Right from the start of learning to spell children should use a combination of phonic sounds, the actual shape of a word and an understanding of how the word is used in a passage. It is essential albeit time-consuming that children when presenting the written word have the correct spelling. Parents can often help with this by using books with pictures and captions, computer programs either on a DS, Playstation, iPad or electronic pocket speller. The worksheets below are suggestions as to how spelling can be taught the traditional way. Remember your child will have to write with pen or pencil in school and also in most test situations without having a spell-checker.
One of the most common questions we are asked is 'How can I help my child with spelling?' Accurate spelling does not come automatically to all children. We have compiled some pages which will help with many common problems.
Help with spelling
Help with spelling, through the use of phonics and pictures, will reinforce and consolidate for children the patterns of words. Words such as flowers or stairs can be remembered if there are pictures to accompany them.
High Frequency words list
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Stimulate spelling in children
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Help your child with spellings
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Children learn to spell in various ways - Look, Say, Cover, Write and Check is a traditional method of learning spelling.
- LOOK - at the word, noting any parts which are particularly difficult.
- SAY the word aloud. Close your eyes and try to ‘see’ it in your ‘mind’s eye’.
- COVER - the word and remind yourself how you will remember it.
- WRITE - the word, saying it as you write it.
- CHECK - the word, letter for letter, to see if you have written it correctly. Pay attention to any mistakes. Rewrite if necessary.
There are many games both interactive and paper-based which reinforce this learning. Phonics taught in most schools enables children to tackle new words in a positive and confident manner. Experienced parents and grandparents use storybooks to stimulate interest, increase vocabulary, improve spelling, and increase imagination.
Try words out and find where your child needs help. We start with 'High Frequency Words' covered in Foundation Stage/Year 1. These are the most commonly used 100 words. Children should be able to read all these by the end of Year 1, and be able to spell most of them. These words usually play an important part in holding together the general coherence of texts and early familiarity with them will help pupils get pace and accuracy into their reading at an early stage.
Spelling lists including High Frequency reading words
High frequency words R to 2
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High frequency words for KS1
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Spellings per day for KS1
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Next 200 High Frequency words
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Days of the week spellings etc
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Spelling words to help with reading
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Spelling of everyday things
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Spelling words for Year 2
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Spelling words for Year 1
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Challenge spellings for KS1
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High Frequency words list
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Vowel sounds ee and ea spelling
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Word list for Years 3 and 4
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Word list for Years 5 and 6
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Spelling lists for 9 to 10 year olds
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Spelling of different sports
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Medium frequency words Years 4 and 5
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SATS spelling words for Year 6
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Year 6 SATS frequent spelling words
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Spelling words for Years 3 and 4
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Worksheet 2 on to too and two
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Thinking about to, too and two
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English appendix 1: spelling
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Word list spellings Years 5 and 6
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Word list spellings Years 3 and 4
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Spelling tips
To enable the children to continue the process of learning spellings it is sometimes useful to provide them with hints and rules to make life easier and more fun.
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How to help with learning spellings KS2
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Use these together for fun.
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Fun ideas for learning spellings Years 5 and 6
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Books
Books for reading aloud and Books to help with phonics as well as Phonic games, toys and software will reinforce learning and will be a useful guide for adults with young children.
The essential spelling list
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The essential spelling book 2
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KS2 English spelling SAT buster
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KS2 National Literacy Strategy spelling rules
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Using a dictionary
Some children find working with a dictionary baffling. There are so many learning points in discovering the sequencing of the alphabet that the sooner it is started the better. Here are dictionaries and other reference books suitable for this age group.
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Dictionaries and English words
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Alphabetical order for Year 3
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Dictionaries and glossaries
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Using a dictionary KS2, no2
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Using a dictionary KS2, no1
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Using a dictionary KS2, no3
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Dictionary work upper KS2
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Dictionaries and spelling
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KS1 spelling and tests
Many schools will ask children to learn a list of new spelling words each week and these tests are ideal for reinforcing this work. SATS include spelling tests and accurate spelling is expected in all tests and exams so constant practise is invaluable. Ensuring your child knows the High Frequency Words will be invaluable.
Spelling plural story KS!
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Dictation spelling passage for Year 2
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Spelling and thoughts for Year 2
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Spellings for 6 year olds
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Compound word spelling Year 2
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KS2 spelling and tests
We have compiled some papers to help consolidate spellings taught in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6.
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Year 6 SATS frequent spelling words
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Key stage 2 shorter writing task
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Spelling test dictation Year 4
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Writing test for KS2 and spelling
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Spelling test Years 3 and 4 - clothes
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Spelling passage Year 4 - 1
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Dictation passage for KS2
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Spelling activity sheet before football
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Spelling list for football fans
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Spelling tests Year 5 and 6
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Spelling words on the Olympics Year 3
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Spelling test contractions KS2
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Spelling ideas to help you remember
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Safer cycling spelling passage
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Spelling made from foreign words
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Exercise on spelling for Year 3
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Try these spellings for Year 4
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KS2 SATS type spelling test 1
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KS2 SATS type spelling test 2
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KS2 SATS type spelling test 3
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Spelling topic for year 4
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Spelling practice Year 5 and 6 no 1
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Spelling practice Year 5 and 6 no 2
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Spelling ideas for Year 3
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Tricky word pairs Years 5 and 6
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Spelling words and their uses
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Can you spell these words?
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Double consonant spelling Year 4
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Do you know any ig words?
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Spelling tion and ious words
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Spelling and group words KS2
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Compound spellings Year 4
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Spell these words correctly for Year 4
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Spelling practice for Year 5
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Spelling the 'schwa' sound
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Silent letter spelling Year 6
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Root words & word families for Year 4
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Curriculum spelling Year 4 no 1
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Curriculum spelling Year 4 no 2
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Curriculum spelling Year 4 no 3
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Curriculum spelling Year 4 no 4
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There are some rules about English spelling but they are often very complicated and there are often exceptions. A few useful rules are given below:
- When you add "all" to the beginning of a word, use one "l" e.g. although, also, always, almost
- When you add "full" to the end of a word, use one "l" e.g. wonderful, faithful, hateful, useful
- You only ever add "ly" to the end of a word, not "lly". If the word ends in "l" to start with, you finish up with "lly" – e.g. faithful – faithfully, careful – carefully.
- Words ending in "y" often change the "y" to "i" before a suffix is added e.g. happy – happily, funny – funniest. Exceptions: where –ing is added e.g. worry – worrying, fly – flying
- Words ending in "e" often lose the "e" before a suffix that starts with a vowel e.g. believe – believable, expense – expensive, hope – hoping. Exceptions – some words ending in –ce or – ge keep the "e" before –ous and –able e.g. notice – noticeable, courage – courageous
Parents in Touch spelling worksheets
Children will be taught spelling patterns which enable children to grasp the concept. We have listed some of these by year below or used as a specific reason arises. These pages explain the rules and include practice questions.
Spelling patterns le Year 3
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Spelling patterns silent letters Year 4
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Spelling patterns ei Year 5
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Spelling patterns ance and ence Year 6
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Spelling patterns ance/ence Year 6 no 2
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Spelling patterns ai ay igh
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Spelling patterns ei Year 5
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Year 4 spelling qu and our
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Short vowel sound spelling
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Help your spelling words with ch
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Difficult spellings for reference
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Sports we enjoy spellings
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y and i word endings for Year 3
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Spelling passages for Year 4
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Break difficult words up, by using space and colour/highlighter, or put a box around the part of the word you find difficult or change the ‘look’ of the word e.g. bourg eoi sie div / ide d ivi de
Write the word in a coloured pen and then look up and to the left and try to visualise the word in your ‘minds eye’.
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Winter weather words and spelling
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First and last letter spelling
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Words to learn to read and spell
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Frequently misspelt words
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First and last letter spellings Year 2
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Can you spell and read these words?
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Exercises to learn spellings
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Common spelling mistakes KS2
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Sound out these words and learn to spell them
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How words are made Literacy practice Y6
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Proof reading and spelling for Year 6
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Proof reading and spelling for Year 6
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Triple consonant blend word endings
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Look at these compound words
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Words from other languages
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Spelling help Year 3 and 4
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Spelling ideas - alphabetical order
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Spelling: words with silent letters
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Spelling questions Year 4
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Vowels within words spelling
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Vowels and suffixes revision KS2
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Commonly misspelt words 2
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Spelling and dictation Years 3 and 4
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Homophones and homonyms
Homonyms are words which have the same spelling and pronunciation as each other but different meanings, eg bear can be a soft toy or mean ‘to carry’.
Homophones are words which sound the same as each other (eg there and their) but have different spellings and meanings.
Homophones and spelling mistakes
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Spellng same word different meaning
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More homophones Years 5 and 6
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Same sound different meaning
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Spelling help on homophones
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Homophone sentences Years 3 and 4
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Homophone sentences Years 5 and 6
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Spelling is primarily a visual/motor activity and to spell correctly, you will usually need a visual image of the word, plus practice at writing the word to reinforce your motor memory. Relying on sounding out words is not always the best strategy, as many words in the English language are not written as they sound. When trying to remember a word, you need to look with interest and with the intention of remembering it. Merely copying words doesn’t always help you to learn!
Key stage 3
Years 7, 8 and 9 spellings
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Spelling Test for Key Stage 3
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Word families KS3 spelling
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Spelling list Years 8 and 9
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Spellings help your writing
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Words with silent e for KS3
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Thoughts on spellings Year 8
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Word formation spelling KS3
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Spelling of everyday words
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Click here for KS3 English pages
