The class 2 pupils' Saturday lesson was all about digraphs, which they mastered like true language experts. Polish has seven digraphs – ‘ch’, ‘cz’, ‘dz’, ‘dź’, ‘dż’, ‘rz’ and ‘sz’ – and each of them represents a single sound with two letters. Knowing them is the key to correct spelling: ‘rz’ sounds the same as ‘ż’, and ‘ch’ the same as ‘h’, so the correct spelling has to be learnt and memorised.
After watching a short film recapping what they knew about digraphs, vowels and consonants, the pupils turned into sharp-eyed detectives. A major investigation got under way in the classroom: the children tracked down hidden cards with words containing digraphs, such as ‘szalik’ (scarf), ‘czapka’ (hat) and ‘czekolada’ (chocolate). There was as much excitement as if they had been hunting for pirate treasure rather than words with digraphs.
Next came a dictation of ten words with different digraphs. Anyone who wanted to could add their own examples – and this is where a real record was set: one girl wrote no fewer than 27 words without a single mistake. It looks as if digraphs no longer hold any secrets for her.
The next task was to create their own stories by matching sentences they had put together to pictures. The results were very imaginative and at times genuinely funny stories – the class 2 pupils' imagination clearly knows no bounds.
The pupils also listened to more adventures from Joanna Papuzińska's book ‘Nasza mama czarodziejka’ (Our Mum the Enchantress), and to finish they found out how Bolesław the Badger – the class mascot – had spent his time with a new classmate. There was also a lovely birthday moment: the whole class sang and offered their best wishes to a classmate celebrating his birthday. It was a wonderful day!
