A two-page Year 6 crossword on the endings -cious, -tious, -cial and -tial. Each of the eight clues gives a definition, the ending and a letter count, such as "Having a very pleasant taste or smell. Ends in -cious (9)". Four answers go across and four go down. The answer key lists all eight words, including ambitious and cautious. The crossword matches England National Curriculum spelling objectives on suffixes and on words that must be learnt.
Spelling
“Use further prefixes and suffixes and understand the guidance for adding them”
Each clue names the ending, so pupils choose between -cious and -tious or -cial and -tial.
Spelling
“Use knowledge of morphology and etymology in spelling and understand that the spelling of some words needs to be learnt specifically, as listed in English Appendix 1”
Answers like partial and official sound alike at the end, so pupils have to learn which letters each takes.
Four clues, from a strong desire to succeed to a word that means approved by an authority.
Four clues, including one for being deliberately cruel or violent.
After teaching the rule
Set it once pupils know that -cial usually follows a vowel and -tial a consonant. Partial and special test that rule.
Paired work
Let pairs share one crossword and agree on each ending before they write it in.
Homework
Send it home and keep the key back for marking together the next morning.
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