To, Too, or Two: Developing an Understanding of Homophones

Student Objectives

Instruction and Activities

Extensions

Student Assessment/Reflections

 

STUDENT OBJECTIVES

Students will

• Learn the definition of a homophone
  
  
• Recognize and give examples of several common homophones
  
  
• Listen to a song about homophones to extend their understanding
  
  
• Work in small cooperative groups to create short skits demonstrating an understanding of homophones
  
  
• Work in small groups to create homophone comic strips
  
  

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Instruction and Activities

1.	Begin by introducing the term homophone to students. Explain that homophones are words that sound alike but have different meanings and are spelled differently. Note the root word phone, which means sound. Homophones involve sound and listening, just like when one talks on the phone. Ask students to brainstorm some homophones and write them on chart paper or the board.
2.	Tell students that they are going to be listening to a song, and they should listen for as many homophones as they can hear. Play the Between the Lions' Homophones song. You may want to play the song several times for students. Ask students to tell what homophones they hear in the song. Record them on the board. Depending on the age and maturity of your students, you may want to print out the lyrics to the song and have them sing the song as a class.
3.	Once students have listened to the song and identified the homophones, discuss the meaning and spelling of each homophone with students. Point out that each homophone sounds the same but has a different meaning and spelling.
4.	Divide students into small groups (3–4 students) and explain that they are going to be acting out several homophones for the class. The other students in the class will have to give the meaning and spelling of that particular homophone. Have students pick one of the homophone index cards. Each group should come up with a short (10–20 second) skit that depicts the homophone that they selected. Example: If a group selects the homophone meet, they might act out a quick skit in which two people meet each other. The other members of the class would have to give the meaning and spelling of that homophone (meet). Depending on your class, you may want to say the homophone aloud before each skit and just have the other students in the class give the correct spelling and meaning based on the skit. Or, you may just want the groups to act out the skit and have students try to determine the homophone (without saying it orally first). Have the other groups select index cards and act out the homophones on their cards. Continue with the skits until several sets of homophones have been identified.
5.	Once all groups have completed their skits, each group can use the online Comic Creator to turn their skit into a short comic strip. Show students your sample comic strip before they begin. The comics can be compiled into a class "homophone book" or displayed in the classroom.

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EXTENSIONS

In order to extend these activities, students may want to have more practice with homophones. Visit the following websites for additional practice pages:

• Crossword Puzzles
  Visit this online tool and select Play One of Ours and the K-2 tab. In the drop-down menu you will find a puzzle titled Words That Sound Alike. Students can solve the puzzle online or you can print it off and give them blank copies. For more information about the puzzle, see Playing Puzzles: A Guide for Teachers.
  
  
• School Specialty Intervention Lesson Pack: Practicing Homophones
  
  
• Sense and Nonsense: Practice with Homophone Sentences
  Click "Skills and Strategies: Spelling," then scroll down and click the reproducible "Sense and Nonsense."
  
  

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STUDENT ASSESSMENT/REFLECTIONS

Assessment can be done informally through observation and/or anecdotal notes during the instructional period. Students' comic strips can be assessed using the Homophone Comics Assessment Rubric.

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