Spelling program rationale and aims

RATIONALE:

Spelling is a thinking process and is an integral part of the writing program. It is developmental as with all language learning. Good spelling is a factor of effectively relaying meaning when writing.

AIMS:

- Develop an interest in words, explore words and learn how words are constructed.
- Encourage risk-taking and to attempt words that they need.
- Proof read, edit and correct own and partner’s work.
- Develop and reflect on their own spelling strategies.
- Teach spelling within the context of an inclusive, holistic curriculum so that it is relevant to their needs.
- Explore the links between word meanings in the context of writing.
- Encourage the use of resources to find the correct spelling.
- Help learners to become confident, competent writers.

Year 4 Spelling test

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(This test is from the Wedgewood Park Primary School site, in Victoria.)

Spelling Program Year 4

Spelling Program:

single sounds
2 letter words
3 letter words
rhyming words/ long words/ short words
segmenting words into syllables
sight words/ word banks/ class lists
consonant digraphs (ck, ch, sh, th, wh)
initial double consonants (bl, fl cl, pl, sl, br, dr, fr, cr, gr, pr, tr, sm, sn, st, sk, sp, sc, sw, tw)
double consonants (ll, tt, gg, ss, dd, zz, mm, nn, ff)
final double consonants (_nt, _ ft, _ st, _mp, _nd, _sp, _ng, _lm, _ct, _lk, _lt, _nk)
tri consonant blends (scr, str, spr, thr, shr, squ, spl)
grouping of words according to sound patterns/ visual patterns
high frequency words taken from children’s reading and writing and added to class lists
vowel digraphs (ee, oo, ay, oy)
word families (ar, all, qu, er, ir, ur, or)
long vowels (a-e, o-e, i-e, u-e, e-e)
syllabification -2 syllables…compound words
homophones (plain plane) and homonyms
antonyms / synonyms
Finding words within words
Word building games
Use mnemonics
Use dictionaries / alphabetical lists
Develop word banks on theme, topic, high frequency and interesting words
Proof reading strategies
Adding ed, ing
Plurals
Word sort- meaning / letter patterns / sound
Rules … silent e / plurals
Endings…tion….ious….ight
Begin to make spelling generalisations
Use double letters correctly
Use visual knowledge of common English letter sequences
Use knowledge of word meanings and derivations
Extended bank of known words
Suffix, prefix
More difficult homophones, homonyms, compound words
Have a go at specialised words…science
Willing to use a range of resources
Alliteration
Onomatopoeia words
Continue to model and teach mnemonics and proof reading strategies
Silent letters
Contractions
Words with unusual or irregular spellings
Consonant diagraphs (ph, gh, kn, gn)
Irregular diagraphs (aw, au, ei)
Word origins
Advance use of dictionaries and thesaurus
Word play…crosswords
Words with multiple meanings

Spelling Yr 4 2010

Unit 1

spade, blade, trade, lane, mane, cane, crane, ape, cape, tape, shape, scape, grape, escape, daze, blaze, gaze, maze, graze, crate, plate, skate, state, grate, slave, grave, shave, behave

Challenge Words:

barricade, decade, lemonade, debate, insane, humane, hurricane, elevate, inflation, vibrate, operate, amazed

Unit 2

dare, care, hare, mare, fare, ware, pare, rare, bare, spare, blare, scare, stare, glare, share, square, aware, beware

Challenge Words:

compare, declare, prepare, nightmare, welfare

Unit 3

time, mime, lime, crime, slime, grime, chime, prime, overtime, pantomime

Challenge Words:

sublime, limelight

Unit 4

role, dole, home, dome, zone, alone, cone, tone, cope, lope, mope, scope

Challenge Words:

rissole, gnome, chrome, aerodrome, telephone, microphone, microscope, stethoscope, telescope, periscope, kaleidoscope

Unit 5

sheep, green, speed, creek, creep, sleep, greet, bleed, sweet, breed, knee, queen, fleet, steep, agree, greed, sweep, street, teeth, speech, screech

Challenge Words:

agreed, decree, asleep, esteem, tweed, freedom, screen

Unit 6

stout, cloud, blouse, drought, trout, proud, trousers, plough, spout, shroud, thousand, scout, shout, flour, crouch, sprout

Challenge Words:

pronoun, scoundrel, flounder, pronounce


Unit 7

bow, crow, show, tow, blow, know, row, glow, stow, sow, flow, throw, mow, slow, bowl, low, grow, below, own, snow

Challenge Words:

tomorrow

Unit 8

roast, toast, coast, boast, float, throat, coach, grown, croak, cloak, cocoa, approach

Challenge Words:

gloat, loathe, shoal, encroach, cockroach

Unit 9

air, fair, hair, pair, lair, chair, stairs, fairy, repair, upstairs

Challenge Words

affair, flair, prairie

Unit 10

real, deal, seal, steal, meal, heal, squeal, beam, seam, cream, steam, peak, leak, bleak, freak, streak, neat, beat, heat, feat, bleat, treat, lean, lead, leaf, leap, peach, bleach, least, yeast, leash

Challenge Words:

conceal, appeal, league, reveal, ideal

Unit 11

head, dead, lead, read, tread, bread, ahead, spread, thread, ready, stead, already, instead, homestead, meadow

Challenge Words:

measure, pleasure, treasure, steadfast, breadth, dreadful

Unit 12

boil, soil, toil, oil, foil, coil, spoil, toilet, join, coin, point, choice, voice, rejoice, noise, poison, moist, hoist, avoid

Challenge Words:

appoint, quoit, void, recoil, poise, joist, ointment, invoice

Unit 13

tie, die, lie, pie, magpie, fried, flies, pied, science, society

Challenge Words:

anxiety, piety, piebald

Unit 14

dew, blew, grew, nephew, few, brew, knew, jewel, new, chew, stew, ewe, crew, screw, drew, threw, flew

Challenge Words:

pew, shrewd, renew, skewer, mildew, jewelry, newspaper

Unit 15