33 Ways to Help with Spelling

Supporting Children who Struggle with Basic Skills

Heather Morris, Sue Smith

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2010
• eBook ISBN:
  9781136947414
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

33 Ways to Help with Spelling equips teachers and teaching assistants with a wide range of practical resources to help children who are having difficulties learning the basic skills of spelling.

Offering a range of activities and games to engage children and encourage motivation in the classroom, this essential classroom companion provides ready-to-use material that doesn't need lengthy forward preparation. Activities include auditory and visual mnemonics, phonetics and tactile tasks.

These practical and fun ideas incorporate a variety of learning styles, using kinaesthetic and auditory techniques, that put the emphasis on 'games' rather than 'work'. The activities are especially suitable for teaching assistants working with individuals or small groups. The book works step-by-step through practical activities which:

• keep children motivated and enjoying learning
• don't require extensive knowledge or experience from the adult
• are adult-led so children don't have the opportunity to repeat mistakes
• are grouped into different basic skills, so teachers can choose the activity best suited for the child's needs
• have clear, concise and pedagogically sound reasons for the activity
• include extension activity where appropriate to challenge pupils.

Aimed mainly at primary pupils, secondary teachers will also find this book invaluable to use with pupils who are falling behind. The series facilitates good inclusive provision and is a resource from which useful ideas and materials can be taken without having to plough through chapters of theory and research.

APPENDIX 1
Spelling record sheet 1

APPENDIX 2
Spelling record sheet 2

APPENDIX 3
Spelling blitz sheet

The word: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Write it three times in black.
	Write an enormous one in red.
Write three tiny ones in green.
	Write it with your eyes closed.
Write it in capital letters.
	Write it in joined letters.
Write it twice in blue.
	Write a big one in brown.
Write it in yellow.
	Write it four times in pink.
Write a very tiny one in black.

APPENDIX 4
Alphabet strip

APPENDIX 5
Alphabet grid

APPENDIX 6
Word wall

Glossary

Auditory discrimination The ability to detect subtle differences between sounds, e.g. hat/hot, fin/thin.

Automaticity The level of learning is such that a task can be performed ‘automatically’ without having to think too much about it (in the same way that an experienced driver doesn’t have to consciously think about changing gear, etc.).

Auditory memory The ability to recall sounds heard. Auditory sequential memory is the ability to remember what you hear in the order in which you hear it, e.g. a sequence of sounds in the correct order or a series of instructions.

High frequency words The most commonly used words in reading and writing, e.g. said, went, to, from.

Irregular (tricky) words Words that cannot be decoded phonetically, making...

Table of contents

• Thirty-Three Ways to Help with …
• Contents
• Thirty-three ways to help … the series
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• The golden rules
• A. Spelling strategies
• B. Phonic activities
• C. Games for spelling practice
• APPENDIX 1 Spelling record sheet 1
• APPENDIX 2 Spelling record sheet 2
• APPENDIX 3 Spelling blitz sheet
• APPENDIX 4 Alphabet strip
• APPENDIX 5 Alphabet grid
• APPENDIX 6 Word wall
• Glossary