Stareway to Spelling

Age – from 7 years upwards

What is the stareway to spelling intervention programme?

After completing this scheme children will be able to read and spell 300 most used words quickly, confidently and accurately.

This scheme takes on the approach of ‘look and say’ for learning spellings as most of these words and non-phonetical.

Stairway to Spelling introduces ‘most used words’ in sets of 50 through a 6 step process.

Children learn to spell and use the words in the context of a sentence and small paragraphs rather than spelling lists. The base line and end of intervention assessment assess retention of spellings as children write a dictated paragraph.

Barrier to learning

Stareway to spelling is written for children and adults who have difficulty acquiring literacy skills particularly focusing on spelling.

Stareway was created on the theory that children cannot spell words if they cannot read them first as the word needs to be imprinted in the mind’s eye to be able to visualise the spelling.

The scheme follows the belief that students need to develop pathways to imprint the information of the sight and sounds of words to be able to commit them to long term memory. This is a skill student’s with SPLD can struggle to attain.

Who can deliver the sessions?

Teachers, support assistants or parents.

There are lesson guides to follow on page 80 of the manual and spelling videos to access on www.toe-by-toe.co.uk

This approach to spelling simply requires alternating between two procedures,

1. A tried and tested technique for learning spellings (RAWS process)

2. A marking procedure for controlling and recording the students’ progress.

The intervention involves lots of different sheets and progress charts therefore schools would benefit from supporting a member of staff to become very familiar and confident in delivering the intervention to which this person will deliver the intervention to all children who require this rather than having lots of members of staff learning to deliver the intervention.

Timings - For optimal results the lessons should be delivered at least 4 days per week for 15 – 20 minutes.

How is the scheme delivered?

Step 1

Procedure for dictation – Given sentences. (Baseline assessment)

Step 2

Reading procedure for the first 50 words. Use the SUS3 technique to support the learner to learn unfamiliar words. When all unfamiliar words receive 3 consecutive correct ticks on the grid you can move onto the next step. Words which do not have 3 consecutive ticks on the marking grid should be read frequently using the SUS3 method.

Step 3

Dictate the first 50 words for the spelling procedure. Record errors and then revert back to the ‘Before’ sentences and record any additional errors onto the control page.

Step 4

Use the RAWS alternative lesson plans to address the errors on the control page.

RAWS stands for:

Read – Read the words

Analyse – Analyse the words

Write – Write the words

Spell – Spell the words verbally.

Step 5

Further spelling practice with the use of the RAWS lesson plans to support incorrect responses.

In depth Word guides are given to support adults and pupils to analysis the words, to identify where key errors in spelling may be occurring.

Step 6

Finally complete the dictation for sentences which was completed at the beginning of the learning to make comparisons in progress between the pre Intervention and current abilities.

Where to purchase this resource

Can be purchased directly from Amazon for under £20

Stareway to Spelling

Try before you buy

We have a central copy which is kept at Park Hill.