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Appendix B – for Heathside Literacy Policy
Heathside Spelling Policy 2014-2015
“He must have little genius who can’t spell a word in more than one way.”
Attributed to Mark Twain
Rationale
This policy is intended for usage in the classroom as a reference and a working document.
At Heathside, our practise is to provide all our pupils with the chances to access spelling strategies
both through direct and indirect methods, each and every day.
Spelling is a complex process drawing upon a specific working knowledge of patterns within the
English language.
Spelling words accurately and knowing the meaning of those words are essential elements in the
development of written and other methods of communication.
hildren who have difficulties with spelling are often the children who struggle to
believe in their capabilities to write.
Children who are able to employ a good range of spelling strategies and techniques will attempt
more complex or technical words to express their ideas.
Essential Points
 Children need to be active in developing their own spelling strategies.

Spelling activities must be differentiated.

The exploration of words and vocabulary development are part of learning to spell.

Independence and self-evaluation are essential in spelling development.

Reading and Handwriting are both essential tools in learning to spell.

Spelling is learned through auditory, kinaesthetic and visual processes. Spelling is typically
learned in the early stages through auditory phonetics and eventually by pure cognitive, visual
re-call by the most effective and accurate spellers.
Aims

To enable all pupils to be confident, accurate spellers.

To support learning through the use and application of spelling skills and provide the means
for children to readily access good physical models of spelling.

To ensure that spelling is integrated in ICT learning.

To ensure continuity and progression through a consistent whole approach to the teaching of
spelling across the school.

To ensure that the understanding the meaning of a word has the same value as learning how
to spell it.

To recognise that all children, those who have natural difficulty with spelling and our most
capable spellers, are consciously taught strategies to aid in and extend their progression.
Objectives
 Spelling is seen as meaningful.

Children are taught to recognise the range of social functions that spelling can support as a
result of electronic medium such as texting and email.

Children should have a clear understanding of the structure and features associated with
spelling, patterns and exceptions to spelling rules.

Children can make plausible attempts at unknown words.

Children should be taught to choose the appropriate spelling.
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Children are taught to check their spelling, identify and then correct errors.
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Children are able to use their dictionary skills to support their spelling skills.
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Teachers have high expectations of what children can achieve.

Children enjoy the process of spelling.
Teaching and Learning

Teaching is well paced and engaging, based on a clear and logical objective.

There is a clear progression in the teaching of spelling.

The opportunities for spelling are based upon a variety of stimuli and experiences, taking into
account the visual, auditory and kinaesthetic needs of the children.
We systematically follow the progression of skills as laid out in Letters and Sounds. Spelling is taught
predominantly through Literacy/English in the following ways:Shared Reading – Finding patterns and examples. Reminders of spelling patterns previously taught.
Incidental words of interest.
Shared Writing – Constructing words from phonemes and letter patterns through blending.
Modelling strategies to construct unknown words. Finding words within words. Playing word games
such as hangman, boggle, crosswords, word-searches and junior scrabble.
Word Level Work – Learning spelling rules. Investigating spelling patterns.
Learning spelling strategies.
Guided Writing – Assistance in applying strategies to unknown words. Guidance and VAK
strategies to remember specific spelling exceptions.
Independent Work – Group investigations. Using self help strategies e.g. dictionaries. Spelling
games and activities. Peer support to learn, revise, test and assess spellings. Using the Look, Say,
Cover, Say, Write, Check method to learn spellings.
Plenary – For lessons based on word work. Mini-Plenary at the end of the word/sentence portion of a
lesson.
Handwriting and Spelling – Spelling patterns and conventions are often linked to handwriting and
these are reinforced in handwriting sessions where appropriate. For early writers, the RML Ditties
provide opportunities to practise progressive spelling, short phrases and handwriting simultaneously.
Cripps ‘A Hand for Spelling’ handwriting is good for KS2. Ideally however, Letters and Sounds
provide proven progressive words to simultaneously learn spelling, sentence writing and handwriting
and is the preferred reference for our school and schools across the country.
Home School Links
We believe that parents should be made aware of their child’s targets and where appropriate, be
actively involved. Parents are encouraged to help their child learn spellings and the corresponding
rule sent home as well as the meaning of each word.
Children in KS1 are given high frequency words from the National Literacy Strategy word list, RML
phonics, Letters and Sounds alphabetic code and words.
Children in KS2 learn high frequency words from the National Literacy Strategy word list DFES
Spelling Bank and those in Letters and Sounds.
Early Years, KS1 and KS2 children regularly take home books from the Schools Levelled reading
scheme designed to reinforce key words and phonetic and visual spelling patterns appropriate to
their reading level which are monitored by the teacher and parent through a reading record.
Assessment, Recording and Reporting
In the Foundation Stage, children begin to learn the high frequency words identified in the National
Literacy Strategy. From Early Years and through KS1, children are taught progressive phonics from
the DFES’s Letters and Sounds on a daily basis through The Alphablocks scheme.
From the Third Term of Year 1 and all the way through KS2, children are given weekly spellings for
homework.
It is advised by the DFES that children from year 3 upward should also be investigating the meanings
of the words sent home as well as the context in which they can be used within a sentence.
Cross-Curricular Links
Opportunities for spelling and teaching spelling skills should be integrated into all aspects of the
curriculum. By utilising cross curricular links we can give spelling a purpose and audience. Children
are helped to see links between different areas of the curriculum and to appreciate how their
knowledge, skills, understanding and enthusiasm in one area can inform learning in others. The
quality of all work is enhanced through careful spelling and presentation. In KS2, a final draft of work
for display purposes should be correctly spelt and is an opportunity for a child to edit their work using
dictionaries, word banks or consultation with an adult to help draw out correct spelling and learn
strategies to remember words.
ICT
This is a vital means of developing language in the context of the modern world. Pupils should:
Have regular opportunities to compose text directly on the screen.

Be taught how to use word processing, desktop publishing and Powerpoint presentation
techniques.
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Be taught how to use spell check and grammar check facilities as well as online and software
embedded dictionaries.

Use available ICT programs to support spelling e.g Star Spell, Word Shark.
Foundation Stage and its importance to the progression of spelling in the
school.
The foundation stage builds upon children’s previous pre-school language experiences to develop
essential spelling skills. Children work within the Communication, Language and Literacy element of
the Early Learning Goals which lay the foundation for further spelling progress. Spelling is taught
through direct active and fun lessons and reinforced through indirect creative play. This method is a
model that can be adapted and modelled throughout the school.
Single sounds are taught using the RML and the Letters and Sounds program. Previous strategies
such as Jolly Phonics are still relevant and have their place. Single sounds are blended together to
build simple vowel consonant words e.g. is, on, at, and then consonant vowel consonant words e.g.
mat, pin, lot. Children who already have strong reading and conversational skills often progress to
the simple long vowel sounds taught in year 1.
Year 1 continues the transition from Reception to KS1, revising and extending RML and Letters and
Sounds in preparation for the Year 2 transition. PIPs is still an applicable programme to follow and is
suited for certain children responding to letter pattern methods over pure phonetic teaching.
Year 2 focus on the use of Letters and Sounds word guidelines and the High Frequency Words listed
in the National Literacy Strategy.
It is vital that Letters and Sounds phases continue through the phases until the end of Year 6. The
frequency of input may be less in the latter stages of Primary, however children identified with
spelling issues should receive extra support.
Special Educational Needs
Any child whose spelling ability is significantly below the expected level for their age will be discussed
with the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator and the Literacy Co-ordinator in order to determine
the way forward. Testing for conditions such as dyslexia are carried out, where necessary, usually
from Year 2 onwards. Additional advice may also be sought from the educational psychologist.
The SEN Coordinator has many strategies and programmes that can be utilised by the teacher to
support a child’s progression in spelling.
Able Pupils
We ensure that children who have a particular spelling aptitude are challenged to extend their
vocabulary further and given the opportunity to improve just as much as their classroom peers. This
may be through additional targeted challenges, challenging word games, additional mini-lessons and
differentiation within class and homework tasks.
Resources
Teachers draw upon the literacy strategy and a variety of other DFES resources to provide engaging
and accessible spelling activities.
The classroom environment should provide resources to support Word Level Work, related to the
ability of the children in that class. These may include:
Dictionaries and thesauruses.

Special Phonetic Spelling Dictionaries to aid those who have trouble looking up words in
normal dictionaries.

Displays of vocabulary that the children frequently use.

Word banks specific to a current topic.

Spelling aids such as alphabetic code posters.
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Word Level support materials e.g. toys, magnetic letters, whiteboards, word fans, phonetic and
spelling pattern card games, flashcards and simple pencils and paper etc.

Editing key for self-correcting common errors.
Lines Of Progression
Emergent spelling skills – working towards Level 1

Can make marks on the paper.

Uses letters and numbers
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Forms letters differently to pictures in their writing.
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Is introduced to alphabetical order.
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Is beginning to write single letters in response to their sound.
Level 1
 Is introduced to the Look, Say, Cover, Say, Write, Check method.
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Can write the beginnings of simple words.
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Can write the endings of simple words.
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Is beginning to spell accurately common monosyllabic words.
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Is introduced to simple picture word dictionaries.
Level 2
 Can write the middle sounds of words.
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Can use a range of simple word books/dictionaries.
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Is beginning to understand the ‘magic/split e’ rule.
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Is beginning to use consonant digraphs and blends.
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Is beginning to use vowel digraphs.
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Can spell accurately high frequency words from NLS list.
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Confident in their use of consonant digraphs and blends.

Confident in their use of vowel digraphs.

Knows alphabetical order.

Is beginning to use known letter strings in their own writing.
Level 3
 Uses simple word books/dictionaries independently.

Is introduced to the use of more complex dictionaries.
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Begins to spell polysyllabic words.

Has a thorough working knowledge of alphabetical order.
Level 4
 Can spell simple polysyllabic words.

Uses known letter strings/patterns to support spelling.
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Uses phonic knowledge to support spelling.
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Can spell accurately more complex polysyllabic words.

Consistently uses a dictionary to check own spellings.
Level 5
 Consolidate and reinforce the spelling rules and the
exceptions to the rules.
Children who are able at spelling are self-monitoring, they take responsibility for spelling words
correctly. They are children who are able to identify which words do not ‘look right’ on page or in their
mind and check the spelling using a dictionary or how they know the word should look through visual
re-call.
The Phases of Spelling Development are:
1) Preliminary Spelling
2) Semi-phonetic Spelling
3) Phonetic Spelling
4) Transitional Spelling (from sounds to structures)
5) Independent Spelling