Top Tips in the Book

Although the primary way of learning spellings is through using phonics, there are tricky words that need a little more help. The tips in the book provide a range of ideas - mnemonics, silly stories, spotting the tricky part, trying physical ways to repeat each word...

The tips for words in this book are as follows: 

Could, would, should - these tricky words can be fun to learn! For some children, this is useful:

o (use the letter name)

u (use the letter name)

l ucky

d uck!

Is your child saying "Could have, would have, should have"? Please check that they are not using 'of' accidentally instead of the correct word, 'have' (a common misconception).

Children often misspell 'enjoy' by starting it with an 'i'. Can you ask your child to emphasise how they say this word? Try listing anything that can be enjoyed that starts with an 'e'. It's quite tricky, but the discussions will help your child to remember.

Mnemonics often help with tricky words. Sometimes it is because they link to the meaning, but other times they are just silly!

We all take everyone ribena.

Worms and toads eat radishes!

Keep saying each word in a sentence to check your child's understanding. For example, see if the word 'least' is understood and used correctly. It could be great in a story.

He was the least likely to go on the adventure, so his bravery surprised everyone!

Watch out for homophones, like 'whole' and 'hole'! You could write both words on a post-it note on different sides of the room. Say a sentence and your child has to dash to the correct post-it? Swap over and your child has to tell you if you are correct (and fast enough!).

"I thought, oh 'u' great hairy tarantula!" is a fun way to remember 'thought'. Please explain that the 'u' is being said as the letter name just for fun.

Watch out for the word different. It has an unstressed vowel, like vegetable and interest. Try saying it with the vowel sound: dif-fer-ent.

'Friend' starts with 'fri' and has 'end' at the end. Find a way of remembering that the 'i' comes before the 'e'. 'A friend is fri-end until the end!' 'Friday everyone needs doughnuts.'

Need more help?

There are further ways to help you with your spellings. For more ideas for children who are building the phonetic code, click here. Alternatively, try out a variety of activities, alongside the phonics mats to increase repetition over time and long-term retention. Please do not hesitate to discuss your child's progress with their teacher or our SENDCo.