Teaching: Spelling
Spelling is an area of learning about which many, many parents are concerned. We are often asked for worksheets on spellings and what can be done to help children understand spelling better. The government has published included spelling guidance in the National Curriculum document.
- The objectives for spelling
- Splits the objectives, with spelling examples, into year groups and terms from Year 2 to Year 6
- A sequence for spelling from Transition to Year 6 with teaching methods explained

1. Encouraging them to look carefully at words
2. Using new and different vocabulary in front of children e.g.
- at the dinner table discuss menus, places where food comes from, food eaten in different countries e.g. pasta and Italy, food names e.g. spicy, curry, fish fingers, desserts, cheeses, cauliflower, lentils, quiche, spaghetti, champagne etc.

- Travelling,
- Shopping,
- Reading notices in the park,
- At the swimming pool.
3. Enjoy playing word games with your children
- Scrabble
- Boggle
- Hangman
- Word lotto
4. Rearrange letters from his/her name or other known words to make new words.
5. Find words within words, e.g. s/it, b/all, s/end, be/hind, win/dow, sh/out.
6. Do crosswords.
7. Use word books and picture dictionaries
8. learn to spell:
- colours
- days of week
- months of the year
9. Help children use memorising techniques e.g.

10. Encourage good reading habits and spare time reading.
- If this is reading a comic, a newspaper, make sure that words are sometimes read out loud.
- Visits to the library should be organised
- Reading aloud from the computer
11. Correct mistakes without criticising. Explain how the word might have been tackled.
12. Use spelling sheets to reinforce spellings



- improving sight vocabulary
- word banks of personal words, topic words
- vowel and consonant sounds / formations
- syllables, e.g. comfortable, weekday
- using different word endings in writing, e.g. ing/s/ed
- spelling common irregular words e.g. was, said, one,
- come, what
- words with similar patterns, compound words e.g.
- some/one, hand/bag
- collect words and phrases that express shades of meaning.
- Recommending the use of a dictionary.
- Praise new words that they have learnt to use correctly.
- Encourage your child to get the ideas down first when they are writing then check spellings later.
- Ask “Does that word look right?”
- Use the computer or get them to write to people who like to hear from them such as grandparents.
- Use postcards to encourage children to write as they have less space to write, so are less daunting.