Remember to say shun on the final syllable.
After three: one, two, three... Go!
education
collection
invention
attraction
celebration
action
exaggeration
The suffix is -i-o-n, un, but when we add -ion to verbs ending in t or te, the new ending sounds like shun and is spelt -tion. Let’s find out more.
Lots of verbs end in t or te.
Let's do My turn/Your turn and say these verbs:
collect
invent
exaggerate
concentrate
If the verb ends in the letter t we just add -ion:
collect + ion = collection
Here's an example sentence I made up using this word.
Who wants to see my football card collection?
But if the verb ends in te we must drop the e before adding -ion:
concentrate + ion = concentration
Here's another example sentence:
Let me concentrate while I count my football cards. 467... or is it 468? Oh, I’ve lost my concentration!
Let's see some word building:
root word root word + suffix -ion OR drop the e before adding -ion
correct correction
attract attraction
construct construction
locate location
concentrate concentration
exaggerate exaggeration
Exaggerating the sounds of the trickiest part of a word can help you to spell it. Like this: a-c-ti-o-n.
Remember:
When you say words aloud ending in -tion say shun.
When you spell words ending in -tion say the sounds ti o n in an exaggerated way.
In the French language, the sh sound is almost always spelt with the letters ch.
There are quite a lot of English words that have been borrowed from the French language and have kept the French spelling.
Of course, not all words with the sh sound spelt ch are from France.
Let’s check out the sh sound box. Say the sounds with me. Go!
sh
sh
ti
ci
ch
Now let’s look at words with the sound sh spelt ch. Let’s do My turn/Your turn. I'll say the words, then you say them. After three: one, two, three…
chef
chalet
chandelier
chute
machine
brochure
moustache
parachute
Some of these words are not used very often. Let’s see their meanings. Can you guess which words will go next to the definitions? Turn your brains on! Remember that ch in these words makes the sh sound.
chalet chandelier chute brochure
definition words with sh sound spelt ch
something to slide down chute
a booklet containing information brochure
a small wooden cabin chalet
a large hanging light with branches chandelier
Unit 7: Words with the c sound spelt ch
Did you know that the letters ch made the c sound in the Greek language.
Say the sounds. Go!
c
c
k
ck
ch
Now let’s look at words with the c sound spelt ch. Let’s do My turn/Your turn. I'll say the words first, then you say them. After three: one, two, three…
character
chaos
chemist
chorus
school
echo
mechanic
stomach
Here are our words with the c sound spelt as ch again:
character
chaos
chemist
chorus
school
echo
mechanic
stomach
Can you spot one of our c sound words spelt as ch hiding inside this word: alchemist?
Unit 6: Adding -ation to verbs to form nouns
Did you know that many words end in -a-t-i-o-n, ation
-ation is an ending that can be added to lots of words. It sounds like ay and shun, doesn’t it? Now you say -ation.
We can add -ation to some verbs to change them into nouns.
If the verb ends in a consonant we just add the suffix:
inform + ation information
Here is an example sentence I made up using these words. Ahem!
You must inform the police at once! Give them all the information you have.
But if the verb ends in e we must drop the e before adding -ation:
adore + ation = adoration
Here they are in a sentence:
I adore my new puppy, and he looks at me with adoration, too.
Let’s see some word building. Keep a look out for any changes to root words.
root word | root word + suffix -ation OR drop the e before adding -ation |
inform | information |
limit | limitation |
sense | sensation |
admire | admiration |
prepare | preparation |
Oh, a Weird Word Warning!
Weird Word Warning! There are some words that contain -ation as part of the root word and not as a suffix.
For example:
station
nation
Unit 5: Words ending in -ture
Exciting, isn’t it? Back to the present now, though, for some spelling.
Did you notice that President Alpha’s message contained lots of words with endings that sound like chuh spelt -t-u-r-e? Let’s have a closer look at them.
The ending that sounds like chuh can be spelt -ture.
Let's do My turn/Your turn. I'll say the words first, then you say them. Remember to say chuh on the final syllable.
adventure
picture
capture
temperature
furniture
future
creature
nature
mixture
Well done, fellow Star Spellers.
Shall we have a vocabulary check on the word ‘nature’?
nature: noun
everything in the world that was not made by people, for example, mountains, rivers, animals, and plants
Hold on! I’ve just heard that an important Weird Word Warning is on its way. Here it comes:
Weird Word Warning
Beware! Some words have endings that sound like chuh but are root words ending in tch or ch and the suffix -er:
catcher teacher richer
They are not -ture words.
Unit 4: Adding the suffix -ly
Did you know that I am particularly fond of adverbs? In fact, I have just used one! The word particularly is an adverb. They are as easy to make as lunar cakes. We can just add the suffix -l-y, ly, to some adjectives.
Can you spot any in the captain's log below?
Log: 036:252856 hours
Pilot Sigma: Asteroid alert, Captain. Looks like this is a seriously big asteroid!
Captain: We need to think carefully about this, Sigma.
Pilot Sigma: It appeared on the screen quite suddenly, Captain.
Captain: That is because it is moving so speedily.
Pilot Sigma: Er... yes it is. I’m pressing the emergency swerve button. We need to act immediately.
Captain: This could go horribly wrong, Sigma.
Pilot Sigma: Look! It has disappeared completely from the screen.
Captain: Ah. Good job you acted so quickly. Well done, Sigma!
Sometimes we can just add -ly straight on to the root word. Let's do some word building:
root word root word + suffix -ly
serious seriously
final finally
rude rudely
nice nicely
comical comically
It’s different if the root word ends in le. Then we swap the le for ly.
humble + ly = humbly
Here are some more words where we need to swap the le for ly:
root word swap the le for -ly
horrible horribly
gentle gently
simple simply
feeble feebly
This week the children will be looking at Orange words: Proceed with caution! These are common words that even some adults find tricky to spell. We have to work extra hard to learn them.
answer
island
February
length
strength
business
Unit 3: Adding the suffix -ous
This week we will be learning all about adding -o-u-s, ous. Words ending in -ous are the words in our spelling challenge this week.
Let’s get spelling!
Let’s do My turn/Your turn to say all of these words. Repeat them after me.
dangerous
poisonous
mountainous
famous
After three, tell me what the letters -ous sound like in these words: one, two, three...
That’s right! The letters -ous sound like us.
-ous, ous, is a suffix. Here are the root words:
danger
poison
mountain
fame
Say all of the root words. Go!
When we add the suffix -ous we might need to change the root word.
Say our suffix rhyme together, after three: one, two, three...
Is there a letter I need to swap?
Is there a letter to double or drop?
Let’s take a look...
danger
poison
mountain
hazard
We can just add -ous to these words.
dangerous
poisonous
mountainous
hazardous
So nothing at all to swap, double or drop.
Hold on though! We also have a root word that ends in a vowel: fame.
Is there a letter I need to swap?
Is there a letter to double or drop?
If the word ends with an e, we have to drop the e before adding -ous.
fame + ous famous
Now let’s do some word building:
root word | root word + suffix -ous OR drop the e before adding -ous |
danger | dangerous |
mountain | mountainous |
poison | poisonous |
hazard | hazardous |
fame | famous |
Oh, an alert has just come through! It’s a synonym alert. Of course – the words dangerous and hazardous are synonyms. They share the same meaning. I’m going to try to use the word hazardous sometimes instead of dangerous.
Here are some special -ous words. Let’s do My turn/Your turn.
enormous
tremendous
jealous
Why are they special? Watch what happens if we take away -ous:
enormous enorm
tremendous tremend
jealous jeal
They are not complete root words, are they? So -ous is just part of the root word.
Say the words together for me one more time:
enormous
tremendous
jealous
All of our words ending in -ous are describing words. What are they called? Choose from this list:
nouns
verbs
adjectives
adverbs
Turn to your partner and then tell me. One, two, three... tell me!
That’s right; they are all adjectives. Well, you’ve been fabulous. See you next time!
Antonyms are words that mean the opposite of another word.
Sometimes we use different words, like this:
word | antonym
|
hot | cold |
good | bad |
tiny | huge |
Sometimes we can add a prefix that means ‘not’ or ‘opposite’ to a root word to make an antonym, like this:
root word | prefix in-, un-, or dis-, + root word |
sure | unsure |
like | dislike |
correct | incorrect |
If a root word begins with the letter m or p, the prefix i-n-, in, changes to i-m-, im.
Ask your adult to say the words and you copy.
mature
mortal
mobile
possible
patient
polite
Well done!
im- can be added to the root words to make their opposites. Let’s do My turn/Your turn again with your adult:
mature immature
mortal immortal
mobile immobile
possible impossible
patient impatient
polite impolite
Now say them together with your adult. After three: one, two, three...
mature immature
mortal immortal
mobile immobile
possible impossible
patient impatient
polite impolite
Don’t forget that we can also add the suffix -ly to the end of some words that start with im-. Let’s do My turn/Your turn. I’ll say the words, then you say them.
perfect imperfect imperfectly
patient impatient impatiently
polite impolite impolitely
Turn to your adult and say:
Prefix, root word, suffix, too,
I build words, and so can you.
Well done! It would have been impossible to do that any better. Now, I don’t wish to be impolite but I really must go now. Goodbye!
Prefixes are very clever little groups of letters that we can add to the front of a word to change its meaning.
We know that the prefix u-n-, un, means ‘not’ or the opposite of something. Well here’s a surprise for you: the prefixes d-i-s-, dis, and i-n-, in, share almost the same meaning as un-.
Some root words use un- and others use dis- or in- and we just have to learn them as we say, read and spell them.
We can add the prefix dis- to the front of these words to change their meaning:
like
agree
obey
connect
appear
approve
root word | prefix dis- + root word |
like | dislike |
agree | disagree |
obey | disobey |
connect | disconnect |
appear | disappear |
approve | disapprove |
Now let’s look at adding the prefix in-.
action
visible
human
capable
complete
The prefix in- can be added to them to make their opposites. Watch this! Let's build some words with our new prefix in-:
root word | prefix in- + root word |
action | inaction |
visible | invisible |
human | inhuman |
capable | incapable |
complete | incomplete |
Now practise using the prefixes un-, dis- and in- to build and change more words. Remember that each of these prefixes means ‘not’ or the opposite of something.
root word | prefix in- + root word |
complete | incomplete |
visible | invisible |
happy | unhappy |
dress | undress |
like | dislike |
obey | disobey |