Spelling & Grammar

Intent

‘Words cast spells. That’s why it’s called ‘Spelling’.’
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The intent of the teaching of spelling at Bader Primary School is to equip pupils with the necessary skills to accurately transcribe their ideas into written form, while also developing their ability to segment words into their individual sounds and identify the appropriate graphemes to represent these sounds. This will enable pupils to become confident and competent spellers, which is essential for effective written communication and to avoid unnecessary demands on their working memory. The teaching of spelling should be explicit, with a focus on the alphabetic code, morphology, and etymology.

Implementation

To effectively implement the teaching of spelling at Bader Primary School, the following steps have been taken:

Ensure that teachers have a sound understanding of the principles of effective spelling instruction, including the role of phonics, morphology, and etymology in spelling, and how to teach these explicitly.

Use a structured and systematic approach to the teaching of spelling, which is tailored to the needs of individual pupils. This approach should include regular assessment of pupils’ spelling skills, and the provision of targeted feedback and support to help pupils improve.

Provide pupils with a range of opportunities to practise their spelling skills, such as through the use of dictation exercises, spelling games, and writing tasks that require them to use and apply their spelling knowledge.

Encourage pupils to take an active role in their own learning by providing them with strategies for self-assessment and self-correction, and by promoting a growth mindset approach to spelling.

Ensure that spelling instruction is integrated into wider literacy teaching, with a focus on using and applying spelling skills in meaningful contexts.

Provide teachers with ongoing professional development and support to help them develop their own knowledge and skills in spelling instruction, and to keep up-to-date with the latest research and best practices. Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of spelling instruction on a regular basis, using a range of data sources to inform decision-making and identify areas for improvement.

Impact

The teaching of spelling has a significant impact on pupils’ literacy development and their ability to communicate effectively in written form. By providing pupils with a sound understanding of the principles of spelling, and the necessary skills to accurately transcribe their ideas, children at Bader Primary are able to:

Improve their written communication skills, by enabling them to express their ideas more clearly and accurately in written form. Source:

Enhance their reading skills, by improving their ability to decode and recognise words, and to make connections between spelling and meaning.

Boost their confidence and self-esteem, by enabling them to become more competent and confident spellers, which can have a positive impact on their overall academic performance.

Develop their metacognitive skills, by encouraging them to take an active role in their own learning, and to use strategies for self-assessment and self-correction.

Reduce the demands on their working memory, by enabling them to become more automatic and fluent spellers, which can free up cognitive resources for other aspects of writing. Overall, the teaching of spelling is an essential component of a high-quality literacy curriculum, and at Bader Primary has a significant positive impact on pupils’ academic and personal development.

Structure

At Bader we structure our Spelling & Grammar lessons to enable children to know more and remember more. In Year 1 and Year 2 our approach varies depending on the nature of each specific class. In Year 3-Year 6 our SPaG lessons are detailed in this informative document:

Progression