Language Arts: Homophones
2nd Grade Lesson Plan
C. Bonner-Johnson
May 29, 2012
MVSC Vocabulary
• 2.1.D.3.c.
Use word structure to determine
the meanings of words
• 2.1.D.3.d.
Use resources to determine the
meaning of unknown words
Objectives:
• Students will identify and explain common
homophones to increase vocabulary skill.
• Students will use homophones correctly in
sentences.
• Students will learn academic language:
homophone.
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Engage
Students will draw a picture of a bear.
Teacher will ask what is this a picture of?
Teacher will wait for students to respond.
Teacher will then ask students to spell and write the word bear under the picture.
Teacher will then have students write a sentence using the word bear.
Teacher will then ask students to draw a picture of a cupboard (cabinet) with nothing in it.
Teacher will ask students, “ what do you notice about the cupboard?”
Teacher will wait for students to respond.
Teacher will then ask students to spell and write the word bare under the picture.
Teacher will then have students write a sentence using the word bare.
Teacher will ask students to repeat both words and ask students what they notice about the words.
Teacher will listen to responses to see if students will come up with the word homophones.
Teacher will then say, “these words are homophones; words that sound the same but have different
spellings and meanings. Then have students write the title of the lesson at the top of their
Language Arts Journal.
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Explore
Students will look at other words that sound alike using transparency 1-8.
Students will create homophone cards that will include the homophone and write
a sentence using the homophone and share with their partner.
Explain
Students will watch a short video (Brain Pop) reinforcing what was just taught on
homophones, therefore, further enhancing the understanding of homophones.
Students will play a matching homophone game.
Evaluate
Students will complete Practice Book page 32, “Pairs of Pears” independently to
assess students understanding of homophones up to this point. Students will be
given 5 to 8 minutes to complete. The independent practice will be corrected together to give students immediate feedback.
Extend
Students will write down five homophone pairs.
1. dear deer
2. hear here
3. ate
eight
4. tale tail
5. see
sea
Teacher will read a sentence and students will have to identify the correct
homophone that is being used in the sentence by circling the correct
homophone from the pair.
Teacher will read parts of the book Dear Deer a Book of Homophones by
Gene Barretta.
Closure
• Teacher will recap lesson on homophones by asking
students, “ what have we learned today?”
• Tell students that tomorrow we will review
homophones by singing the “Same But Different Song
Lyrics For Homophones.” Then at the end of the week
students will be assessed on homophones by choosing
2 pairs of homophones, drawing a picture of each
homophone pair and then writing a sentence for each
homophone pair. Students will be given a list of
homophones that will be geared toward their level (
AGL, OGL, BGL, & ESOL).
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Materials
Transparency 1-8
Houghton Mifflin Practice Book – pg.32
Construction paper
Pencils, crayons & markers
Scissors
Language Arts Journal
Smart Board
Video Visualizer
Brain Pop Junior
Book – Dear Deer; A Book of Homophones by Gene
Barretta
Theory to Practice
A study done by Larry Gentry for the Department of Education called the
Rinslands, “A Basic Vocabulary of Elementary School Children,” identified
the homophones nest commonly used in children’s writing and showed
how the relative use of specific homophones changed as writing skills
developed. Students in the higher grades provided more running words
for the study than in the lower grades. The resulting composite was found
to be a little bias in the direction of the older writers, but the indication
was shown that homophones were dominant at every grade level. Two
homophone units – “there/their” and “to/two/too” – exhibited the
greatest difficulty at every grade level.
The important indication of these findings was that many homophone
units generally considered to be the domain of primary grade instruction
should be reviewed throughout elementary school spelling instruction
(Gentry, Larry, 1982. Southwest Regional Laboratory for Educational
Research and Development, Los Alamitos, California).
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Research done by The Education Alliance at Brown University shows that advanced levels of literacy require many
types of cultural and world knowledge. According to the National Reading Panel, research indicates that basic
reading and writing require competence in 5 areas:
Phonemic awareness
Phonics
Vocabulary Development
Fluency
Comprehension
We will look at vocabulary which has specific implications for ELLs. In order to read and write in English, ELLs must
understand word meanings. They might be able to repeat or pronounce English without really understanding
them. The same thing can occur with decoding words. ELLs may be able to decode words and produce the
appropriate sounds without constructing meaning.
Most ELLs acquire vocabulary in routines, play, and social interaction before they learn academic and rare words.
Inferring the meaning of unknown words from context can be difficult for ELLs who may not fully understand that
context. They need multiple exposure to new words in different contexts and they need the opportunity to use
the words in meaningful contexts. Homophones, such as to, too, and two and due and do require explicit
explanation. That is why having a variety of ways to learn vocabulary such as homophones is crucial. ELLs learn
best when given the opportunity to listen, observe, participate, and interact. They link word sounds to predictable
routines, concrete objects, pictures, gestures, physical movements, and experential activities ( Understanding the
Challenges: Teaching Diverse Learners - Elementary Literacy, The Education Alliance. Brown University, 2006).
Now the question is why should we learn
homophones?
1. To increase our vocabulary
2. To build on that vocabulary as you go
further up grade levels
3. Or, because they’re on the SAT that you
have to take before going to college
References
Barretta, Gene (2007). Dear Deer; A Book of Homophones, Scholastic Inc.,
N.Y.
BrainPop Jr. Animated Educational Site for Kids (1999-2012). Retrieved May 25,
2012, from www.brainpopjr..com/reading and writing/word/homonym
Cooper, David and Pikulski, John (2005).
Adventures Grade 2, Houghton Mifflin Company,
Boston.
Gentry, Larry (1982). Relative Frequency of Homophones in
Children’s Writing. Southeast Regional Laboratory for Educational
Research and Development. Los Alamitos, Calif. (1 July 82), ED 218660.
Elementary Literacy: Understanding the Challenges (2006), retrieved May 24,
2012, from www.alliance.brown.edu/tdl/elemlit/ challenges.shtml