Highnam Academy
Spelling Evening
KS2
12th January 2017
Aims of the Session
We will look at
• expectation in spelling and grammar skills within
the National Curriculum
• how spelling is taught in school
• ideas for supporting your child at home
National Curriculum
Expectations
In Year 3 and 4 pupils should be taught to:
- use prefixes and suffixes and understand how to add them (English
Appendix 1)
- spell homophones (flour/flower, through/threw)
- spell words that are often misspelt (these are on school website)
- place the possessive apostrophe accurately in singular and plural
possession [for example girl’s, girls’] and in words with irregular
plurals [for example children’s]
- use the first two or three letters of a word to check its spelling in a
dictionary
- write from memory simple sentences, dictated by the teacher, that
include words and punctuation taught so far.
Year 3/4 Examples
- the suffix ‘ous’ – glamorous, tremendous, various
- the suffix ‘ture’ or ‘sure’ – adventure, furniture, pleasure, treasure,
- the prefixes ‘il’ ‘im’ ‘in’ ‘ir’ – illegible, immature, invisible, irregular,
- the suffix ‘ly’ and exceptions to the rule – wildly, grumpily,
- the prefixes ‘auto’ ‘super’ ‘sub’ ‘anti’ ‘inter’ ‘re’
- common exception words – although, enough, peculiar, separate,
National Curriculum
Expectations
In Year 5 and 6 pupils should be taught to:
- use further prefixes & suffixes and understand guidance for adding them
- spell some words with ‘silent’ letters [for example knight, psalm, solemn]
- continue to distinguish between homophones and other words which are often
confused
- use knowledge of morphology and etymology in spelling and understand some
words needs to be learnt specifically (on school website)
- use dictionaries to check the spelling and meaning of words
- use the first three or four letters of a word to check spelling, meaning or both
of these in a dictionary
- use a thesaurus.
By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils should be able to spell words that they have not
yet been taught by using what they have learnt about how spelling works in
English.
Year 5/6 Examples
- the suffix ‘cious’ – delicious, fictitious,
- the suffix ‘ant/ance/ancy’ or ‘ence/ency’ – expectant/expectancy,
tolerance, independence/independency,
- the suffixes ‘ible’ and ‘able’ – terrible, considerable
- the ‘ough’ spelling – although, rough, through,
- words with hyphens – co-ordinate, re-enter
- common exception words – recommend, immediately, marvellous,
Examples of spellings in SATs test
nationality
thoughtless
ferociously
possession
abundance
ominous
The English Language
One of these lovely people on the quay seized the key
to the green bathing machine from me and gave it to
the chief officer who threw it in the sea.
The English Language
One of these lovely people on the quay seized the key
to the green bathing machine from me and gave it to
the chief officer who threw it in the sea.
Spelling Test
The ________ has a pale ________.
After ______, I dropped the _____ into the ____.
I had an _______ to a party at a ______, where I met a
_______.
I have a _______ that you are on a secret _______.
Spelling Test
The politician has a pale complexion.
After luncheon, I dropped the cushion into the ocean.
I had an invitation to a party at a mansion, where I met a
Dalmatian.
I have a suspicion that you are on a secret mission.
Spelling Test
The politician has a pale complexion.
After luncheon, I dropped the cushion into the ocean.
I had an invitation to a party at a mansion, where I met a
Dalmatian.
I have a suspicion that you are on a secret mission.
The English language
44 sounds
about 250 different
letter combinations of these sounds
Why is spelling important?
1.
Teaching spelling can have a direct impact on a child’s ability to read,
resulting in more fluent, accurate reading.
2. Spelling can help children to develop a much better understanding of
English by studying the meanings of roots, prefixes, and suffixes;
families of related words; the origin of words. As a result, children
would be more likely to be able to work out a new word’s meaning as
well as how to spell it, pronounce it and how to use it with precision.
3. There is a strong relationship between spelling and writing: Writers
who must think too hard about how to spell may lose track of their
thoughts when they get stuck trying to spell a word.
The elephant was inormus.
The elephant was enormus.
The elephant was enormuss.
The elephant was big.
Two elements to being a good
speller…
1. Having good phonological awareness (matching letters and sounds
easily)
2. Having good image recall (being able to visualise words in mind’s
eye)
How do we teach spelling?
•
•
•
•
•
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Dedicated daily spelling sessions
Whole class explicit teaching
Interactive approaches based on research
Progressive rules and conventions
Use of spelling journals
Spelling words on display and spelling
prompts
• Promotion of spelling across the curriculum
• Link with home – lists home
Multisensory Approaches
• The 4 Cs Magic (copy – cover – close eyes –
check)
• Magnetic letters, scrabble tiles
• Writing the word in different colours
• Pyramid spelling
• Post it note spellings
• Trace the word with your finger on the carpet, in
the air, on your arm, another child’s back
• Use of mnemonics (arithmetic – a rat in the
house might eat the ice cream)
Spelling investigations
Engages children in active, purposeful exploration of words,
where they discover for themselves the rules, patterns and
exceptions in spelling.
E.g.
1. Sort a set of words that demonstrate a spelling pattern
2. Label each group of words, describing the criteria for sorting
the words
3. Explain the pattern/common features of each group
4. Test it – now check if it works for new words. Does the
explanation hold true, or is there an exception to the rule?
Other investigations
• How many ways are there to spell the ‘ai’ sound in words?
• When do you double the consonant?
• i before e except after c - sometimes/always/never?
• What is the most common spelling pattern – tion, sion, ssion,
cian as a word ending?
• You always change a word ending in ‘f’ to ‘ves’ when you
make it a plural – true or false?
Other spelling activities
de
dis
mis
over
pre
un
under
play
ed
er
es
est
ful
ing
less
Focus on root words
Find out the meaning of the root word and the prefix in each of the following
words:
biography
bio =
graphy =
hyperactive
hyper =
active =
recycle
re =
cycle =
The best game to play is football. It is played with
eleven players on a team.
Which words can you find that include the word ‘play’?
Word trees
joyless
enjoyment
enjoying
joyful
joyous
enjoyed
enjoy
joyfully
joy
Words displayed
Hidden words
Write the words that you would like the children to learn, hidden in a series of
letters. For example:
sfplhplayknc – play
qrupifwithsaem – with
jbsgsawiyuv - saw
The children could highlight or circle the word with a coloured pen. To raise
the challenge you could set a time limit on the game.
Word Games
GPV questions
Spelling apps
Spell fix
Word juice
Squeebles
Word mania
1000 sight words superhero
Doodle Hangman
Good websites
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/english/spelling_grammar/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/game/en19patt -game-wordsearchould
http://resources.woodlandsjunior.kent.sch.uk/games/educational/literacy2. htm
http://www.nessy.co.uk
Thank you for joining us this evening.