Here is some information and ideas, to help your child learn to spelling when working with you at home.

Spellings when writing

• When we are writing there are lots of common words which cannot be segmented (sounded out). We call these tricky words.
• They just have to be learnt from the way they look.
• When we are spelling tricky words, we say the letter names of the alphabet, not the phoneme (sound).

Spellings for Year 1

• These are the common spellings we are learning in Year 1. You can practise any at home that your children don’t already know.
• Choose 3 or 4 at a time to learn.

Activities to learn spellings

• Look, copy, cover, write:

Look at the word together.

See if there are any patterns to help remember the word.

Get your child to write the word a few times.

Then cover the word up and get them to write it from memory.

Last of all see if they can compose and write a sentence with the word in.

• Spelling Puzzle:

Make a home-made puzzle by writing each word in large letters on some card and then having the child cut each card apart.

The fun is in putting the puzzle back together!

• Magnets:

Build tricky words each day with letter magnets on the fridge.

• Chalk:

If you have any chalk (and don’t mind getting your paving a bit messy), get the child to write the words on the ground.

Then the rain will wash it away.

• Make a Spelling Word Origami Fortune Teller.

Get your child to write their tricky words on it.

Your child will say the letter names out loud, as they move their fingers forwards and sideways on the fortune teller.