English: Spelling
Welcome to our spelling page. Here you will find lots of information about what we do at school to develop spelling skills and strategies in our children. You'll also find our scheme of work, links to websites and documents that you might find useful.
If you have any questions, please e-mail at:
kate.orr@salford.gov.uk
The statutory curriculum for spelling aims to develop a child’s ability to spell words correctly, using their knowledge of spelling rules and of how common phonemes are spelt. Spelling is a developmental process. The stages through which children pass as they develop as spellers are the following: pre-phonetic, phonetic, transitional and ‘correct’. Spelling is a visual-motor skill and children will therefore need to develop visual strategies alongside their phonic knowledge.
As a school, our aims in teaching spelling are that the pupils will:
- be encouraged to look carefully at the words
- be taught spelling rules and given the opportunity to apply them in writing
- understand how the English spelling system works and how its history has influenced our spelling
- be helped and encouraged to develop their confidence as competent spellers, because the ability to spell most words correctly is often closely associated with good self-esteem. This affects performance in other areas of the curriculum
- develop and extend their vocabulary through shared, guided and independent spelling activities
- enjoy spelling and recognise its value
Teaching and learning of spelling in the EYFS and Key Stage 1 is underpinned by the use of a high quality phonics programme, alongside the National Curriculum requirements for spelling in Years 1 and 2. Click the phonics link for further information.
We follow a mastery approach to the teaching of spelling through the programme ‘Pathways to Spell’. It is a programme designed to deliver the statutory content of the Primary National Curriculum for spelling in key stages 1 (currently Year 2) and 2. Through weekly teaching of spelling objectives and development of a whole school approach to word transcription, vocabulary development and proof-reading, the programme aims to develop children as proficient spellers.
You will find the end of year expectations for spelling for each of our year groups in the attached documents. For further detail on the skills that your children are learning on a weekly basis, please contact your class teacher.
Through this programme, we aim to develop a school of spellers who use a series of strategies in lessons and in their independent writing. Spelling homework is set weekly in KS1 and KS2. Spelling lists based on the objectives being taught are sent home weekly and a spelling task is set on www.spellingframe.co.uk
Teaching staff monitor and assess the progress of the children in their class and use this to plan supportive, reinforcement or extension activities. Spelling assessments take place each term for common exception words but primarily, assessment is on-going using the National Curriculum objectives. The NFER assessments for spelling are also used termly to provide summative assessments in Y3 - Y6.
