The note
How schools teach it now
Homophones (words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings) are taught throughout KS2. Years 5–6 add often-confused pairs such as practice (noun) and practise (verb), advice and advise, affect and effect, and stationary and stationery.
5-minute kitchen-table activity
Write their, there and they're on three sticky notes. Read or make up sentences and your child holds up the right note. Share a hook for each: 'there' has 'here' in it (a place), 'their' has 'heir' (belonging), and 'they're' is short for 'they are'.
Worked example
Which words correctly complete the sentence? The ___ girls walked ___ school together. (two ... to, to ... two, too ... to, two ... too)
- First gap: a number of girls, so 'two'.
- Second gap: towards a place, so 'to'.
- 'too' means 'also' or 'more than enough', which fits neither gap.
Answer: two ... to
Common mistakes to watch for
- Checking only the first gap and not the second.
- Mixing up its (belonging) and it's (it is or it has).
- Using 'practise' as a noun; in UK English the noun is 'practice'.
Encouragement
- Try saying
- “Let's say what each word means, then test it in the gap.”
- Rather than
- “We've done there and their a hundred times!”