Spelling Strategies

Many children use the look cover write check method to learn their spellings

• Look at a spelling word.
• Cover the spelling word.
• Visualize the covered word in the mind.
• Write the word from memory.
• Check what has been written with the uncovered word.

However there are a range of other strategies that can be used to help to. These include:

• Breaking words into sounds ( d-i-a-r-y)
• Breaking words into syllables (re-mem-ber)
• Breaking words into affixes (dis +  satisfy)
• Using a mnemonic (necessary has one collar and two sleeves)
• Referring to a word in the same family (muscle – muscular)
• Saying it as it sounds (Wed-nes-day)
• Finding words within words (I am in Parliament)
• Using a key word (horrible/drinkable for able and ible)
• Appling  spelling rules (writing, written)
• Creating a visual memory (look-cover-say-write-check)

Watch Mr Thorne and Geraldine the Giraffe take you on a learning journey through the world of phonics, learning letters and sounds along the way.