������ You
Can�t Always Count On I Before E
Except After C
���������������������������������������� Nancy
Knox
Purpose: The purpose of this mini-lesson is for students to increase
their familiarity with the �I ��������� before
E, except after C� rule and to be aware that there are many exceptions to this
rule. � �I before E, except after C,� in
actuality, is only half of the rule! In this mini-lesson, students �� will learn the entire rule and complete
practice exercises.
Objectives:
NCSCS: 6th Grade
Competency Goal 6: The learner will apply conventions of grammar and
language usage.
��������� 6.02 Identify and edit
errors in spoken and written English by:
��������� Reviewing and using common
spelling rules, applying common spelling patterns, and ��������� developing and mastering an individualized list of words
that are commonly misspelled.
NCTE 6:
Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling
and ��������� punctuation), media
techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and ��������� discuss print and non-print texts.
Time required:
15-20 minutes
Materials Needed:� �I Before E,
Except After C� poem
���������������������������� Poster with:
The Complete Rule
���������������������������� Practice
exercises
Script: Good afternoon, class! Yesterday we learned a spelling rule to
help you remember the order of i and e in words. Who
can tell me what that rule was? (Wait for a rousing response of �I before E,
except after C!�) Great! Now, �I before E, except after C� is a good rule,
but it is not perfect. In fact, can anyone think of any words, or even names,
that are exceptions to this rule? Raise your hand and we will make a list on
the board. (Students will brainstorm words which are exceptions to the rule.
If they need help, volunteer these words: Einstein, height, heifer, forfeit,
Sheila, Keith, Leigh, seize, leisure,inveigle,
caffeine, protein, deign, society, veil, geisha, reindeer, sheik, weird, beige,
conscience, dreidel, heigh-ho,
heinous, neigh, seismic) If this rule did not have exceptions, then
Einstein - a certified genius - would have spelled his own name wrong! To prove
that this rule has exceptions, we are going to read a poem. I need one
volunteer to read this poem aloud. There might be some unfamiliar words like
�hacienda� (which means �house� in Spanish), or old fashioned words like
�blither� (which means showing a lack of concern or attention), but just keep
reading. When you spot words which follow �I before E, except after C,� but
are spelled incorrectly, raise your hand. (Put poem up on the overhead).
�I�
Before �E� Except After �C�
It's a rule that is simple, concise and efficeint.
For all speceis of spelling it's more than sufficeint.
Against words wild and wierd, it's one law that
shines bright
Blazing out like a beacon upon a great hieght,
It gives guidance impartial, sceintific and fair
In this language, this tongue to which we are all hier.
'Gainst the glaceirs of
ignorance that icily frown,
This great precept gives warmth, like a thick iederdown.
Now, a few in soceity choose to deride,
To cast DOUBT on this anceint and venerable guide;
They unwittingly follow a foriegn agenda,
A plot hatched, I am sure, in some vile haceinda.
In our work and our liesure, our homes and our
schools,
Let us follow our consceince, sieze
proudly our rules!
Will I dilute my standards, make them vaguer and blither?
I say NO, I will not! I trust you will not iether.
Who noticed something funny about this
poem? (Students volunteer that the poem had many misspelled words - words
which did not make any exceptions to the rule) That is correct. This poem
does NOT make exceptions, and spells everything according to the rule. If you
followed �I before E, except after C� all the time, it would cause you to make
a lot of spelling errors, and we do not want that to happen! Therefore, know
you can depend on �I before E, except after C� at least half of the time, but
in the meantime, there is more to this rule, and we are going to learn its
exceptions (Pull out poster with the following information and read aloud
THE COMPLETE RULE)
Introducing: THE COMPLETE RULE ���������������� Examples
That Follow the Rule
I before E ��������������������������������������������������� IE
= believe, relieve, field, yield, shield, priest
Except after C �������������������������������������������� CEI
= receive, receipt, conceited
Or when sounded like A ������������������������������� �A� = weight,
sleigh, heir, their�
As in neighbor or weigh
OR, when sounded like I ������������������������������� �I� = Eileen,
height, sleight
As in Einstein ���������������������������
Neither, weird, foreign, ������������������������������ either,
weirdo, foreigner, seizure, forfeiture,
leisure, seize, forfeit, and height ����������������� protein,
caffeine, heifer
Are the common exceptions spelled right. �����
But don�t let C-I-E-N words get you
uptight! �� science, efficient,
sufficient, conscience, ancient, �� ������������������������������������������������������������������ patient,
quotient, proficient
I know this is a LOT to memorize, but we will keep this poster up on the wall
so that you can refer to it anytime. The best way to learn these exceptions is
through practice, so here are some practice exercises. (Pass out worksheet
with the following exercises).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exceptions to the Rule
1. n____ther ������������������� 11.
fr____ght
2. effic____nt ����������������� 12.
l____sure
3. hyg____ne ������������������ 13.
rel____ve
4. s____ze ���������������������� 14.
rec____pt
5. defic____nt ���������������� 15.
____ther
6. r____n ����������������������� 16.
f____ld
7. conc____ve����������������� 17.
pat____nt
8. h____ght �������������������� 18.
w____ght
9. p____ce ��������������������� 19.
shr____k
10. for____gn ����������������� 20.
th____r
Follow-Up Exercises (to review the next day)
1. rec____ve ������������������ 6.
dec____t �������������������� 11.
fr____ght ������������������ 16.
s____ve
2. rel____ve ������������������� 7.
rev____w ������������������� 12.
r____ndeer ��������������� 17.
c____ling
3. conc____ve ���������������� 8.
perc____ve ���������������� 13.
br____f �������������������� 18.
ach____ve
4. v____n ����������������������� 9.
y____ld ���������������������� 14.
fr____nd ������������������� 19.
misch____f
5. w____ght ������������������� 10.
bel____ve ����������������� 15.
th____f �������������������� 20.
v____l
Circle the Misspelled Words
sleigh ��������������������������� reindeer
������������������������ relieve �������������������������� feinds
neither �������������������������� seized
��������������������������� freight ��������������������������� aggreived����
shield �������������������������������������� shriek
������������������������������������� friend
���������������������������� ��������� sieve
(Here is the poem by itself to make an
overhead with)
"I"
Before "E" Except After "C"
It's a rule that is simple, concise and efficeint.
For all speceis of spelling it's more than sufficeint.
Against words wild and wierd, it's one law that
shines bright
Blazing out like a beacon upon a great hieght,
It gives guidance impartial, sceintific and fair
In this language, this tongue to which we are all hier.
'Gainst the glaceirs of
ignorance that icily frown,
This great precept gives warmth, like a thick iederdown.
Now, a few in soceity choose to deride,
To cast DOUBT on this anceint and venerable guide;
They unwittingly follow a foriegn agenda,
A plot hatched, I am sure, in some vile haceinda.
In our work and our liesure, our homes and our
schools,
Let us follow our consceince, sieze
proudly our rules!
Will I dilute my standards, make them vaguer and blither?
I say NO, I will not! I trust you will not iether.