.2.2: demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization and punctuation when writing.
Key words: statement | question | command | exclamation | end mark
Wonder
For the adult: ask this question before you start. Accept every idea. You will come back to it in Reflect.
How do we know if someone is telling us something, asking us something or giving us an order?
Let’s Learn
For the adult: read this part aloud. Say each example sentence in the voice that fits it.
There are four kinds of sentences. Each one does a different job.
| Kind of sentence | What it does | Example | End mark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statement | tells you something | I am seven. | full stop . |
| Question | asks something | How old are you? | question mark ? |
| Command | tells someone to do something | Stand up straight. | full stop . or exclamation mark ! |
| Exclamation | shows a strong feeling, such as surprise | What a big jump that was! | exclamation mark ! |
A command often starts with a bossy word, such as Stand, Wash or Put.
An exclamation starts with What or How, as in “How fast you run!”
Every sentence starts with a capital letter.
Watch Me
For the adult: read each speech bubble in a voice that fits, then read the thinking aloud.
“Dad says: Stand by the wall. It tells Sam to do something. It starts with the bossy word Stand. It is a command.”
“Sam says: How tall am I? He wants to know something, and it ends with a question mark. It is a question.”
“Dad says: You are 120 centimetres. It tells us a fact. It is a statement, so it ends with a full stop.”
“Dad says: What a tall boy you are! It starts with What and shows surprise. It is an exclamation.”
Let’s Try Together
1. What kind of sentence is this? Is your sister older than you?
Hint: Is it telling, asking, giving an order or showing surprise?
2. Which end mark does this sentence need? Put on your coat
Hint: Does it start with a bossy word? Is the speaker calm?
Your Turn
Name: ______________________
1. Tick the kind of sentence.
Hint: Look at the first word and the end mark. Some sentences that start with How or What are questions, and some are exclamations.
| Sentence | statement | question | command | exclamation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a) Brush your teeth before bed. | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| b) How old is your baby brother? | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| c) My tooth fell out at lunch. | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| d) How tall you have grown! | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| e) Put your new shoes on. | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| f) What a long way you swam! | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
2. Fix the paragraph.
This paragraph has no capital letters at the start of sentences and no end marks. Write it again correctly. There are six sentences.
my baby brother is called Jay he is one year old what a lot of noise he makes can you guess his favourite toy it is a red drum please do not give him a spoon
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3. Change the sentence.
a) Change the statement into a question. You can tie your shoes.
__________________________________________________________________
b) Change the statement into a command. You should wash your hands.
__________________________________________________________________
4. Write a short conversation.
Look at the picture. Write four things Leo and Gran might say at the party. Use each kind of sentence once. Write S, Q, C or E after each one.
Gran: ______________________________________________ ( ___ )
Leo: ______________________________________________ ( ___ )
Gran: ______________________________________________ ( ___ )
Leo: ______________________________________________ ( ___ )
Reflect
For the adult: talk about these with the learner.
1. Go back to the Wonder question: “How do we know if someone is telling us something, asking us something or giving us an order?” What do you think now?
2. I was a communicator today when I ______________________________.
For the adult: A communicator shares ideas clearly by talking, writing or drawing. Example: I was a communicator today when I wrote a conversation with a question, a command and an exclamation.
Take action: Write a note to someone at home with one sentence of each kind. Ask them to find the question and the command.
Answer Key
Reveal Answers
Let’s Try Together
1. a question
2. a full stop: Put on your coat.
Look for: in 2, accept an exclamation mark if the learner says the speaker is in a hurry or cross.
1. Tick the kind of sentence
a) command
b) question
c) statement
d) exclamation
e) command
f) exclamation
Look for: b) and d) both start with How. The learner must read the whole sentence and the end mark to decide.
2. Fix the paragraph
My baby brother is called Jay. He is one year old. What a lot of noise he makes! Can you guess his favourite toy? It is a red drum. Please do not give him a spoon.
Look for: six capital letters at the start of sentences and the right end marks. Accept an exclamation mark at the end of the last sentence. Jay keeps its capital letter because it is a name.
3. Change the sentence
a) Can you tie your shoes?
b) Wash your hands.
Look for: in b), the command starts with the bossy word. Accept “Wash your hands!” and “Please wash your hands.”
4. Write a conversation
Sample answer:
Gran: It is your birthday today, Leo. (S)
Leo: Can I cut the cake now? (Q)
Gran: Blow out the candle first. (C)
Leo: What a big cake it is! (E)
Look for: one of each kind, labelled correctly, each with a capital letter and the right end mark.
Reflect
2. Any real moment from the lesson that shows the learner was a communicator. Examples: “I was a communicator today when I wrote a conversation with a question, a command and an exclamation.” “I was a communicator today when I used the right end marks so my reader knew how to read each sentence.”
Next Steps
If this was easy, try: Write one sentence of each kind about a baby you know or a baby photo. Swap with someone and ask them to name each kind.
If this was hard, go back to: Let’s Learn. Say the four example sentences aloud in the right voice. Then sort only statements and questions before adding commands and exclamations.
Download this lesson as a PDF (free after you subscribe)
Lesson 1.5: Introduce a Friend | Oral | About 20 minutes
Term 1 | Level 1
Unit of inquiry: Who we are | Line of inquiry: How we share the story of our lives with others
Key concept: Connection (How is it linked to other things?) | Learner profile: Communicators | ATL skills: Social skills
PYP strand: Oral language: receptive and expressive (listening and speaking)
I can ask open and follow-up questions, listen for details, and introduce two people to each other in full sentences.
Curriculum links: IB PYP Language, Oral language, Phase 2: listen and respond in small or large groups for increasing periods of time; ask questions to gain information and respond to inquiries directed to themselves or to the class. England Years 1 to 6, spoken language: listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers; ask relevant questions to extend their understanding and knowledge. Common Core SL.2.3: ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to clarify comprehension, gather additional information, or deepen understanding of a topic or issue.
Key words: introduce | open question | follow-up question | in common | full sentence
Wonder
For the adult: ask this question before you start. Accept every idea. You will come back to it in Reflect.
What do people need to know when they meet someone new?
Let’s Learn
For the adult: read this part aloud. Act out the football example with the learner, so they hear a follow-up question.
When you introduce someone, you tell other people who they are.
First, find out about the person. Ask open questions that start with What, Where, How or Why. They get longer answers than yes or no.
Then ask a follow-up question. A follow-up question uses the answer you just heard to find out more.
“What do you like to do?” “I like football.” Follow-up: “Which team do you play for?”
When you introduce two people, say each person’s name and one or two facts. Then say something they have in common, so they have something to talk about.
Speak in full sentences. Look at the people you are talking to, and speak clearly.
Watch Me
For the adult: read the thinking aloud. Then act out the introduction with the learner, using real names.
“I asked Sam: What do you like to do? He said: Football. My follow-up question was: Who do you play with? He said: My dad, every Sunday.”
“I also know that Leo plays football at school. That is something they have in common.”
“Now I look at Leo and say: Leo, this is my friend Sam. He is seven and he plays football with his dad every Sunday. You both love football, so you could play together at break time.“
“I said Leo’s name first, then Sam’s. I gave two facts in full sentences. I ended with something they have in common.”
Let’s Try Together
1. The adult asks Sam: What do you like to eat? Sam says: Pasta. Now say it as a full sentence about Sam.
Hint: Start with “Sam likes…”
2. Mia says: I have a new puppy. Ask Mia a follow-up question.
Hint: Use what Mia just said. Ask about the puppy.
Your Turn
Name: ______________________
1. Listen to an introduction. Answer the questions.
For the adult: read this introduction aloud once. The learner listens without looking, then answers. Read: “This is my friend Mia. She is seven and she lives next to the park. Mia has a little brother called Tom, who is three. On Saturdays, Mia goes to swimming club. She is learning to dive, but she is a bit scared of the high board. Her favourite food is spicy noodles. When she grows up, she wants to be a vet because she loves animals.”
a) How old is Mia’s brother? ______________
b) What is Mia learning to do at swimming club? ______________________
c) Why does Mia want to be a vet? ______________________________________
d) Write a follow-up question you could ask Mia.
__________________________________________________________________?
2. Choose and write follow-up questions.
a) Sam says: I have a new puppy. Circle the best follow-up question.
What is your favourite colour?
What is your puppy’s name?
Do you like school?
b) Leo says: I went to the beach in the holidays. Write a follow-up question.
__________________________________________________________________?
c) Ava says: I am learning to play the drums. Write a follow-up question.
__________________________________________________________________?
3. Interview a partner, then introduce them.
For the adult: the learner interviews a friend or a family member, then introduces them to a third person. Help the learner write one or two words for each answer.
| Question | Notes |
|---|---|
| What is your name, and how old are you? | ______________________ |
| What do you like to do? | ______________________ |
| What could you not do when you were little? | ______________________ |
| My follow-up question: ______________________? | ______________________ |
Now introduce your partner. Use these sentence starters if you need them.
______________, this is ______________. He / She / They ______________________________. When ______________ was little, ______________________________. You both ______________________________.
For the adult: tick each one you hear.
☐ asked a follow-up question ☐ said the person’s name first ☐ gave two or more facts ☐ said something they have in common ☐ spoke in full sentences ☐ looked at the listener
Reflect
For the adult: talk about these with the learner.
1. Go back to the Wonder question: “What do people need to know when they meet someone new?” What do you think now?
2. I was a communicator today when I ______________________________.
For the adult: A communicator shares ideas clearly by talking, writing or drawing. Example: I was a communicator today when I introduced my partner and said what we have in common.
Take action: Next time someone new visits your home or class, introduce them to one other person. Say one thing they have in common.
Answer Key
Reveal Answers
Let’s Try Together
1. Sam likes to eat pasta.
2. Sample answers: What is her name? How old is she? What does she look like?
Look for: in 2, the question is about the puppy, not a new topic.
1. Listen to an introduction
a) Three
b) To dive
c) Because she loves animals.
d) Sample answers: Why are you scared of the high board? Where do you eat spicy noodles? What animals do you like best?
Look for: the learner answers without seeing the words. If they miss two or more, read the introduction again and ask them to listen for numbers and the word “because”.
2. Follow-up questions
a) What is your puppy’s name?
b) Sample answers: Which beach did you go to? What did you do at the beach?
c) Sample answers: Who is teaching you? What song can you play?
Look for: each question uses what the speaker said and ends with a question mark.
3. Interview and introduce
Sample answer: Grandpa, this is my cousin Rosa. She is nine and she likes to paint. When Rosa was little, she was scared of dogs. Now she walks her neighbour’s dog every day. You both like painting, so you could paint together.
Look for: four or more ticks. The follow-up question should come from an answer the partner gave.
Reflect
2. Any real moment from the lesson that shows the learner was a communicator. Examples: “I was a communicator today when I introduced my partner and said what we have in common.” “I was a communicator today when I asked a follow-up question to find out more.”
Next Steps
If this was easy, try: Interview an older family member about when they were seven. Ask two follow-up questions. Then introduce them to someone as they were at seven.
If this was hard, go back to: Let’s Try Together. Practise follow-up questions only. The adult says one sentence about themselves, and the learner asks one question about it. Do this five times before the interview.
Download this lesson as a PDF (free after you subscribe)
Lesson 1.6: Tell Me About This Photo | Oral | About 20 minutes
Term 1 | Level 1
Unit of inquiry: Who we are | Line of inquiry: How our bodies change as we grow
Key concept: Change (How is it transforming?) | Learner profile: Risk-takers | ATL skills: Communication skills
PYP strand: Oral language: expressive (speaking)
I can give a talk about a photo of when I was little, with an opening, describing words, something I worked out and a closing.
Curriculum links: IB PYP Language, Oral language, Phase 2: describe personal experiences; talk about the stories, writing, pictures and models they have created. England Years 1 to 6, spoken language: give well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives; speak audibly and fluently. Common Core SL.2.4: tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentences.
Key words: opening | middle | closing | describing word | work out | listener
Wonder
For the adult: ask this question before you start. Accept every idea. You will come back to it in Reflect.
What can an old photo tell us about how we have changed?
Let’s Learn
For the adult: read this part aloud. If you have a family photo nearby, point to it as you read each part.
A photo shows one moment from the past. When you talk about a photo, you help other people see what you see.
A good talk has three parts:
- an opening that says what the photo is: “This is a photo of me when I was one.”
- a middle that answers Who? Where? and What is happening? Use describing words for what you can see, hear or feel, such as tiny, warm, sandy or noisy.
- a closing that says how you have changed since then, or why the photo matters to you.
A photo does not show everything. You can also say what you work out from the clues, such as how someone was feeling.
After your talk, listeners may ask questions. Listen to each question, then answer it in a full sentence.
Watch Me
For the adult: read Sam’s talk aloud and point to each part of the photo as you speak. Say the words Opening, Middle and Closing as you go.
Opening: “This is a photo of me when I was one. I am at the beach with my dad.”
Middle: “I am sitting in the warm, soft sand next to a red bucket. You can see the blue sea behind us. I am laughing, so I think Dad had just made a funny face. I had only a tiny bit of hair!”
Closing: “Then, I could not walk on the sand. Now I am seven, and I can build sandcastles that are taller than my knees. This photo makes me want to go back to the beach.”
“Listener’s question: Who took the photo? I answer in a full sentence: My mum took the photo.”
Let’s Try Together
1. This is Ava’s baby photo. Say an opening sentence for a talk about it.
Hint: Start with “This is a photo of…”
2. Say two middle sentences. Use a describing word in each one. Then say one thing you can work out from the clues.
Hint: Look at the food on Ava’s face and her smile. What do they tell you?
Your Turn
Name: ______________________
1. Look at Leo’s baby photo. Describe it.
Hint: Look closely at the bath, the bubbles, the duck and Gran’s face.
a) Write two sentences about what you can see. Use a describing word in each sentence.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
b) What can you work out from the photo that it does not say? Write one sentence and give the clue.
__________________________________________________________________
2. Put Ava’s talk in order.
Number the sentences 1 to 5. Then write O next to the opening and C next to the closing.
____ ____ Mum is feeding me with a little spoon.
____ ____ Now I can cook pasta with Dad, so I am not messy any more!
____ ____ This is a photo of me in my high chair when I was one.
____ ____ I have orange food all over my face, so I think I liked it.
____ ____ We are in the kitchen, next to the big window.
3. Plan a talk about a photo of you.
For the adult: find a photo of the learner as a baby or a toddler. If there is no photo, the learner can draw one in the box.
| Part | My notes |
|---|---|
| Opening: what is the photo? | ______________________ |
| Middle: who and where? | ______________________ |
| Middle: what is happening? (with describing words) | ______________________ |
| Middle: something I can work out | ______________________ |
| Closing: how I have changed | ______________________ |
4. Give your talk.
Hold up the photo. Say six sentences or more. Then ask your listener for two questions, and answer each one in a full sentence.
For the adult: tick each one you hear.
☐ an opening ☐ who, where and what ☐ two or more describing words ☐ something worked out from a clue ☐ a closing about how they have changed ☐ answered two questions in full sentences
Reflect
For the adult: talk about these with the learner.
1. Go back to the Wonder question: “What can an old photo tell us about how we have changed?” What do you think now?
2. I was a risk-taker today when I ______________________________.
For the adult: A risk-taker tries something new, even when it feels hard. Example: I was a risk-taker today when I gave a talk about my baby photo even though I felt shy.
Take action: Make a small photo wall at home with one baby photo and one photo from today. Give your talk to a visitor.
Answer Key
Reveal Answers
Let’s Try Together
1. Sample answer: This is a photo of Ava in her high chair when she was a baby.
2. Sample answer: Ava has orange food all over her face. Her mum is holding a little spoon. I think Ava liked the food, because she is smiling.
1. Describe Leo’s photo
a) Sample answer: Baby Leo is sitting in a white bath with lots of bubbles. There is a yellow toy duck next to him.
b) Sample answer: I think Leo was having fun, because he is smiling and playing with the bubbles. Or: I think Gran was giving Leo his bath, because she is standing next to it.
Look for: a describing word in each sentence in a), and a clue from the photo in b).
2. Put Ava’s talk in order
3 Mum is feeding me with a little spoon.
5 C Now I can cook pasta with Dad, so I am not messy any more!
1 O This is a photo of me in my high chair when I was one.
4 I have orange food all over my face, so I think I liked it.
2 We are in the kitchen, next to the big window.
Look for: accept 2, 3 and 4 in any order, because all three are middle sentences. The opening must be first and the closing last.
3 and 4. Plan and give a talk
Sample answer: This is a photo of me when I was two. I am with my grandpa at the park. I am on a little red swing and I am wearing a big woolly hat. My cheeks are pink, so I think it was a cold day. Then, I needed Grandpa to push me. Now I can swing high on my own.
Look for: five or more ticks. Praise any describing word the learner uses.
Reflect
2. Any real moment from the lesson that shows the learner was a risk-taker. Examples: “I was a risk-taker today when I gave a talk about my baby photo even though I felt shy.” “I was a risk-taker today when I answered a question from my listener in a full sentence.”
Next Steps
If this was easy, try: Choose a photo of an adult at home when they were a child. Give a talk about them, then ask them if your clues and guesses were right.
If this was hard, go back to: Let’s Try Together. Say only the opening and one middle sentence about Ava’s photo. Then add a closing sentence before trying your own photo.
Download this lesson as a PDF (free after you subscribe)
Lesson 1.7: Baby to Grandparent: Life in Pictures | Visual | About 20 minutes
Term 1 | Level 1
Unit of inquiry: Who we are | Line of inquiry: How our bodies change as we grow
Key concept: Change (How is it transforming?) | Learner profile: Thinkers | ATL skills: Thinking skills
PYP strand: Visual language: receptive (viewing)
I can put pictures of a person in order from youngest to oldest, explain the clues I used, and make a timeline of my life.
Curriculum links: IB PYP Language, Visual language, Phase 2: relate to different contexts presented in visual texts according to their own experiences; observe and discuss illustrations in picture books and simple reference books. England Year 2: discuss the sequence of events in books and how items of information are related. Common Core RI.2.7: explain how specific images contribute to and clarify a text.
Key words: toddler | teenager | adult | older adult | clue | timeline
Wonder
For the adult: ask this question before you start. Accept every idea. You will come back to it in Reflect.
How can a picture show that time has passed?
Let’s Learn
For the adult: read this part aloud. If you can, show photos of people in your family at different ages.
Pictures can show how a person changes as time goes by.
People grow from a baby to a toddler, then a child, a teenager, an adult and an older adult.
To put pictures in order, look for clues:
- How big is the person, and how do they stand or move?
- What colour is their hair?
- What are they holding or using?
- Where might they be going?
We put the youngest first and the oldest last. A timeline shows events in order, with the earliest on the left.
When you explain an order, say the clue: “Card D is younger than card F, because she is smaller.”
Watch Me
For the adult: read the thinking aloud and point to each clue on the cards.
“These three cards all show Sam. They are mixed up. I want the youngest first.”
“Card 2 is a baby. He sits on the floor and has very little hair. That is the youngest, so it goes first.”
“Card 1 is a child. He is bigger and he can stand. That comes next.”
“Card 3 is a tall man with a beard. That is Sam as an adult, so it goes last. My order is 2, 1, 3.”
“I explain one step with a clue: Card 3 is older than card 1, because he is much taller and he has a beard.”
Let’s Try Together
For the adult: use the six cards in Your Turn for these questions.
1. Look at card C. Which clues show that this person is old? Say two.
Hint: Look at her hair, her face and what she holds.
2. Card D and card F both go to school. Which one is older? Say a clue.
Hint: Compare their size and what they carry.
Your Turn
Name: ______________________
1. Put the cards in order, from youngest to oldest. Write the letters.
Hint: Look at size, hair and what each person holds.
youngest ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ oldest
2. Which card matches each caption? Write the letter.
a) “I am about 14. I go to a big school and I have my own phone.” ______
b) “I am about 2. I can walk, but I still wobble.” ______
c) “I am about 75. I take my stick when I walk to the shops.” ______
d) “I am about 35. I go to work every day.” ______
3. Explain your order.
How can you tell that card A is younger than card C? Write two sentences. Give a clue in each sentence.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. Make a timeline of your life.
Write a caption for each age. Start each caption with a time phrase, such as “When I was a baby” or “Now”.
| When | My caption |
|---|---|
| When I was a baby | ______________________________________ |
| When I was a toddler | ______________________________________ |
| Now | ______________________________________ |
| When I am a grown-up | ______________________________________ |
Draw yourself now and as a grown-up.
Reflect
For the adult: talk about these with the learner.
1. Go back to the Wonder question: “How can a picture show that time has passed?” What do you think now?
2. I was a thinker today when I ______________________________.
For the adult: A thinker thinks carefully to work things out. Example: I was a thinker today when I used clues to put six pictures in order.
Take action: Ask people at home for photos of themselves at different ages. Put them on a timeline and tell the family which clues you used.
Answer Key
Reveal Answers
Let’s Try Together
1. Any two of: she has grey hair, she wears glasses, she uses a walking stick.
2. Card F is older. She is taller than D, and she has a phone and a bigger bag.
1. Order from youngest to oldest
B, E, D, F, A, C
Look for: the learner can give a clue for each step, such as “E can walk but B cannot” or “F is taller than D”.
2. Which card?
a) F
b) E
c) C
d) A
3. Explain your order
Sample answer: Card C has grey hair, but card A has dark hair. Card C needs a walking stick, but card A walks to work on her own.
Look for: two clues from the pictures, each in a full sentence.
4. Timeline
Sample captions: When I was a baby, I slept in a cot. When I was a toddler, I liked to splash in puddles. Now I am seven and I can swim. When I am a grown-up, I want to be a vet.
Look for: each caption starts with the time phrase and ends with a full stop. The two drawings show a clear change, such as height or hair.
Reflect
2. Any real moment from the lesson that shows the learner was a thinker. Examples: “I was a thinker today when I used clues to put six pictures in order.” “I was a thinker today when I explained why card A is younger than card C.”
Next Steps
If this was easy, try: Make a timeline for someone in your family, with six ages from baby to now. Ask them to check your captions.
If this was hard, go back to: Watch Me. Use only two cards at a time: Which one is younger? Say one clue. Then add a third card.
Download this lesson as a PDF (free after you subscribe)
Lesson 1.8: Read a Height Chart | Visual | About 20 minutes
Term 1 | Level 1
Unit of inquiry: Who we are | Line of inquiry: How our bodies change as we grow
Key concept: Form (What is it like?) | Learner profile: Knowledgeable | ATL skills: Research skills
PYP strand: Visual language: receptive (viewing)
I can read heights from a chart, put people in order, and work out how much someone has grown.
Curriculum links: IB PYP Language, Visual language, Phase 2: connect visual information with their own experiences to construct their own meaning; relate to different contexts presented in visual texts according to their own experiences. England Year 2: be introduced to non-fiction books that are structured in different ways; answer and ask questions. Common Core RI.2.7: explain how specific images contribute to and clarify a text.
Key words: height chart | centimetres (cm) | mark | taller | shorter | grew
Wonder
For the adult: ask this question before you start. Accept every idea. You will come back to it in Reflect.
How can we find out how much we have grown?
Let’s Learn
For the adult: read this part aloud. If you have a tape measure or a ruler, show the learner where the numbers start.
A height chart shows how tall people are.
The numbers go up the side. They are in centimetres. We write centimetres as cm.
A mark is a line level with the top of someone’s head. Read across from the mark to the number.
A higher mark means a taller person. The long lines have numbers. A short line in between is halfway: 115 is halfway between 110 and 120.
To find out how much someone has grown, take their old height away from their new height. If Ava was 110 cm last year and is 115 cm now, she grew 115 − 110 = 5 cm.
Watch Me
For the adult: read the thinking aloud. Trace each dashed line with your finger from the head to the chart.
“Ava and Sam are standing next to the chart. I follow the dashed line from the top of Ava’s head to the chart.”
“It meets a short line between 110 and 120. That is halfway, so it is 115. Ava is 115 cm tall.”
“Sam’s line meets the long line with 120. Sam is 120 cm tall. Sam’s mark is higher, so Sam is taller, by 120 − 115 = 5 cm.”
“Last year Ava was 110 cm. Now she is 115 cm. So she grew 5 cm in a year.”
Let’s Try Together
For the adult: use the chart with four children in Your Turn.
1. Follow Leo’s line to the chart. How tall is Leo?
Hint: Is the line on a long line with a number, or a short line halfway?
2. Is Mia taller or shorter than Ava? By how many centimetres?
Hint: Find both heights first. Then take the smaller one away from the bigger one.
Your Turn
Name: ______________________
1. Read the height chart. Write the answers.
Hint: Follow each dashed line from the top of a head to the numbers.
a) Who is the tallest? ______________
b) Who is the shortest? ______________
c) How tall is Sam? __________ cm
d) Write the four names in order, from shortest to tallest.
______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
2. How much did they grow?
The table shows how tall each child was last year. Write how tall each child is now, from the chart. Then work out how much each child grew.
| Name | Last year | Now | Grew |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ava | 110 cm | ______ cm | ______ cm |
| Leo | 119 cm | ______ cm | ______ cm |
| Mia | 106 cm | ______ cm | ______ cm |
| Sam | 113 cm | ______ cm | ______ cm |
a) Who grew the most this year? ______________
b) Is the tallest child also the one who grew the most? Explain in two sentences.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3. Your own mark
Ask an adult to measure you, and one other person at home, against a wall. Draw your mark on the chart and write your name next to it.
For the adult: use a tape measure. Help the learner draw the mark at the right height.
I am __________ cm tall. ______________ is __________ cm tall.
Who is taller, and by how many centimetres? Write a sentence.
__________________________________________________________________
Reflect
For the adult: talk about these with the learner.
1. Go back to the Wonder question: “How can we find out how much we have grown?” What do you think now?
2. I was knowledgeable today when I ______________________________.
For the adult: Being knowledgeable means knowing things and using what you know. Example: I was knowledgeable today when I read heights in centimetres from the chart.
Take action: Start a height chart at home on a door frame or a strip of paper. Add a new mark on your next birthday and work out how much you grew.
Answer Key
Reveal Answers
Let’s Try Together
1. Leo is 125 cm tall.
2. Mia is shorter than Ava, by 5 cm (115 − 110 = 5).
Look for: the learner follows the line with a finger and checks whether it lands on a long line or a short line.
1. Read the height chart
a) Leo
b) Mia
c) 120 cm
d) Mia, Ava, Sam, Leo
Look for: the learner follows each line to the chart and reads the number, instead of guessing from the size of the heads. Leo’s curly hair sits above his mark, so the learner must use the line.
2. How much did they grow?
Ava: now 115 cm, grew 5 cm
Leo: now 125 cm, grew 6 cm
Mia: now 110 cm, grew 4 cm
Sam: now 120 cm, grew 7 cm
a) Sam
b) Sample answer: No, it is not. Leo is the tallest, but Sam grew the most this year.
Look for: correct take-away sums. The learner may count on from last year’s height to this year’s height.
3. Your own mark
Answers will vary. Sample answer: Dad is 178 cm tall, so he is 58 cm taller than me.
Look for: the mark drawn at the right height, and a sentence that names who is taller and the difference in cm. If the other person is taller than 130 cm, their mark will be above the chart. That is fine.
Reflect
2. Any real moment from the lesson that shows the learner was knowledgeable. Examples: “I was knowledgeable today when I read heights in centimetres from the chart.” “I was knowledgeable today when I worked out how much Sam grew in a year.”
Next Steps
If this was easy, try: Measure four people at home. Make a table with their names and heights, then write three sentences comparing them.
If this was hard, go back to: Watch Me. Use only the long lines with numbers first. Ask: Is Sam’s mark on 120? Then look at the short lines between the numbers. Do the take-away sums with counters or on a number line.
Download this lesson as a PDF (free after you subscribe)
Lesson 1.9: Long or Short? Vowel Sounds | Phonics | About 20 minutes
Term 1 | Level 1
Unit of inquiry: Who we are | Line of inquiry: How the things we can do change over time
Key concept: Form (What is it like?) | Learner profile: Thinkers | ATL skills: Thinking skills
PYP strand: Written language: receptive and expressive (reading and spelling)
I can hear short and long vowel sounds, read two-syllable words with a split digraph, and choose the right spelling for a long vowel sound.
Curriculum links: IB PYP Language, Reading, Phase 2: understand sound-symbol relationships and recognize familiar sounds, symbols and words of the language community. England Year 2: read accurately words of two or more syllables that contain the same graphemes as above; learn new ways of spelling phonemes for which one or more spellings are already known. Common Core RF.2.3a: distinguish long and short vowels when reading regularly spelled one-syllable words. RF.2.3c: decode regularly spelled two-syllable words with long vowels.
Key words: vowel | short sound | long sound | split digraph | syllable
Wonder
For the adult: ask this question before you start. Accept every idea. You will come back to it in Reflect.
How can we tell whether a vowel is long or short, and how do we choose the right spelling?
Let’s Learn
For the adult: read this part aloud. Say each vowel sound clearly. For long sounds, say the letter name.
The letters a, e, i, o and u are vowels. Each vowel can make a short sound and a long sound. A long vowel sound says the letter’s name.
| Vowel | Short sound | Long sound with a split digraph | Other ways to spell the long sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| a | cap | cape | rain, day |
| e | them | these | tree, sea |
| i | kit | kite | night |
| o | hop | hope | boat, snow |
| u | cub | cube | new |
In a split digraph, the silent e jumps back over one letter and makes the vowel say its name: hop, hope.
Long words are made of syllables, or beats. A long word can have a short vowel in one syllable and a long vowel in another: cup | cake.
When you spell a long vowel sound, think about which spelling looks right. The split digraph is often used when the sound is followed by one consonant at the end: cake, bike, bone.
Watch Me
For the adult: say the thinking aloud. Clap the syllables of sunshine with the learner.
“I want to read the word sunshine. It is long, so I split it into syllables. I clap it: sun | shine. Two claps.”
“The first syllable is sun. The u is short. The second syllable is shine. I see i, then n, then e. That is a split digraph, so the i says its name. Sun-shine, sunshine.”
“Now I want to spell snake. I say it slowly: s-n-ay-k. The long a sound is followed by one consonant, k, at the end. So I try the split digraph: s-n-a-k-e. It looks right.”
Let’s Try Together
1. Which picture has the long u sound? Say its number. Then say which letters make the long sound.
Hint: Which word says the letter name “you”?
For the adult: point to each picture and name it first: tu…, tu… (the full words are in the Answer Key).
2. Read these two words: them these. Which one has a long e? How do you know?
Hint: Look for a silent e at the end.
Your Turn
Name: ______________________
1. Long or short? Tick the vowel sound you hear. For each long sound, write the letters that make it.
For the adult: point to each picture and name it first: s…, k…, j…, t…, b…, h… (the full words are in the Answer Key).
a) ☐ short ☐ long ______ b) ☐ short ☐ long ______ c) ☐ short ☐ long ______
d) ☐ short ☐ long ______ e) ☐ short ☐ long ______ f) ☐ short ☐ long ______
2. Split each word into two syllables. Circle the syllable with a long vowel sound.
Hint: Clap the word first. Look for a split digraph in one syllable.
| Word | Syllable 1 | Syllable 2 |
|---|---|---|
| inside | __________ | __________ |
| cupcake | __________ | __________ |
| explode | __________ | __________ |
| invite | __________ | __________ |
| reptile | __________ | __________ |
3. Circle the word that is spelt correctly.
a) The snake / snaik hid under a rock.
b) We waited for the trane / train at the station.
c) Dad sailed a little bote / boat on the lake.
d) My kite / kight flew over the trees.
e) We walked home / hoam after school.
4. Listen and write the sentence.
For the adult: the sentence is in the Answer Key. Say it twice. Do not stretch the sounds.
__________________________________________________________________
Reflect
For the adult: talk about these with the learner.
1. Go back to the Wonder question: “How can we tell whether a vowel is long or short, and how do we choose the right spelling?” What do you think now?
2. I was a thinker today when I ______________________________.
For the adult: A thinker thinks carefully to work things out. Example: I was a thinker today when I split cupcake into two syllables and found the long vowel.
Take action: Go on a word hunt in a book or on food packets. Find three two-syllable words with a split digraph, such as inside or sunshine.
Answer Key
Reveal Answers
Let’s Try Together
1. Picture 2 (tube). Picture 1 is a tub, with a short u. The letters u and e make the long sound (u_e).
2. these. It has a silent e at the end that makes the e say its name.
1. Long or short?
a) short (sock)
b) long (kite): i_e
c) short (jug)
d) long (tree): ee
e) long (boat): oa
f) short (hat)
Look for: the learner hears the long sound in tree and boat even though there is no split digraph. Long sounds can be spelt in different ways.
2. Syllables
in | side (side is long)
cup | cake (cake is long)
ex | plode (plode is long)
in | vite (vite is long)
rep | tile (tile is long)
Look for: accept small differences in where the word is split, as long as each part has a vowel. The circled syllable is always the one with the split digraph.
3. Spelt correctly
a) snake
b) train
c) boat
d) kite
e) home
4. Dictation
We hope the snake will hide inside its home.
Look for: the split digraph in hope, snake, hide, inside and home. A capital letter at the start and a full stop at the end.
Reflect
2. Any real moment from the lesson that shows the learner was a thinker. Examples: “I was a thinker today when I split cupcake into two syllables and found the long vowel.” “I was a thinker today when I chose the right spelling for snake.”
Next Steps
If this was easy, try: Make your own two-syllable words by joining a short syllable and a split digraph syllable, such as pan + cake, sun + rise and bed + time. Write a sentence with each one.
If this was hard, go back to: Let’s Learn. Read only the short and long words in the table, one row at a time. Then try one-syllable words like cap and cape before the two-syllable words.
Download this lesson as a PDF (free after you subscribe)
Lesson 1.10: Vowel Teams Review: ai, ay, ee, ea, oa, ow, igh | Phonics | About 20 minutes
Term 1 | Level 1
Unit of inquiry: Who we are | Line of inquiry: How the things we can do change over time
Key concept: Form (What is it like?) | Learner profile: Thinkers | ATL skills: Thinking skills
PYP strand: Written language: receptive and expressive (reading and spelling)
I can sort words by their long vowel sound, choose the right vowel team for a word, and find long vowel words in a text.
Curriculum links: IB PYP Language, Reading, Phase 2: understand sound-symbol relationships; instantly recognize an increasing bank of high-frequency and high-interest words. England Year 2: learn new ways of spelling phonemes for which one or more spellings are already known; read accurately words of two or more syllables that contain the same graphemes. Common Core RF.2.3b: know spelling-sound correspondences for additional common vowel teams.
Key words: vowel team | long sound | spelling | middle | end
Wonder
For the adult: ask this question before you start. Accept every idea. You will come back to it in Reflect.
Why can the same sound be spelt in different ways?
Let’s Learn
For the adult: read this part aloud. Point to each team and say its sound, not the letter names.
A vowel team is two or three letters that work together to make one sound.
Many long vowel sounds can be spelt in more than one way. When you read, look for the team and say one sound. When you spell, choose the spelling that looks right.
| Long sound | Spellings | Where they often go |
|---|---|---|
| long a | ai, ay, a_e | ai in the middle (rain), ay at the end (play) |
| long e | ee, ea | both in the middle or at the end (tree, sea, beach) |
| long i | igh, ie, i_e | igh in the middle or end (night, high), ie at the end of short words (pie, tie) |
| long o | oa, ow, o_e | oa in the middle (boat), ow often at the end (snow) |
The table gives patterns, not rules that always work. If a word looks wrong, try another spelling and check in a dictionary or a word list.
Watch Me
For the adult: say the thinking aloud. Write toast and snow on paper as you say each sound.
“I want to spell toast. I say it slowly: t-oa-s-t. I hear the long o sound in the middle, with more letters after it. Long o in the middle is often oa. So I write t-oa-s-t.”
“Now I want to spell snow. I say it: s-n-ow. The long o is at the very end. Long o at the end is often ow. So I write s-n-ow.”
“Last, I read a new word: thigh. I see th, then igh. I say one sound for each part: th-igh, thigh. It is the top part of my leg.”
Let’s Try Together
1. Snail (picture 1) and hay (picture 2) have the same long sound. Which letters spell the sound in each word? Why are they different?
Hint: Where does the long a sound come in each word?
2. Which word does not have a long o sound: boat, snow, sock, home?
Hint: Say each word slowly and listen to the middle.
For the adult: point to each picture and name it first: sn…, h… (the full words are in the Answer Key).
Your Turn
Name: ______________________
1. Sort the words by their long vowel sound.
Hint: Sort by the sound you hear, not by the letters you see.
Words: rain | tree | night | boat | play | beach | pie | snow | cake | green | bike | home
| long a | long e | long i | long o |
|---|---|---|---|
| __________ | __________ | __________ | __________ |
| __________ | __________ | __________ | __________ |
| __________ | __________ | __________ | __________ |
2. Write the missing vowel team.
For the adult: read each word aloud first. The words are in the Answer Key.
a) sn ____ ____ b) t ____ ____ st c) t ____ ____
d) br ____ ____ ____ t e) pl ____ ____ f) w ____ ____ t
3. Read the recount. Find eight words with a long vowel sound.
Hint: Look for vowel teams and split digraphs. Write each word in the right box.
A Day at the Sea
One morning, Ava and Gran went to the beach by train. The sky was cloudy, but the rain stayed away. They sat on a green seat and had toast with cheese. Ava found a white shell and a long piece of seaweed. Gran told her about a boat trip she took when she was a girl. As the sun went down, the light turned gold. “What a lovely day,” said Ava on the way home.
| long a | long e | long i | long o |
|---|---|---|---|
| __________ | __________ | __________ | __________ |
| __________ | __________ | __________ | __________ |
4. Listen and write the sentence.
For the adult: the sentence is in the Answer Key. Say it twice.
__________________________________________________________________
Reflect
For the adult: talk about these with the learner.
1. Go back to the Wonder question: “Why can the same sound be spelt in different ways?” What do you think now?
2. I was a thinker today when I ______________________________.
For the adult: A thinker thinks carefully to work things out. Example: I was a thinker today when I sorted words by the sound I heard, not the letters I saw.
Take action: Make a long vowel poster with four boxes: long a, long e, long i and long o. Add words you find in books this week.
Answer Key
Reveal Answers
Let’s Try Together
1. Snail uses ai. Hay uses ay. In snail, the sound is in the middle. In hay, it is at the end.
2. sock
1. Sort by sound
long a: rain, play, cake
long e: tree, beach, green
long i: night, pie, bike
long o: boat, snow, home
Look for: cake, bike and home sorted by sound, even though they have a split digraph instead of a vowel team.
2. Missing vowel team
a) ow (snow)
b) oa (toast)
c) ie (tie)
d) igh (bright)
e) ay (play)
f) ai (wait)
3. Find eight words
Any eight of these, in the right box:
long a: train, rain, stayed, away, day, way
long e: beach, green, seat, cheese, piece, seaweed
long i: white, light
long o: toast, boat, home
Look for: “piece” has the long e sound spelt ie. Accept it as a good find. Also accept by, sky, she, they, told and gold, which have a long vowel sound spelt another way. “took” and “down” do not have these long vowel sounds.
4. Dictation
We waited on the beach until the rain stopped.
Look for: ai in waited and rain, ea in beach. A capital letter at the start and a full stop at the end.
Reflect
2. Any real moment from the lesson that shows the learner was a thinker. Examples: “I was a thinker today when I sorted words by the sound I heard, not the letters I saw.” “I was a thinker today when I found long vowel words in the beach recount.”
Next Steps
If this was easy, try: Write a short recount of a day out with eight long vowel words. Underline them and ask someone at home to sort them by sound.
If this was hard, go back to: Let’s Learn. Work on one long sound at a time. Start with long a: say rain, play and cake, and point to the letters that make the sound in each word.
Download this lesson as a PDF (free after you subscribe)
Lesson 1.11: Tricky Words: door, floor, poor, find, kind, behind | Phonics | About 20 minutes
Term 1 | Level 1
Unit of inquiry: Who we are | Line of inquiry: How the things we can do change over time
Key concept: Form (What is it like?) | Learner profile: Knowledgeable | ATL skills: Self-management skills
PYP strand: Written language: receptive and expressive (reading and spelling)
I can read and spell the tricky words door, floor, poor, find, kind and behind, and use the -ind word family.
Curriculum links: IB PYP Language, Reading, Phase 2: instantly recognize an increasing bank of high-frequency and high-interest words. Writing, Phase 2: write an increasing number of frequently used words or ideas independently. England Year 2: learn to spell common exception words; write from memory simple sentences dictated by the teacher. Common Core RF.2.3f: recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.
Key words: tricky word | tricky part | word family | look, say, cover, write, check
Wonder
For the adult: ask this question before you start. Accept every idea. You will come back to it in Reflect.
Why are some words harder to spell than others?
Let’s Learn
For the adult: read this part aloud. Point to the red tricky part of each word card as you say the word.
Some words have a tricky part. The letters do not make the sound we expect.
- In door, floor and poor, the letters oo say /or/, not the oo in moon.
- In find, kind and behind, the i says its name, even with no e at the end.
Words that share a tricky part make a word family. If you can spell kind, you can also spell find, mind and behind.
We learn tricky words by looking closely at the tricky part and practising them often.
Watch Me
For the adult: act out each step as you say it. Cover the word with your hand, then write it on paper.
“I want to learn behind. First I look at it. It has two parts: be and hind. The tricky part is the i, which says its name.”
“I say it and the letters: behind, b-e-h-i-n-d.”
“I cover it with my hand. I write it from memory: b-e-h-i-n-d.”
“I lift my hand and check. My word matches. If it did not match, I would look at the tricky part again and have another go.”
Let’s Try Together
1. Read the sentence. Which two words are tricky words from our list? The kind girl held the door for me.
Hint: Look at the six word cards in Let’s Learn.
2. Kind, find and behind are in the same word family. Can you think of another word in this family?
Hint: Change the first letter of kind.
Your Turn
Name: ______________________
1. Read the story. Circle every tricky word from the list.
Tricky words: door | floor | poor | find | kind | behind
Leo could not find his lucky sock. He looked behind the door and under the bed. He looked on the floor of the kitchen. “Poor Leo,” said Gran. Gran was kind, and she did not mind helping. At last, she found the sock behind the sofa. It was in the dog’s basket!
How many tricky words did you circle? ______
2. Look, say, cover, write, check.
| Word | Write it | Check ✓ or ✗ | Write it again |
|---|---|---|---|
| door | ____________ | ____ | ____________ |
| floor | ____________ | ____ | ____________ |
| poor | ____________ | ____ | ____________ |
| find | ____________ | ____ | ____________ |
| kind | ____________ | ____ | ____________ |
| behind | ____________ | ____ | ____________ |
3. Write the -ind word that matches each clue.
Word bank: mind | behind | kind | find
a) the opposite of “in front of” ______________
b) to look for something and get it ______________
c) nice and helpful to other people ______________
d) “Never ______________,” said Mum. “We can try again.”
4. Be a spelling checker.
Each sentence has two tricky words spelt wrongly. Write the sentence again correctly.
a) I left my bag behined the dor.
__________________________________________________________________
b) The por cat sat on the flor.
__________________________________________________________________
c) It was kined of you to fined my hat.
__________________________________________________________________
5. Listen and write the sentence.
For the adult: the sentence is in the Answer Key. Say it twice.
__________________________________________________________________
Reflect
For the adult: talk about these with the learner.
1. Go back to the Wonder question: “Why are some words harder to spell than others?” What do you think now?
2. I was knowledgeable today when I ______________________________.
For the adult: Being knowledgeable means knowing things and using what you know. Example: I was knowledgeable today when I spelt behind from memory.
Take action: Write the six tricky words on sticky notes. Put door on a door and floor near the floor. Read them each time you pass.
Answer Key
Reveal Answers
Let’s Try Together
1. kind, door
2. Sample answers: mind, wind (as in “wind up a toy”), blind
1. Circle the tricky words
Leo could not find his lucky sock. He looked behind the door and under the bed. He looked on the floor of the kitchen. “Poor Leo,” said Gran. Gran was kind, and she did not mind helping. At last, she found the sock behind the sofa. It was in the dog’s basket!
7 tricky words (behind appears twice).
Look for: the learner checks each word against the list. “Mind” is in the same word family but is not on the list, so it does not count. Accept 8 if the learner explains that they counted mind as a family word.
2. Look, say, cover, write, check
Look for: the learner covers the word before writing. Common mistakes are “dor”, “flor”, “pore”, “fined” and “behined”.
3. -ind words
a) behind
b) find
c) kind
d) mind
4. Spelling checker
a) I left my bag behind the door.
b) The poor cat sat on the floor.
c) It was kind of you to find my hat.
5. Dictation
The kind man looked behind the door.
Look for: kind, behind and door spelt correctly, a capital letter at the start and a full stop at the end.
Reflect
2. Any real moment from the lesson that shows the learner was knowledgeable. Examples: “I was knowledgeable today when I spelt behind from memory.” “I was knowledgeable today when I found the spelling mistakes and fixed them.”
Next Steps
If this was easy, try: Write a short story of four sentences that uses all six tricky words and one more -ind word. Underline each one.
If this was hard, go back to: Watch Me. Learn two words a day, starting with door and floor because they share the same tricky part. Use look, say, cover, write, check three times each.
Download this lesson as a PDF (free after you subscribe)
Lesson 1.12: Chapter 1 Review | All strands | About 20 minutes
Term 1 | Level 1
Unit of inquiry: Who we are | Line of inquiry: All three lines of inquiry
Key concept: Change, Form and Connection | Learner profile: Reflective | ATL skills: Self-management skills
PYP strand: All strands: receptive and expressive
I can show what I learned in Chapter 1 in reading, writing, speaking, looking and phonics.
Curriculum links: This review checks the outcomes from Lessons 1.1 to 1.11. IB PYP Language, Phases 2 and 3, across reading, writing, oral language and visual language. England Year 2: write from memory simple sentences dictated by the teacher that include words using the GPCs and common exception words taught so far. Common Core RI.2.5, RF.2.3a, RF.2.3b, RF.2.3c and RF.2.3f.
Key words: contents page | clue | joining word | end mark | follow-up question | vowel team | tricky word
Wonder
For the adult: ask this question before you start. Accept every idea. You will come back to it in Reflect.
How have you grown and changed, and how can you share your story?
Let’s Learn
For the adult: read this part aloud. There are six short tasks. Do them in one sitting or split them over two days.
This page checks what you learned in Chapter 1.
There is one task for each part: reading, writing, oral, visual and phonics. The last task is a spelling check.
Read each task with an adult. Do your best on your own first.
Watch Me
For the adult: show how the spelling check in Task 6 works, using the word “cake”.
“You will hear a word. I say: cake. I say it again: cake.”
“I say the sounds: c-ay-k. The middle sound is long. It says its name.”
“I write c, then a, then k. The long a needs a silent e, so I add e at the end: cake. I read it back. It matches.”
Let’s Try Together
1. The adult says “boat”. Which vowel team makes the middle sound?
Hint: Is it oa, ai or ee?
2. Write “boat” in the air with your finger.
Hint: b, then the team, then t.
Your Turn
Name: ______________________
1. Reading: Contents and a page
a) Which pages are about wobbly teeth? From page ______ to page ______
b) Read this part of page 12. Then answer the question.
Mia sat in the big chair. The dentist shone a bright light into her mouth and counted her teeth. “Your front tooth is wobbly,” she said. Mia smiled. She had been waiting for that tooth to come out for weeks.
How did Mia feel about her wobbly tooth? How do you know?
__________________________________________________________________
2. Writing: Join and punctuate
a) Join each pair with but, so or or.
I was hungry. I made a sandwich. → ______________________________________________
I could not swim last year. Now I can swim a length. → ______________________________________________
Do you want an apple? Do you want a pear? → ______________________________________________
b) Add capital letters and end marks. Write it again.
what a big cake that is can I have a piece please pass me a plate
__________________________________________________________________
3. Oral: Follow-up questions
Sam says: “I went to my cousin’s house at the weekend.” Write two follow-up questions you could ask Sam.
1. ______________________________________________?
2. ______________________________________________?
4. Visual: Youngest to oldest
Hint: Look at size, hair and what each person holds.
a) Write the letters in order, from youngest to oldest. ______ ______ ______
b) Write one clue that shows card B is older than card A.
__________________________________________________________________
5. Phonics: Sounds and tricky words
a) Circle the two words with the same long vowel sound. boat bike home hot
b) Split into syllables. sunshine: ________ | ________ inside: ________ | ________
c) Write ai or ay. tr ___ ___ n d ___ ___ p ___ ___ nt
d) Circle the tricky words. The poor dog was behind the door.
6. Spelling check
For the adult: the words and the sentence are in the Answer Key. Say each word twice, then say the sentence twice. Do not stretch the sounds for the learner.
1. ______________
2. ______________
3. ______________
__________________________________________________________________
Reflect
For the adult: talk about these with the learner.
1. Go back to the Wonder question: “How have you grown and changed, and how can you share your story?” What do you think now?
2. I was reflective today when I ______________________________.
For the adult: Being reflective means looking back at your work and thinking how to make it better. Example: I was reflective today when I looked back at what I learned in this chapter.
Take action: Look back at the ideas you had in Tuning in at the start of the chapter. Tell someone at home one idea that has changed.
Answer Key
Reveal Answers
Let’s Try Together
1. oa
2. b o a t
1. Reading (Lessons 1.1 and 1.2)
a) From page 5 to page 8
b) Sample answer: She felt happy or excited about it. I know because she smiled, and she had been waiting for it to come out for weeks.
2. Writing (Lessons 1.3 and 1.4)
a) I was hungry so I made a sandwich.
I could not swim last year but now I can swim a length.
Do you want an apple or a pear?
b) What a big cake that is! Can I have a piece? Please pass me a plate.
Look for: in a), accept “Do you want an apple or do you want a pear?” In b), accept a full stop or an exclamation mark at the end.
3. Oral (Lesson 1.5)
Sample answers: What did you do at your cousin’s house? Where does your cousin live? How old is your cousin?
Look for: both questions are about the cousin, the cousin’s house or the weekend.
4. Visual (Lesson 1.7)
a) C, A, B
b) Sample answer: Card B has grey hair and a walking stick, but card A is a child with a school bag.
5. Phonics (Lessons 1.9, 1.10 and 1.11)
a) boat, home
b) sun | shine, in | side
c) train, day, paint
d) poor, behind, door
6. Spelling check (Lessons 1.9, 1.10 and 1.11)
1. snake
2. light
3. toast
The kind girl found her coat behind the door.
Look for: the split digraph in snake, igh in light, oa in toast and coat, and kind, behind and door spelt correctly.
For any task the learner missed, repeat the lesson shown in brackets before starting Chapter 2.
Reflect
2. Any real moment from the lesson that shows the learner was reflective. Examples: “I was reflective today when I looked back at what I learned in this chapter.” “I was reflective today when I found the tasks I need to practise again.”
Next Steps
If this was easy, try: Start Chapter 2: Rules, Routines and Jobs. It begins with Lesson 2.1, Read the Class Rules.
If this was hard, go back to: The lesson named next to each missed task in the answer key. Redo the Your Turn page from that lesson, then try this review again.
Download this lesson as a PDF (free after you subscribe)
Challenge: Read-Aloud Story and Grammar | Optional | About 20 minutes
For the adult: this section is optional. Use it when the lessons feel easy, or to stretch the learner after Lesson 1.12. The story is for you to read aloud. It uses some harder words on purpose. Talk about them as you read.
Part 1: Read-Aloud Story
For the adult: read the story aloud twice. The first time, just enjoy it. The second time, stop at the words in bold and talk about what they mean.
The Growing Wall
Every year on his birthday, Sam stands against the kitchen wall. Dad presses a pencil flat on the top of his head and draws a neat line. Then Sam writes the date next to it.
This year, Sam stood very still and stretched his neck as high as it would go. “No cheating!” laughed Dad.
When Sam stepped away, he stared at the wall. His new line was a whole finger above last year’s line. “I grew!” he announced.
Then he noticed some faint lines much lower down, almost hidden under the paint. “Whose are these?” he asked.
“Those are mine,” said Dad. “Grandpa drew them when I was a boy and we lived in this house. I was just as impatient to grow as you are.”
Sam put his hand on a tiny line marked “Age 3”. It was hard to imagine his tall dad ever being so small.
Talk about the story
1. What does Dad do every year on Sam’s birthday?
2. Why did Dad say, “No cheating!”?
Hint: What did Sam do with his neck?
3. The old lines were faint. What do you think faint means? What clue tells you?
Hint: Look at the words “almost hidden under the paint”.
4. Why were there lines for Dad on the same wall?
5. Why was it hard for Sam to imagine his dad being so small? Would you like a growing wall at home? Say why.
Part 2: Expanded Noun Phrases (Grammar)
For the adult: read this part aloud.
A noun names a person, a place or a thing. A noun phrase is a group of words built around a noun, such as the line.
When we add describing words (adjectives), we make an expanded noun phrase. It gives the reader a clearer picture: the line becomes the neat pencil line.
In the story, the kitchen wall, some faint lines and a tiny line are expanded noun phrases.
1. Underline the expanded noun phrase in each sentence.
a) Sam has a shiny red bike.
b) Gran gave me a soft woolly hat.
c) We found an old photo in the drawer.
d) A tiny brown mouse ran under the door.
Hint: Find the noun first. Then look for the describing words in front of it.
2. Make each noun phrase longer. Add two describing words from the word bank.
Word bank: fluffy | tall | green | little | noisy | old
a) the ____________ ____________ cat
b) a ____________ ____________ tree
c) the ____________ ____________ baby
3. Write one sentence about a baby photo of you. Use an expanded noun phrase and underline it.
______________________________________________
Answer Key
Reveal Answers
Part 1: Talk about the story
1. Sam stands against the kitchen wall, and Dad draws a line at the top of his head. Sam writes the date next to it.
2. Sam stretched his neck to look taller than he really was.
3. Faint means very pale and hard to see. The clue is that the lines were almost hidden under the paint.
4. Grandpa measured Dad on the same wall when Dad was a boy and lived in the house.
5. Example: Dad is tall now, so it is hard to picture him as a tiny boy. Any answer about a growing wall with a reason. Encourage a “because” sentence.
Part 2: Grammar
1. a) a shiny red bike b) a soft woolly hat c) an old photo d) A tiny brown mouse
2. Any two fitting words, for example: the fluffy little cat, a tall green tree, the noisy little baby.
3. Any sentence with an expanded noun phrase underlined, for example: I am wearing a big yellow sun hat.
Taking action
By the end of this chapter, learners might:
- Make a “Then and Now” book about yourself with photos or drawings and a sentence for each page.
- Ask an older family member what they could do at your age, and share what you found out.
- Choose one new thing to learn this term and keep track of how you get better at it.
Lesson 1.12 reviews the chapter. Look back at the ideas from Tuning in and talk about how they have changed.
All Grade 2 English chapters and lessons | Next: Chapter 2, Rules, Routines and Jobs →
© 2026 Firefly Ed. All rights reserved. This page may be printed for personal, home and classroom use. It may not be sold, shared online or reproduced for commercial use without written permission. edfirefly.com







Share your thoughts or ask something..