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Year 5 English lesson plans

In Year 4, students use prefixes and other word parts to work out the meaning of unfamiliar words. They learn to write persuasive texts that state a clear position and back it up with reasons, and they punctuate dialogue so readers know who is speaking. Reading focuses on summarising and understanding how authors use similes, metaphors and other figurative language, while writing becomes better organised into paragraphs.

Sample plan: Prefixes and word meaning

A 30-minute plan generated from the lesson. Change the length and focus in the generator.

30-minute lesson

Year 5 English: Prefixes and word meaning

Lesson objective

- Know the meanings of the prefixes un-, re-, dis-, pre- and mis-. - Use prefixes to work out the meaning of unfamiliar words. - Spell words with prefixes correctly, keeping the base word unchanged. Success criteria: - I can say what un-, re-, dis-, pre- and mis- mean. - I can split a word into its prefix and base word. - I can spell words like 'misspell' and 'unnecessary' correctly.

Materials

- Index cards or paper cut into cards - Two colours of pencil (one for prefixes, one for base words) - A dictionary (print or a family member to check with)

Introduction

3 min
Introduce today's words: - prefix: A group of letters added to the beginning of a word that changes its meaning, such as 'un-' in 'unhappy'. - base word: The word a prefix or suffix is added to, such as 'happy' in 'unhappy'. - antonym: A word with the opposite meaning, such as 'agree' and 'disagree'. - morpheme: The smallest part of a word that carries meaning. 'Re', 'play' and 'ed' in 'replayed' are each morphemes. Ask your child what they already know about prefixes and word meaning.

Explanation

6 min
A prefix is added to the front of a base word to change its meaning. Learning a handful of common prefixes unlocks hundreds of words. - un- means 'not' or 'the opposite of': unhappy, unlock, unfair - re- means 'again' or 'back': rewrite, replay, return - dis- means 'not' or 'the opposite of': disagree, disappear, dishonest - pre- means 'before': preview, preheat, prepay - mis- means 'wrongly' or 'badly': misspell, misplace, misunderstand Adding a prefix does not change the spelling of the base word. That is why 'misspell' has two s's (mis + spell) and 'unnecessary' has two n's (un + necessary). To work out an unfamiliar word, cover the prefix, read the base word, then add the prefix's meaning. 'Preheat' = before + heat = to heat something before using it.

Worked examples

5 min
Working out meaning What does 'reheat' mean? Step 1: Split the word: re + heat. Step 2: 'Re-' means again. Step 3: Combine: heat again. Answer: 'Reheat' means to heat something again. Making an antonym Make the opposite of 'obey' using a prefix. Step 1: Think of prefixes that mean 'not' or 'the opposite of': un- and dis-. Step 2: Try each: 'unobey' is not a word; 'disobey' is. Step 3: Check in a dictionary if unsure. Answer: disobey Spelling with a prefix Add 'mis-' to 'spell'. Step 1: Write the prefix: mis. Step 2: Write the whole base word without changing it: spell. Step 3: Join them: misspell (the double s is correct). Answer: misspell

Guided practice (do together)

6 min
1. What does the prefix 're-' mean in 'rebuild'? (a) not (b) again (c) before 2. Which word means 'not kind'? (a) unkind (b) rekind (c) prekind 3. What does 'misbehave' mean? (a) behave again (b) behave before (c) behave badly 4. Which is spelled correctly? (a) mispell (b) misspell (c) missspell

Independent practice

7 min
5. Which prefix means 'before'? (a) dis- (b) un- (c) pre- 6. Add a prefix to 'appear' to make a word meaning 'go out of sight'. Type the word. 7. Type the base word in 'unlucky'. 8. Type the prefix in 'return' (without the hyphen).

Questions to check understanding

- Can you say what un-, re-, dis-, pre- and mis- mean? - Can you split a word into its prefix and base word? - Can you spell words like 'misspell' and 'unnecessary' correctly? - What was the trickiest part today?

Answer guide

1. again โ€” 'Rebuild' means to build again. 2. unkind โ€” 'Un-' means not, so 'unkind' means not kind. 3. behave badly โ€” 'Mis-' means wrongly or badly. 4. misspell โ€” mis + spell = misspell. The base word does not change. 5. pre- โ€” 'Pre-' means before, as in 'preview'. 6. disappear โ€” dis + appear = disappear. 7. lucky โ€” un + lucky. The base word is 'lucky'. 8. re โ€” 'Re-' means back: return means to come back.

Review

3 min
Recap the success criteria together. Watch for these common misconceptions: - Thinking any word that starts with 're' or 'un' has a prefix. In 'read' or 'uncle', the letters are part of the base word. Check: is there a real base word left? - Dropping a letter when the prefix ends with the same letter the base word starts with ('mispell'). Keep both letters. - Assuming un- and dis- are interchangeable. Each word uses a particular prefix (unhappy, not dishappy), so check in a dictionary.

Extension activities

- Play prefix dominoes: match prefix cards to base word cards to build real words. - Invent a new word with a prefix (such as 'unbedtime') and write a definition for it. - Find five words with prefixes in a newspaper or recipe and explain each meaning.

Suggested follow-up

- Revisit prefixes and word meaning tomorrow with two or three quick questions from memory. - Try the online practice check for this topic and look at any questions that need another go.

Tips for parents

- When your child meets a long word, ask 'Can you see a prefix?' before they sound it out. - Make a prefix wall: one column per prefix, adding words as you find them. - Use two colours when writing words so the prefix stands out from the base word.

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