Word study: believe to calendar

1 · Learn

Work on one or two words at a time, then come back on another day. Say a word with an adult, explain its meaning and notice its tricky letters. Look, cover, write, uncover and check. A copied word is a useful start; remembering it later and using it correctly are the next steps.

believe: to think something is true. Remember ie after l in believe. Read: 'I believe the character is worried because her hands shake.'

bicycle: a vehicle with two wheels moved by pedals. Bi suggests two; keep cycle after bi. Read: 'The bicycle stood beside the gate.'

breath: air taken into or sent out of the lungs. Breath is the noun and has no final e; compare breathe. Read: 'She took a breath before reading her poem.'

breathe: to take air into and send air out of the lungs. Breathe is the verb and keeps a final e; compare breath. Read: 'We breathe even when we are asleep.'

build: to make by putting parts together. Keep ui in build, even though the u is not separately heard. Read: 'We used blocks to build a wide bridge.'

busy: doing things or having much to do. The first vowel sound in busy is written u, not i. Read: 'The busy librarian helped three readers.'

business: work involving selling goods or services. Compare busy and business: change y to i before ness and keep double s at the end. Read: 'The story's family ran a small repair business.'

calendar: a chart showing days, weeks and months. Calendar ends ar, not er. Read: 'We marked the trip date on the calendar.'

2 · Worked example

Study believe. I say what it means: to think something is true. I notice the spelling: Remember ie after l in believe. I cover the model, write the word, then compare every letter. If a letter is wrong, I correct that part and try again later, rather than copying it many times without thinking.

3 · Your turn

Cover the word list. Write the word meaning 'a vehicle with two wheels moved by pedals'. Uncover and check it. Now write a different sentence using bicycle; explain to an adult how your sentence shows its meaning.

4 · Apply your learning

Choose two words you found difficult. Ask an adult to read the model sentences aloud, discuss unfamiliar meanings, then dictate one sentence without showing it. Check the spelling and punctuation together. Revisit those words tomorrow and later in the week; record the words you still need to practise on paper or the pad.