Literacy problems to solve for Key Stage 1, 2 and 3 from our Literacy Team. The latest questions are here
New problems every 2 weeks.

Follow the trail

Use the word shadows to work out what I bought from the shops. For example:

  Might be rice

1. SOUND ALIKE
How many words can you find which spell the long ‘ay’ sound differently?
E.g. ‘ay’ = tray

‘ai’ = rain

‘a_e’ = gate

Can you think of any more ways of spelling the ‘ay’ sound?

E.g. ‘eigh’ = weigh.

Some possible answers = ‘ey’, ‘aigh’, ‘ea’, ‘ei’, ‘a’.

Teacher notes – This activity will deliver English Framework WORD 1 = “Correct vowel choices, including: vowels with common alternative spellings, e.g. ‘ay’, ‘ai’, ‘a_e’.”

2. ROOTS
How many words can you make from these roots?

form finite script
press port spect
pose fect cept

Award yourself 1 point if you add letters before the root (prefix) and 2 points after it(suffix). E.g. in form ation = 2 points. What’s the longest word you can make?

Teacher notes – This activity will deliver English Framework WORD 3 = “Word endings, including vowel suffixes; consonant suffixes; modifying words ending; making choices between similar endings.” WORD 4 = “Prefixes, including antonym prefixes.”

3. SENTENCE HANGMAN
Play this the same as word hangman but write out a whole sentence including the punctuation. Put dashes for letters and let your friends guess! The more punctuation the better!

E.g. What did you have for breakfast? Would look like this - _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ /_ _ _ / _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _?

Teacher notes – This activity will deliver English Framework SENTENCE 3 = “Make good use of the full range of punctuation.”

Wordswork is from
North East Lincolnshire's Literacy Team