Bright “ew” Words

Lesson Overview

This 40-minute lesson is tailored for a Year 2 student with ADHD who learns best visually. The focus is on teaching spelling of words containing the “ew” sound (e.g., new, dew, chew). The lesson integrates the Australian Curriculum (v9) English learning goals for Year 2 phonics and spelling, using varied engaging media such as a colourful comic strip, interactive games, and multi-sensory activities, supporting a visual and active learner to stay engaged.

Australian Curriculum Links

ACELY1670: Recognise and apply knowledge of letter-sound relationships, including consonant blends and vowel patterns to read and write new words.
ACELA1463: Understand that sounds are used in letters and groups of letters to represent sounds in spoken words.
ACELY1669: Apply phonics knowledge to decode regular and some irregular words.
ACELY1668: Spell high-frequency words and phonetically regular words using knowledge of letter-sound relationships .

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, the student will:

Identify and read words containing the “ew” sound in context.
Spell and write “ew” words confidently.
Apply knowledge of the “ew” phoneme in different words in spoken and written form.
Engage with multimodal learning strategies appropriate to ADHD and visual learning style.

Resources

Printed and digital bright, colourful comic strip featuring “ew” words in bold text with appealing illustrations.
Whiteboard, markers, magnetic letter tiles with letters for “ew” words.
Interactive “ew” word bingo cards.
Paper and coloured pencils/crayons for drawing.
Tablet or computer for audio replay of “ew” words.

Lesson Plan Breakdown

1. Introduction & Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Greet the student and briefly explain the focus: learning words with the “ew” sound.
Quick phonics warm-up: Teacher pronounces short list of words emphasizing “ew” (e.g., new, dew, chew). Student repeats.
Use flashcards with “ew” words visually highlighted.
Link to curriculum: Activates phonemic awareness (ACELY1670).

2. Story / Comic Strip Reading (10 minutes)

Present a bright, colourful comic strip story featuring “ew” words prominently in bold within speech bubbles and captions.
Sample story concept: "New Sue and the Blue Crew" — Sue and her friends try new things, see the dew in the morning, and chew on a special treat.
Read the comic aloud, pointing to “ew” words as the student follows.
Student is encouraged to point out and say “ew” words they recognise.
Show illustrations linking meaning visually.
This supports visual processing and contextual reading (ACELY1669).

3. Spelling Game: “ew” Word Bingo & Building (10 minutes)

Play a quick game of “ew” word bingo with bright cards; the teacher calls out words and shows images, student covers or marks the word.
Use magnetic letter tiles to build “ew” words together on the whiteboard.
Focus on sound-letter connection: e.g., “n-ew”, “ch-ew”.
Celebrate correct spellings and attempts enthusiastically.
Supports spelling application and kinaesthetic learning (ACELY1668).

4. Creative Activity: Draw and Write (10 minutes)

Student draws a picture that tells a short story about their favourite “ew” word from the comic strip.
Teacher prompts for writing 2-3 “ew” words within or under the drawing (sounding out with teacher help).
Use coloured pencils/crayons to make it colourful and engaging.
This cements phoneme-grapheme knowledge via creative output (ACELY1668).

5. Review and Cool Down (5 minutes)

Student retells their drawing/story using “ew” words, supported by teacher prompting.
Replay an audio recording of “ew” words from lesson for reinforcement.
Quick oral quiz: teacher says words; student identifies if it contains the “ew” sound.
Preview next lesson briefly to close positively.

Comic Strip Sample Text (to create with bright colours and large bold font)

Title: New Sue and the Blue Crew

Panel 1:
Sue woke up to see the dew on the grass.
(Visual: morning grass with sparkling dew drops)
Panel 2:
"Look!" said Sue. "A new day begins!"
(Visual: Sue smiling, sun rising)
Panel 3:
Sue and her friends chew their favourite chewy snacks.
(Visual: kids happily chewing colourful snacks)
Panel 4:
They flew kites high in the blue sky.
(Visual: kites flying, bold “ew” words highlighted)

Notes for ADHD & Visual Learning Support

Keep activities short and varied to maintain engagement.
Use bright colours, clear bold fonts, and large images for visual appeal.
Use physical activity (e.g., building words, pointing, drawing) to support kinaesthetic learning.
Positive reinforcement and frequent praise to boost motivation.
Repeat “ew” sound explicitly in multiple modalities (visual, verbal, tactile).
Use clear instructions, with breaks if needed.

Assessment Ideas

Observe the student’s ability to identify and read “ew” words in the comic.
Monitor spelling accuracy during magnetic tile word building.
Review the drawing and sentence writing for correct inclusion of “ew” words.
Oral questioning to assess phonemic awareness of the “ew” sound.

All assessments are formative and adapted to support the student’s individual needs in a low-stress environment.

This lesson plan fully embeds Year 2 Australian Curriculum English content descriptors and uses multi-sensory, creative approaches to engage a visual ADHD learner in spelling “ew” words, thus supporting effective literacy development in line with national standards .