GOOD spellers use all FOUR forms of spelling knowledge.

Spelling strategies that can be used in all Key Learning Areas:

Teach common spelling patterns with word families

Group word lists according to their structure, so students can see the common patterns governing “families” of words. Students will be able to apply these patterns to new vocabulary – even if they haven’t seen the words before in class.

Consider grouping word lists by:

• Prefixes

E.g. pre-, un-, and re- words. Define the prefix itself so students begin to associate a semantic pattern with the spelling.

• Suffixes

E.g. -ness, -able, -en. As with prefixes, teach students the meaning. You can also take a root word and have students add the suffixes they think will “work”. That way they’ll be putting the spelling patterns into practice of their own accord.

• Root words

Students can customise common words with prefixes and suffixes (e.g. joy: joyful, joyless, overjoyed). More advanced learners could even explore Greek and Latin roots (e.g. “path” stems from the Greek pathos, meaning “hurt” or “feel”. How many words describing feelings use this spelling pattern?)

• Graphemes

Graphemes are groups of letters that represent particular sounds (e.g. thr- in through, thrust, and throw). Teaching them will give students a spelling clue each time they hear a new word with a familiar sound.

It’s also a good idea to focus on words that use the same grapheme for different sounds (e.g. “our” in tour, court, and sour). That way a single, known spelling pattern can be used for multiple sounds.

Use rule-based strategies

Once rules are second nature, students will be able to spell thousands of words independently. 

Here are 5 common spelling rules to start:

• Double the consonants “f”, “s”, and “l” in one-syllable words with a single vowel (e.g. full, pass, staff).

• If you add a suffix to a word ending in “y”, the “y” changes to an “I” (e.g. try becomes tried).

• Use “-k” or “-ck” instead of “c” when a word ends in the /k/ sound. “-K” for words with long vowel sounds (e.g. “silk”), “-ck” for short vowels (e.g. “pick”).

• Put a silent “e” after a “v” at the end of a word (e.g. “pave”, “have”).

• Q and u are always a pair (“quest”, “queen”).

Use mnemonics (memory aids) to introduce spelling rules in a student-friendly way. These might be rhymes, allegories, or even images – anything that helps students remember. Don’t worry if it sounds absurd! For example:

• L, f, and s get lonely when there aren’t enough other letters to keep them company. So give them a twin!

• I need U, says Q.

Tip: have students write and store the rules in a place where they can see them (they could visualise them too, with cartoons and colour), and make it a habit for them to check the rules independently after each practice activity.

Self-checking

No matter how many words we cover in class, our students will always be confronted with new words they can’t spell. This is where a dictionary comes in handy.

Teach your students how to use online and physical dictionaries to check their spelling. This can involve strategies such as:

• thinking of alternative spellings, so you can find the word if your predicted spelling isn’t correct

• searching for related terms or a definition on the internet, so the word comes up even if you don’t know how it’s spelled

• spelling phonetically and taking note of autocorrections.

Giving your students access to a dictionary also empowers them. They’ll know that a world of new words is only ever a few clicks away, and no spelling is ever beyond their reach.