THE ALPHABET

(d) It is important for the child to know the order of the alphabet. His own personal alphabet spelling book will help him to learn the order of the alphabet.

LETTER PATTERNS

(e) When teaching new words we choose words with similar patterns and teach them together. For example:

hear one rain
heard bone lane
heart or gone not play
early done weigh

*Therefore it is very important to LOOK at words.

LEARNING SPELLINGS

From P3 up children are given spellings to learn. Initially with very young children these are given in the form of a sentence as distinct from a list of words.

For example I am a boy
I go to school

When this method has been established a graded alphabetical spelling list is introduced, ie(Arnold/Wheaton) and children progress through this graded scheme according to their ability. This book is used through-out the school. (P4+ Spelling Practice) by Schofield Simms.

Teachers also use ‘The Essential Spelling List’ by Fred J Schonell and both contain words children most commonly use in writing and are graded in difficulty.

By Primary 4 children are encouraged to look up classroom dictionaries for the correct spelling of words. By this stage they are becoming aware that many more words are not spelt as they are phonetically sounded out.

For example photographer begins with ph not f

lamb - silent letter

NB It is only through meeting these words in reading and rote learning that Children become confident and familiar with spellings.

The relationship between English speech and spelling is not simply between letters and sounds.