Blog posts
In today's classrooms, spelling remains a vital skill for effective communication and academic success. Despite this, traditional approaches often fall short, leaving students struggling with memorisation and recall. Standard rote-learning techniques can be tedious and disengaging, leading to frustration and diminished confidence among learners. In contrast, multisensory learning offers a dynamic approach that accommodates different learning styles and enriches the educational experience.
Understanding Multisensory Spelling Techniques
Multisensory spelling techniques involve engaging multiple senses – sight, sound, touch, and movement – to reinforce spelling skills....
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As secondary school students advance in their academic journeys, getting to grips with spelling becomes increasingly essential. Strong spelling skills not only enhance written communication but also boost overall academic performance. However, many students struggle with spelling due to the complexities of the English language. In this blog, we'll explore effective spelling strategies designed to help secondary school students improve spelling skills and build confidence in writing.
The Importance of Spelling in Secondary Education
Spelling is a foundational skill that influences a student's ability to express ideas clearly and effectively. In secondary education, students...
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When we think about spelling, the focus is often on English lessons. However, spelling plays an essential role in every school subject, helping students understand and use subject-specific vocabulary more effectively. From scientific terminology in biology to key terms in maths, learning the correct spelling of key terms supports a deeper understanding of subject content. In this blog post, we will explore how spelling can be integrated into different subjects and how you can support students in learning important terms across the curriculum.
Spelling in Science: Biology, Chemistry, and Physics
In science subjects like biology, chemistry, and physics, spelling can often be...
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Understanding spelling patterns in English can significantly improve your spelling skills. A key part of English spelling is recognising common prefixes and suffixes. These are essential building blocks that help to form new words and expand your vocabulary. In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at what prefixes and suffixes are, provide examples of common prefixes and suffixes, and explain how they can support both spelling and understanding of the English language.
What Are Prefixes and Suffixes?
Prefixes are groups of letters that appear at the beginning of a word and can change its meaning. They often provide clues about the word’s meaning. For example:
Un-...
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Spelling and vocabulary are more closely linked than we might realise. While spelling is often viewed as a set of rules for writing words correctly, it also plays a key role in helping students build and expand their vocabulary. In this blog, we’ll explore how strong spelling skills can enhance vocabulary growth, boost reading comprehension, and build confidence when it comes to using new words.
Understanding Word Patterns
Spelling helps us see patterns in words. By learning to spell, we become more familiar with common letter combinations, suffixes, prefixes, and word roots. This awareness of patterns makes it easier to recognise and understand new words.
For example,...
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Helping your child with their spelling homework can be a rewarding experience and, with a little guidance, you can make the process both effective and enjoyable.
Begin by checking out our new video guide for parents, which is designed to help you get acquainted with Spellzone and make the most of the resources available. Once you're up to speed, these tips will help you support your child's spelling journey:
1. Review Goals and Homework
Understand Teacher’s Goals: Take a moment to discuss the spelling goals set by your child’s teacher. Knowing what’s expected will help you provide the right support.
Explore Spellzone Homework: Get...
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Spelling tests can be a bit nerve-wracking, but with the right preparation, you can face them with confidence. Whether you're a student gearing up for a school test or someone looking to improve your spelling skills, having a solid study plan can make all the difference. In this blog post, we’ll walk you through some effective strategies to help you prepare for a spelling test and achieve the results you want.
1. Start Early
One of the best ways to ensure success on a spelling test is to start studying early. Beginning the night before might help with short-term memorisation, but it won’t allow you to really learn and retain the words.
Set a Schedule: As...
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Spelling is an essential skill that can improve your writing, reading, and communication. However, like any other skill, proficiency requires regular practice. Creating a structured spelling study plan can make a big difference in how effectively you learn and retain new words. In this blog post, we’ll guide you through the steps to create a spelling study plan that works for you or your student.
1. Set Clear Goals
Before you start, it's important to know what you want to achieve. Setting clear goals will give your study plan direction and purpose.
Identify Your Weak Areas: Start by identifying which words or types of spelling rules you struggle with. Do you find...
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Spelling can be a challenge, especially for those who learn best through visual means. If you or your student is a visual learner, don’t worry – there are many ways to make spelling easy and fun! In this blog post, we’ll share some simple and effective strategies to help visual learners improve their spelling skills.
Use Colour-Coding
Colour can help visual learners remember information better. Here’s how you can use colour-coding to make spelling easier:
Highlight Vowels and Consonants: Use different colours for the vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and consonants (all other letters) in a word. For example, you could write vowels in red and consonants in blue. This...
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Flashcards are a great tool for learning and memorising information, especially when it comes to spelling. Whether you're helping a student improve their spelling or working on your own, flashcards make it easy to practise and remember the correct spelling of words. In this blog post, we'll show you how to use spelling flashcards effectively, so you can get the most out of your practice sessions.
Create Your Flashcards
Before you start, gather the materials you’ll need:
Materials:
-Index cards or small pieces of card/paper: These will be your flashcards.
-Pens or markers: Use these to write the words, definitions, and sentences.
-Printed labels...
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Learning doesn't have to stop when the school day ends. In fact, some of the best learning takes place outside of the classroom. Spelling games are a fantastic way to combine education with entertainment and a regular family game night is a great opportunity to reinforce spelling skills. Here’s how you can create a fun, educational experience that everyone will enjoy.
Why Spelling Games?
Spelling games are more than just a fun activity – they’re an effective way to improve vocabulary, reinforce learning, and build confidence in a relaxed setting. When learning is enjoyable, students are more likely to retain information and stay motivated.
Word Games: From...
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Starting the day with a focused spelling activity can set a positive tone for your students and significantly enhance their spelling skills. A morning spelling warm-up is a simple yet effective way to reinforce learning and make spelling a natural part of their daily routine.
Here are five morning spelling warm-up ideas to help your students kickstart their day with spelling success.
1. Spelling Flashcards
Flashcards are a classic and versatile tool for spelling practice. Here’s how you can use them in the morning:
Preparation: Create a set of flashcards with challenging words tailored to your students' level.
Activity: Each morning, instruct your students pick a...
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Incorporating spelling practice into your daily routine can be both fun and effective. Regular practice helps reinforce learning while making spelling a natural part of your everyday activities. Here are some practical and engaging ways for students to integrate spelling practice into their daily routines.
Morning Spelling Warm-Up
Start your day with a quick spelling warm-up. Choose a few challenging words and write them down as part of your morning routine. You can try this during breakfast or on the way to school. Writing out words will help reinforce their correct spelling.
Tip: Use Spellzone's printable flashcards to make this activity more...
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Some words consistently challenge even the most adept spellers. In today’s blog post, we’ll delve into ten words that are particularly tricky and offer mnemonic devices to help you remember how to spell them.
Accommodation
Definition: Lodging or a place to stay.
Why it’s difficult: Spellers often forget the double ‘c’ and double ‘m’ in this word.
Mnemonic device: The mnemonic ‘two cots need two mattresses’ will remind you of the double c and double m in accommodation.
Conscience
Definition: An inner feeling or voice that acts as a guide to the rightness or wrongness of one's behaviour.
...
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Engaging students in spelling can be challenging. These fun spelling games and activities, designed for various ages and abilities, can be easily implemented in the classroom to make learning spelling enjoyable and effective.
Spelling Bingo
Create bingo cards with words instead of numbers. Call out a word and instruct students to mark it if it appears on their card. The first student to complete a line or fill their entire card wins by calling out: 'Bingo!'
Word Search Puzzles
Use Spellzone to turn spelling words into a printable word search puzzle. Students find and circle the words hidden in the grid.
Don’t want to print? Play online...
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The spelling differences between British English and American English sometimes trip learners up. In this blog post, we'll explore six words that are spelt differently in the UK and the US.
Colour vs. Color
The American English spelling of this word drops the letter u.
Other examples of this spelling difference:
Honour (British) vs. Honor (American)
Flavour (British) vs. Flavor (American)
Labour (British) vs. Labor (American)
Theatre vs. Theater
This word is spelt with an re in British spelling and an er in American English.
Other examples of this spelling difference:
Metre (British) vs. Meter (American)
Centre (British) vs. Center...
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Dyslexia presents unique challenges when it comes to spelling, but with the right strategies and support, dyslexic learners can overcome obstacles and improve their spelling skills.
Here are our top spelling tips for dyslexic learners:
Use Multi-sensory Techniques:
Engage multiple senses in spelling practice to reinforce learning. Try reading aloud or tracing letters with your finger while saying them aloud. Multi-sensory approaches will help encode and retain spelling patterns more effectively.
Written by a dyslexia expert, Spellzone follows the principles of multi-sensory teaching: using sound, sight and movement to teach spellings and to fix them in the mind. A variety...
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Multilingual households are culturally and linguistically rich, but they also present distinct challenges when it comes to spelling. By understanding these challenges and employing effective strategies, multilingual individuals can navigate the complexities of English spelling with greater ease and confidence.
In this blog post, we will explore the unique spelling challenges faced by multilingual households and share effective strategies to enhance spelling proficiency in diverse linguistic environments.
Potential Spelling Challenges in Multilingual Households
Borrowed Words: Words borrowed from one language to another often retain their original spelling, which may not...
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Teaching spelling to adults requires a thoughtful and tailored approach that acknowledges unique learning styles, experiences, and motivations. In this blog post, we will explore effective strategies for teaching spelling to adult learners:
Integrate Technology
As an online spelling resource, Spellzone leverages technology to make learning spelling flexible and convenient for learners of all ages. Adult learners have the freedom to set their own pace as they work on personalised learning pathways on any device. Spellzone is both adaptable and accessible, making it suitable for learners of all abilities including those with dyslexia.
Assess Spelling Needs
...
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Spelling tests are a common assessment tool used by teachers to gauge students' proficiency and progress. While students may experience stress or anxiety during such tests, effective strategies can help alleviate these feelings and improve performance.
Here are our top strategies to help students excel in spelling tests:
Preparation Strategies:
Study Regularly: Encourage students to study spelling words consistently over a longer period instead of cramming them all in at the last minute. Regular practice helps reinforce memory and familiarity with the words.
Break Words into Chunks: For longer or more challenging words, teach students to break them down...
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