Spelling Alive

This week we have had some intensive class sessions with Mrs Eastwood to get us up and running with our Spelling Alive for homework.

Next week spelling will be in the centre of the homework book, and it is expected that everyone works through the words each night.  The process is: say the word, conduct the word, tool the word and write it, mark in the sound lines, look carefully at the word and identify the hard piece.  This part of the process will be completed on a Friday at school during Spelling, so the first part of the sheet will be completed. I will check this preparation when I mark the homework from the week before. Students then work on each word every night.  There will be a Spelling test on Friday.

All children have been tested and have been put on levels according to their spelling needs.  At first while we are learning this new system it may seem that the words are simple, however we are starting on "decodable words" which are either Plan 1 (1 sound = 1 letter) or Plan 2 (1 sound = 2 or more letters).  All these words can be tooled and the clean sounds heard, or in the case of Plan 2 words some digraphs (sounds like sh, ch, th, ph etc) can be heard, recognised and recorded.

I am learning this system along with the students, so please ask me if you or your student is unsure about how to do any of this - we are on a learning journey together.  Everyone should be able to explain to you what they are doing.  As we move ahead, the words will become more challenging, however we are in the process of learning 'how to'.