Nightingale Primary School

Spelling at Nightingale Primary School

Currently under review

Help your child to learn to use and understand new words. Our Spelling Handbooks include lists of relevant words for your child to learn each week. More information on how to use the Spelling Handbooks can be found in the INTRODUCTION TO SPELLING HANDBOOKS.

We have produced the following handbooks:

KS1 Spelling Handbook, linked to the Letters and Sounds programme
KS2 Spelling Handbook, week by week spelling lists including half termly topic spelling lists
KS1 Topic Spelling Handbook, covering the topic spellings each half term for year 1 and year 2
KS2 National Curriculum word list, dividing the words children are expected to know into half termly lists

In line with the National Curriculum for English we believe that children need to use new words in context, they need to understand what the words mean and how to spell them. Encourage your children to use the new words in their spoken vocabulary so that they become confident to use them in their written work.

KS1

Please click here for Year 1 Autumn Spellings

Please click here for Year 2 Spellings for the year

KS2

The children will learn the lists in the KS2 Spelling Handbook. There is a list for each year group for each week of term. If there is more than 7 weeks in a half term we will ‘catch up’ with missed weeks from half terms when there are less than 7 weeks.

Look – Say – Cover – Say – Write – Check is a way to help you with your spellings.

If you follow these easy steps, then you will improve your spelling in no time!

Step 1: Choosing the words

Choose 4 to 8 words from this week’s spelling list. Choose words that you will use in your written or topic work. Make sure that you understand the meaning of the words.

Step 2: Learning the words.

Aim to spend about 5 minutes each day practising.

Read all the words carefully.
Start with the first word, look at it. See if you can work out any easy ways of remembering it:
1. Look at the sounds in it, can you work them out?
2. Is it made up of shorter words that you already know? E.g. play-ground = playground
3. Does it make a shape that can help you remember it?
Say the word out loud using the sounds, e.g. shout à shhh-ow-t
Cover the word up and say the sounds again.
Now write the word down in the second column. You must use joined up handwriting. This will mean that not only your brain will learn the spelling but you will also improve your handwriting at the same time.
Check how you did. If you got it right, fantastic! If you made a mistake look at the correct spelling and see if you can work out a way to remember the bit that you got wrong. Write the word again.

Try to use the words in your normal writing in class to help you practise too.

Give yourself a challenge to use the words at school and at home.

Below are some are some useful tools and strategies to help your child increase their written vocabulary. You should encourage them to explain to you any patterns and spelling rules they have identified. Alongside these informal discussions the children should investigate spelling rules and word roots.

Spelling Activity Cards

Apps

Spelling Notebook (free)

Dictionary.com (free)

Loo Cover Write Check 1.99

Roots to Words 2.99

Spellasauras (free)

New Hear and Spell (free)

Spelling Rush (free)

Spell the word (free)

You can set your own word list in most of these Apps.

Please be aware that the free versions contain adverts