In summary, the series:

• includes all National Curriculum spelling patterns for each year group
• revisits spelling patterns over a four-week period
• puts words into context
• reinforces spelling patterns using fun games and activities
• includes extension words to challenge able spellers
• incorporates end-of-term and end-of-year assessments

Sample pages are available to view online here.

Learning to spell is a complex business and educationalists are often divided on how best to teach children to spell. However, recent research indicates that children don’t learn spellings by simply using rote visual memory. Instead, their ability to spell is dependent on their growing understanding of spoken and written word structure. It is crucial that these word structures and spelling patterns are taught to children, rather than sending a list of words home on a Monday to be learnt and tested on a Friday. Some children learn to spell using this method, but many don’t. Children who struggle with their spellings will never succeed if they are constantly tested in this manner.

Although repetition is important, simply copying a word a number of times will not, on its own, help children to recall the spellings. The practice needs to be more meaningful and enjoyable for children if they are going to memorise the spellings in the long term. The activities provided by the HeadStart Spelling Scheme allow the children to practise the words in a meaningful and exciting way. Many of the activities have a game element to them, so the children will not regard them as copying exercises, and most of the activities make the important link of putting the word into context. The nature of the activities becomes increasingly challenging as the children get older and is appropriate for each age level.

Teachers often observe that children do not use the spellings they have been given to learn (sometimes successfully for a test) in their independent writing. Therefore, at HeadStart, we have built into our scheme as many opportunities as possible for the children to use the spellings in sentences or short stories of their own. Although there are some testing procedures incorporated into this scheme, the emphasis is on direct teaching and on spelling activities, which the children will enjoy far more than learning lists of words. The illustrations will further add to the children’s enjoyment and spelling will become an enjoyable activity for all involved – including the teachers!

Take advantage of our approvals process and order inspection copies of any book(s) from this series. We send your resources within 48 hours, you and your school then have 28 days to review the series. Once the period ends, and you are satisfied with the resources, we will send the accompanying CD-ROMs for digital use, along with your invoice. Should you wish to return the resources to us at the end of the approval period, we will collect them from your school free-of-charge.

For any further information, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us by phone on 01200 423405, email at info@headstartprimary.com, or via social media. We are always happy to talk with you about our resources and approvals/ordering processes.