PGCE Spelling Workshop

SPELLING IN KS2

WHAT DO YOU KNOW?

One of the most irregular spelling systems in current use. No one-to-one correspondence between letters and

sounds.English tries to preserve meaning in related word forms.

For example:Sign and signature –If written phonetically they would be spelt ‘sain ’ and ‘signacher ’ and the related meaning would be lost.

Inconsistencies due to: changes in pronunciation, loan words and forced changes in spelling but not pronunciation.

Commercial infl uences; lite instead of light, thru instead of through, smokey instead of smoky.

The best example of its idiosyncratic nature – how many words do you know with ‘ou ’? How many diff erent pronunciations are there?

Primary FrameworkStrand 6 - Word structure and spelling -

focuses on teaching and developing children’s knowledge of word structure

Phonemic knowledge (sound based) Etymology (word origins/history) and Morphology (meaning and units of meaning

in words)

In order that children extend their vocabulary and spell accurately. Furthermore, they need to use a range of strategies to secure spelling accuracy.

SPELLING REQUIREMENTS

Complete this spelling paper from the KS 2 SATs (you need to listen to me say each sentence and write in the word that I say but which is missing in your text).

What do you think each of the words would tell you about that the child completing the paper knows about spelling?

Now have a look at the related analysis sheet

THE OLYMPIC GAMES SATS SPELLING TEST (2004)

Have a look at Emily’s writing.

As you listen to the clip, what has she noticed about her own spelling of the word ‘down’?

What benefit is there in spending this time with Emily helping her work out what she’s done?

How can you make sure that this time is available in your own classrooms?

EMILY AND THE BEST BET

TEACHING SEQUENCE

RevisitTeachPractiseApply

Explain, useModel, defineExplore, investigateAssess, Reflect

AN EXAMPLE LESSON

Year 4 term 1 (i)To distinguish between the spelling and meaning of homophones

REVISIT, EXPLAIN, USE

A homophone is a word that sounds the same as another, but is spelt differently.

Can you think of any examples?

mail/male see/sea red/read

bare/bear knew/new

Make up a sentence that uses each pair of words in context?

TEACH, MODEL, DEFINE

totwotoo

What does each spelling of the homophone mean?

Look at this homophone:- goes before (precedes) a verb- a number- as well, also, more than

I am going to say a sentence. Using your whiteboards, can you hold up the correct spelling of to/two/too that fits in the sentence?

Try the same task with a friend.What about these homophones: wear/where, see/sea, new/knew, eight/ate, know/no?

PRACTISE, EXPLORE, INVESTIGATE

How can we remember the different meanings? Can you make up a mnemonic for each?

– be/bee– new/knew– right/write– through/threw– hole/whole– are/our

PRACTISE, EXPLORE, INVESTIGATE

their they’re there

hole whole

here hear

see sea

new knew

right write

through threw

flour flower

no know

APPLY, ASSESS, REFLECT

What is a homophone?Can you think of some examples of homophones?

I am going to write two sentences. Can you pick the correct spelling of the homophone in each?

I am going to dictate two sentences. Can you write them using the correct spelling in your books?

http://www.devonldp.org/v.asp?rootid=17&depth=3&level1=17&level2=391&level3=872&folderid=872&level2id=391

A great site from Devon which has resources related to the PNS publication Support for Spelling

Look out in school for hard copies of Support for Spelling

Schools sometimes use THRASS in KS 2 http://www.thrass.co.uk

and we have this publication in the School Resources Centre

HOW WILL I KNOW WHAT TO PLAN FOR?

Help children to ‘have a go ’ – use initial sound/letterHave a word wall of tricky or topic wordsHave an agreed system for un______n wordsSupport children in the writing processDraw attention to parts of words – clap out and refer

to syllablesGive three options and ask child to chooseAssess children ’s spelling and off er appropriate

supportChange your intervention according to the level of the

childEncourage children to highlight incorrect spellingsHave fun with words and spellingsUse dictionaries at the re-drafting/revision stageInvestigate spellings, keep spelling journals, check

spellingsUse Look, Cover, Write, Say, CheckPractise getting them right!

SUPPORTING CHILDREN’S SPELLING

ANALYSIS OF CHILDREN’S SPELLINGS

Frith (1985) – three stages of development; logographic, alphabetic and orthographic.

Gentry (1987) – 5 stages. Pre-communicative, semi-phonetic stage, phonetic stage, transitional stage, correct stage.

First Steps (1996) Developmental continuum.Peters and Smith (1993) – error analysis approach.

Words which show little

understanding of the spelling

system

Early phonetic,

early visual spellings

Phonetic spellings

Errors associated with visual, structural or

semantic aspects

Words spelled in standard

form