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      Spelling words with the suffixes -tion and -cian

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can spell words with the suffix -tion and -cian.

      Key learning points

      1. The /shun/ sound spelt -tion is the most common spelling.
      2. The /shun/ sound spelt -tion is used when the root word ends with 't' or 'te'.
      3. The /shun/ sound spelt -cian is used for jobs, e.g. politician, mathematician.
      4. The /shun/ sound spelt -cian is used when the root words ends in 'c' or 'cs' e.g. politics-politician.
      5. How to spell the curriculum words: competition and bargain.

      Keywords

      • Root word - the base word from which other words are formed often by adding prefixes or suffixes

      • Suffix - a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning

      • Verb - a doing, being or having word

      • Noun - a naming word for people, places or things

      Common misconception

      Children may struggle to know which /shun/ spelling to use.

      If needed, refer back to the Year 4 content where the /shun/ spellings are introduced initially. Emphasise that -tion is the 'best bet' and most common spelling and use that as the focus for the lesson.

      Teacher tip

      Allow pupils to investigate the spelling patterns. Give them word cards with a range of /shun/ spellings on them, ask pupils to decide how to group the words and explain the rationale for it. Ask them to say the word in a full sentence and identify the root word to support.

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      The words 'grumpiness', 'equality' and 'education' are what type of noun?

      common noun
      proper noun
      Correct answer: abstract noun

      Q2.
      Match the root word to the noun formed with the suffix -ness.

      Correct Answer:sad,sadness
      Correct Answer:happy,happiness
      Correct Answer:awful,awfulness

      Q3.
      Match the word to the suffix it contains.

      Correct Answer:education,-tion
      Correct Answer:equality,-ity
      Correct Answer:darkness,-ness
      Correct Answer:musician,-cian

      Q4.
      Match the word to the word class. The suffixes will help you.

      Correct Answer:luxurious,adjective
      Correct Answer:equality,noun
      Correct Answer:summarise,verb

      Q5.
      What word class is the word in bold in the following sentence? 'Education is extremely important.'

      Correct answer: noun
      verb
      adjective

      Q6.
      Select all the words with the /shun/ sound at the end.

      shop
      Correct answer: passion
      Correct answer: musician
      special
      Correct answer: action

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Match the root word to the related noun ending in -tion.

      Correct Answer:educate,education
      Correct Answer:found,foundation
      Correct Answer:compete,competition

      Q2.
      Match the root word to the related noun ending in -cian.

      Correct Answer:physics,physician
      Correct Answer:music,musician
      Correct Answer:magic,magician
      Correct Answer:politics,politician

      Q3.
      What rule is used when 'imagine' becomes 'imagination' when the suffix -ation is added?

      Just add the suffix.
      Correct answer: Remove ‘e’, then add the suffix.
      Remove ‘ate’, then add -ation.

      Q4.
      Correct the spelling of the word in bold in the following sentence: 'I would like to become an elektricion when I'm older.'

      Correct Answer: electrician

      Q5.
      Correct the spelling of the word in bold in the following sentence: 'You must jump in without hezitacian!'

      Correct Answer: hesitation

      Q6.
      Correct the spelling of the word in bold in the following sentence: 'What an incredible invenshun!'

      Correct Answer: invention

      To help you plan your 6 English lesson on: Spelling words with the suffixes -tion and -cian, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...