“Most people read words more accurately that they can spell them. The younger pupils are, the truer this is.” National Curriculum

Through Jane Considine’s approach to spelling, children are taught clearly, logically and in a way that will provide them with life-long strategies for spelling, following the progression of the National Curriculum (see Appendix One). Children are actively encouraged to research and explore patterns and rules through investigations and apply what they have already learned through a sequence of fast tasks.

Alongside this, children are exposed to 15 words over a two-week period. Children will look closely at the individual sounds (phonemes) and which letters they are represented by (graphemes). They are encouraged to search for other words that have the same sound association. For example, in the word action the children would focus on the ti making the /sh/ sound that can be found in station, potion, lotion etc. At the end of the two-week period there will be a ‘low stakes’ test in school and a new 15 words issued.

Grammar and punctuation

The year group expectations taken from the National Curriculum (see Appendix Two) are taught in explicit weekly sessions where the children learn or recap a skill, identify it in a piece of writing and then have a go at applying the skill themselves. The children also experience grammar and punctuation rules and techniques through their writing sessions and the writing rainbow. At times, this allows the children to further embed their practice of a learned skill but also serves to expose the children to new authorial techniques before being explicitly taught it.

Please see the document at the bottom of the page for the Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling Long Term Plan.

Please see below for the National Curriculum Appendices.

How can I help at home?

• Support your child to access the 15 spelling words by looking at and learning sound associations.
• Encourage your child to add words that they find to the spelling board at school.
• Make spelling fun and engaging.