The English Department Website
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The English Department Website
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Spelling“My spelling is wobbly. It’s good spelling but it wobbles and the letters get in the wrong places” - Winnie The Pooh. “Chastity iz like an isikel. If it onse meltz
that’s the last ov it” – Josh Billings
Why is English spelling so complicated?The following unaccountably do not rhyme Lord word Bleak break Mould would Timber climber Worm storm etc
etc etc Partly, this is because the language is such a mongrel. Its
vocabulary is largely a combination of Anglo Saxon, French & Latin &
Greek but it is also full of borrowings from a vast range of other languages
many of which retain their original spelling. Principally, though, the English spelling system is the result of the fact that printing began to fix spelling rules whilst fashions of pronunciation continued to change hence the large number of silent letters. In fact, there are fewer than 500 words in English whose spelling is wholly irregular but several of these are among the most frequently used words in the language so making English seem more chaotic than it is. Over 80% of English words are spelled according to regular
patterns and only about 3% are so irregular that they have to be learnt
completely by heart. English is not a phonetic language and although language change has made spelling more difficult, it never was entirely phonetic. 26 letters have to create 40 phonemes. How do children learn to spell?Research indicates that there is no simple correlation between reading and spelling ability. Fast readers predict what is coming and skim across words. Most written words, anyway, can be pronounced in only one way yet the sounds can be represented in a variety of letter combinations - Ghoti in theory could be pronounced ‘fish’. Learning about the predictable links between spelling and pronunciation is the key to mastering the spelling system. There are 4 main ways in which people process the spelling of words
Most people rely principally on the first strategy, but all
can benefit from using a range of techniques Individual difficulties may be due to a range of factors
including poor eyesight, hearing difficulties or poor hand-eye coordination.
Anxiety, emotional problems and a perception that one is a poor speller can also
be factors. Some children will have Specific Learning Difficulties or
Dyslexia and may need specifically targeted support. What do we teach & when?Following the NLS, spelling rules are built in to Middle
School Schemes of work, principally as starter activities. In addition, the key Stage 3 Spelling List Words are
tested, supplemented by words derived from classwork Each student has a spelling log which he is encouraged to
keep up to date Students should use the Look Cover Write Check system for
processing all new and corrected words See the Assessment Policy for Teacher guidelines on correcting work Dictionaries are widely available in English rooms and
students are taught how to use these and encouraged to do so first before asking
for help SpellCheckingStudents are encouraged to use spell-checking intelligently
as an aid but are often instructed to turn it off when producing work under
timed conditions in class. Displays in RoomsKey spelling rules are displayed on laminated sheets in the
English rooms as a constant visual resource. British & American Spelling
As an International School, we accept either British or
American spellings, provided there is consistency Some of the principal differences are:
ResourcesPalmer, S Spelling A Teacher’s Survival Kit –
Big Yellow Book, CK office, aimed teachers of 6 to 14 year olds, photocopiable
for common errors & posters Hackman, S, Spelling 9 to 13 – Big White & Red
Book CK Office, photocopiable, good games Bamford, C, Spelling Short Starter Activities –
Big blue book, designed cover all NLS spelling principally in Year 7.
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