Word structure and spelling is one of the 12 strands of literacy learning. It is also an important part of your child's SATs experience across the Key Stages.
In any subject, a confident speller can devote more time to thinking about the content of their writing, working on their handwriting and building up their writing speed.
In spelling, most children will learn:
- that segmenting words into their phonemes for spelling is the reverse of blending phonemes into words for reading
- to spell words accurately by a combination of approaches
- a range of approaches to learn and spell irregular words.
Here are some ways you can support this learning at home through every Key Stage.
Key Stage 1
The classic ‘Look, say, cover, write and check' method is a tried-and-tested technique for helping younger children with their spelling. Here’s how it works:
- Look - Is there a certain shape to a word? Are there any words within words?
- Say - Are there any sounds within the words?
- Cover - Try to picture how the word looks.
- Write - Practise writing the word down.
- Check - Keep checking spellings. Do the words look right?
Key Stage 2
A good spelling strategy to remember is ‘i before e except after c'. Give your child a selection of words with ‘i’ and ‘e’ in them and some with ‘c’ also. ‘Receive’, ‘ceiling’, ‘believe’, ‘friend’ are just a few. Ask them to try writing them using the rule and think of some further examples. You can also try testing them on homophones (words with different meanings but which have the same pronunciation, whether or not they are spelled alike), for example, 'witch/which' and ‘threw/through'. These cause common spelling mistakes and confusion.
Spelling practice doesn't have to be about drilling - spelling games add a competitive edge, unusual techniques add interest to memorising lists of words and a few practical spelling worksheets will help your child consolidate their learning.
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