Discuss silent letters to boost students’ fluency
Before reading, tell students that they’re going to read about a boy named Mason. Write Mason’s last name on the board and ask students to guess how it is pronounced. Many will likely sound out the name, speaking the w and the gh.
Explain that in English, many words have silent letters. Some show how other letters in the word should be pronounced, and some don’t seem to serve any purpose.
Let students know that wr at the beginning of a word is typically pronounced the same as r. Write these examples and ask students to say them aloud:
- wrap
- wrench
- wrinkle
- wrist
- wrong
Then tell students that ight is typically pronounced the same as ite; for example, bright rhymes with bite. Write these words and ask students to say them aloud:
- fight
- light
- might
- night
- sight
Now point to Mason’s last name again and ask students to make another attempt to pronounce it. Chances are they’ll get it “right” this time!
Looking for more ELL support?
Download our full lesson plan and scroll to p. 5 to find questions that will help your ELLs respond to the text at the level that’s right for them.