Being able to spell is an incredibly important skill in primary school and all children at school in England will sit a spelling test at the end of Year 6. Children who can spell well are often more confident writers. They are more likely to write their ideas quickly and fluently as they don’t need to worry about whether or not their spelling is correct. They are also likely to be more adventurous with the words they use to express themselves.
Weekly Spellings
In EYFS and KS1 spellings are taught using the Twinkl spelling scheme. This incorporates spelling rules and common exception words. These are words that children should be able to read on sight, spell and use in their writing by the end of their age-related year.
In KS2, we follow the Spelling Shed programme. Your child should have a Spelling Shed login to access the site and practice their weekly spellings that are set by their class teacher. A paper copy can also be sent home, if required. Weekly spellings are set on a Friday and spelling tests take place on Wednesdays. The scheme covers spelling rules and common exception words.
Helping with Spelling Homework
Memorising lists of words comes more easily to some children than to others. Here are a few ways to help children learn to spell and some tips for making spelling homework fun.
- Build the words with magnetic letters, alphabet blocks, or scrabble pieces
- Create your own crossword puzzle/word searches (there are online tools to help you do this https://www.puzzle-maker.com/CW)
- Write the words in rainbow colours
- Make flash cards
- Play “Hangman”
- Write a story using each spelling word
- Find the words in a dictionary and use each word in a sentence
KS1 Spelling Challenge Cards(opens in new tab)
KS2 Spelling Challenge Cards(opens in new tab)
