Session plan 1 of 8

Say it right

Clap the syllables of Pokémon names, find the loud one and read them aloud before anyone hears the answer.

30 minutes. Ages 6 to 9 (Years 2 to 5, Grades 1 to 4). Uses Say the Name.

Learning objective

Pupils split a long name into syllables, find the stressed syllable from the capital letters in the sound-it-out spelling, and read it aloud before they hear it.

Curriculum links

England, KS1 and KS2

• KS1 and KS2 English: word reading, decoding longer words
• KS1 and KS2 English: spoken language, reading aloud with confidence

United States, broad grade bands

• Grades 1 to 4 reading foundations: decoding multisyllable words
• Grades 1 to 3 speaking and listening: reading aloud with expression

What you need

• A projector or whiteboard
• The Say the Name game
• Mini whiteboards or paper
• Optional: the pronunciation cards printable

The plan, minute by minute

1. Warm-up, 5 minutes: Clap it out. Say each name and clap its beats together: Eevee (2), Pikachu (3), Squirtle (2), Bulbasaur (3). Ask pupils to show the number on their fingers before you clap.
2. Main, 8 minutes: Say the Name, in teams. Show a name and its sound-it-out spelling on the board. Teams have ten seconds to agree how to say it, then say it together. Press Hear it to play the real pronunciation and give a point for each team that was close.
3. Main, 7 minutes: Find the loud syllable. Write CHAR-ih-zard, DRAG-uh-nite and ty-RAN-ih-tar on the board. Pupils circle the part in capitals and say the name with that beat extra loud. Ask whether the loud part is always first. It is not: in ty-RAN-ih-tar it is the second.
4. Main, 5 minutes: Partner reading. Pairs take turns reading respellings from the cards or from the board, while the partner checks. The listener says “yes” or “nearly” and the reader tries again.
5. Plenary, 5 minutes: Teach one name. Each pupil picks the trickiest name they met today and teaches it to a partner: the spelling, the syllable count and the loud part.

Projector game

Say the Name. Use it for the main round. Show the name and spelling, let teams try it aloud, then press Hear it.

More to use

• Pronunciation cards. A printable set of cards with QR codes that play the name.
• Lesson: Say it right. A three-minute lesson on reading a respelling.
• Every name, spoken. All 1,025 names with audio, for extension work.

Differentiation

Easier

Stay with two-syllable names such as Squirtle and Eevee, and let pupils echo you before they read alone.

Harder

Add four-syllable names such as Tyranitar and ask pupils to predict the loud syllable before they look. Then they write their own respelling for a name of their choice.

Talk about it

Why is a name easier to say once you have heard it? Which part of the name did you say loudest, and how did you know?

Numbers used in this plan

From the pokee.si Pokédex.

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