PRIMARY SPELLING & PHONICS • CURRICULUM ARCHITECTURE TEACHER MASTER KEY INSTRUCTOR REFERENCE • PAGE 2 OF 2

Word	IPA	Grammar	Etymology & Teaching Prescription
week	/wiːk/	Noun	Old English wice, Germanic *wikǭ (a turning). Double ee designates seven days.
weak	/wiːk/	Adjective	Old Norse veikr (pliant, feeble). Digraph ea designates physical fragility.
weary	/ˈwɪəri/	Adjective	Old English wērig. Semantically related to weak.
month	/mʌnθ/	Noun	Old English mōnaþ (moon cycle). Calendar companion to week.

Complete Answer Key & Solutions WHEELER'S EXERCISES

Exercise 2 Solutions:
1. week (seven days).
2. weak (fragile/not strong).
3. week (calendar time).
4. weak (lacking physical strength).

Exercise 3 Exemplar Sentence:
• The sick child spent a full week in bed until he was no longer weak.
Memory Device: In a week there are seven days (two e's).

Socratic Guiding Prompts & Pedagogical Insights INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

Listen: 'week' and 'weak'. What is the difference in their spelling? Which one means seven days?
Can you think of a word that means to make weak? How is it spelled?
Why is it important to know whether someone means a 'weak horse' or a 'week of school'?

Dictation & Oral Application Sentences (Read slowly at normal speaking pace):

1. In every month, and week, and day, let loving words mark out the way.

2. Her voice was low and weak after the long journey.

3. Next week the school will hold its annual spelling contest.

4. The old wooden fence was too weak to hold the heavy bull.