A Guide to Spelling
in Key Stage 2
at Wyberton Primary School
Children can find writing a real challenge; they need encouragement, support and
praise for their efforts. In order for them to become a successful writer they
need to be able to spell accurately. Most of us, even if we consider ourselves to
be good spellers, make spelling mistakes at some point. What is important is
that we know what to do when we get stuck and we know how to correct our
mistakes. The English language is a rich but complex language; despite its
complexity, 85% of the English spelling system is predictable.
In this leaflet, we outline our dual-approach to the teaching and learning of
spelling in line with the National Curriculum 2014:
• Spelling patterns and rules
• Year group word lists
In Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 the children receive daily sessions of ‘Letters and Sounds’
where the children learn phonics, spelling patterns and high frequency words. Progressing into
Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 your child will learn the rules and conventions of spelling patterns in addition
to set words allocated to each year group. During these lessons, children are introduced to new
words, given time to explore their meaning and identify any
patterns before ideas are hypothesised and tested. Children are
then allowed time to practice the conventions and learning is
extended to explore exceptions and variations.
At Wyberton Primary School, we hope that teachers and parents
can work together to improve spelling. We hope that this guide
will support you to help your child with spelling by exploring strategies in addition to providing
some ideas for practising spelling at home
Progression of Spelling
Y1
 children know simple spelling rules and are able to apply them in their writing across the curriculum
 Use letter names to distinguish between alternative spellings of the same sound
 write from memory simple sentences dictated by the teacher that include words using the GPCs, common
exception words taught and words taught in their spelling lessons so far.
 segment spoken words into individual phonemes and then how to represent the phonemes by the appropriate
grapheme(s)
 some words spelt in a phonically plausible way
Y2
Children spell by:
 segmenting spoken words into phonemes and representing these by graphemes, spelling many correctly.
 learning new ways of spelling phonemes for which 1 or more spellings are already known, and learn some words
with each spelling, including a few common homophones
 Write from memory simple sentences dictated by a teacher that include words with GPCs, common exception
Y3
words, and punctuation taught so far.
Children spell by:
 Continuing to segment spoken words into phonemes and representing these by graphemes, spelling most
correctly.
 Continuing to learn new ways of spelling phonemes for which 1 or more spellings are already known.
 Understand how to use knowledge of word families based on common words, to support spelling, showing how
words are related in form and meaning (e.g. solve, solution, solver, dissolve, insoluble)
 Write from memory simple sentences dictated by the teacher that include words and punctuation taught so far.
Y4
 Children know the spelling rules they have been taught and are able to apply them in their writing across the
curriculum
 write from memory simple sentences, dictated by the teacher, that include words and punctuation taught so far.
Y5
 Children know rules for Y5 and are able to apply them in their writing across the curriculum
 Converting nouns or adjectives into verbs using suffixes (e.g. –ate; –ise; –ify)
 Verb prefixes (e.g. dis–, de–, mis–, over– and re–)
 Use further prefixes and suffixes and understand the guidance for adding them
Y6
 Children know the Y6 rules and are able to apply them in their writing across the curriculum
 use knowledge of morphology and etymology in spelling and understand that the spelling of some words needs to
be learnt specifically
Activities and Games to Develop Spelling at Home
Jigsaw: write the set of words to be learnt on stiff card with thick felt tip pen. Ask the child to decorate
around the words. Cut the card up to make a jigsaw puzzle. Time how long it takes to
put together, each time trying to beat the record. When the jigsaw is finished, the
child reads the words and spells them out.
Crossword: children could create their own crosswords or complete one created for
them.
Unscramble: for this game you will need magnetic letters and words written on card. One player needs to
look at the word written on the card and then scrambles the letters on the magnetic board. The card is
shown briefly to the other player who has to then put the magnetic letters in the right order. Both players
check the spellings and a point is awarded for each letter correctly
placed. This is a good game for revising previously learnt spellings.
Word games: simple and short one-to-one activities may include filling in missing letters
e.g. sc_ool scho_ _ s _ _ ool
Put the missing word in the sentence: I learn spelling rules at home and at _______.
Writing sentences: ask the child to think of and write down a sentence including the word to be learned.
The sillier the sentences, the more fun they will be e.g. The train travelled through the strawberry and
over the grapefruit.
Words within words: ask the children to be investigators and find any words hiding within the word e.g.
rat in separate.
Play hangman: a different version to this is Shannon’s game which builds up the word from the first letter
to the last so the children are given the first letter and then have to guess the second, third and so on in
the correct order.
Noughts and Crosses: play in the same way as normal noughts and crosses, but
one child picks a word from their component’s spelling list to tell them. The
second player has to spell the word. If they get the word correct they can add
their symbol (a nought or a cross) to the game.
Snakes and Ladders: to go up a ladder, the player must write a word from his/her spelling list
correctly – or go down the snake!
Learning Strategies
Children learn in variety of different ways. In order to support our dual-approach to spellings, we will be
explaining the many strategies children can use to learn spellings, empowering them to become independent
learners and spellers.
Visual strategies
- Try writing the word down in two or three different ways, in joined handwriting. This will fix the spelling
in the hand.
- Use a highlighter pen to draw your attention to the part of the word you need to learn.
- Look for words within words (e.g. get in vegetable, lie in believe).
- Use the Look, say, cover, write, check strategy.
- Using different colours to break the word up e.g. disinfect
- Learning about the structure of words can help spelling. For example, find the root of a word and check
whether it changes when prefixes or suffixes are added (e.g. smiling: root = smile + ing).
Auditory strategies
- Listen to the word. Break it into syllables and then identify the phonemes in each syllable (e.g. Sep-tember); the syllables could be clapped out.
- When letters or parts of words are silent, say the words in an exaggerated way (e.g. knife, bus-i-ness)
- Analogy is using words already known (e.g. could, would, should).
- Mnemonics are a useful memory aid (e.g. Big Elephants Can Always Understand Small
Elephants = Because or I SENT a preSENT).
- Think of a word that rhymes with the word you are trying to spell.
-
Kinaesthetic Strategies
Tracing over words
Sky writing as you spell each word
Using magnetic/plastic letters
Writing on a variety of different surfaces e.g. sand, shaving foam, someone’s back!
Word Lists for Years 3 and 4
accident(ally)
believe
calendar
complete
difficult
exercise
February
Guide
Increase
length
natural
ordinary
possess(ion)
purpose
remember
strength
thought
actual(ly)
bicycle
caught
consider
disappear
experience
forward(s)
heard
important
library
naughty
particular
possible
quarter
sentence
suppose
through
address
breath
centre
continue
early
experiment
fruit
heart
interest
material
notice
peculiar
potatoes
question
separate
surprise
various
answer
appear
breathe
build
century
certain
decide
describe
earth
eight/eighth
extreme
famous
grammar
group
height
history
island
knowledge
medicine
mention
occasion(ally) often
perhaps
popular
pressure
probably
recent
regular
special
straight
therefore
though
weight
woman/women
arrive
busy/business
circle
different
enough
favourite
guard
imagine
learn
minute
opposite
position
promise
reign
strange
although
Word Lists for Years 5 and 6
accommodate accompany
ancient
apparent
awkward
bargain
communicate community
convenience
correspond
determined
develop
equip (–ped, –ment)
explanation
familiar
guarantee
harass
interfere
interrupt
mischievous
muscle
occur
opportunity
privilege
profession
recommend
relevant
secretary
shoulder
sufficient
suggest
twelfth
variety
according
appreciate
bruise
competition
criticise
dictionary
especially
foreign
hindrance
language
necessary
parliament
programme
restaurant
signature
symbol
vegetable
achieve
attached
category
conscience
curiosity
disastrous
exaggerate
forty
identity
leisure
neighbour
persuade
pronunciation
rhyme
sincere(ly)
system
vehicle
aggressive
available
cemetery
conscious
definite
embarrass
excellent
frequently
immediate(ly)
lightning
nuisance
physical
queue
rhythm
soldier
temperature
yacht
amateur
average
committee
controversy
desperate
environment
existence
government
individual
marvellous
occupy
prejudice
recognise
sacrifice
stomach
thorough
A great app that explores spelling these words through a game is Spell
Fix.