We’re hearing from lots of you how challenging it can be to find the right balance to help parents support their children with learning at home during school closures, without overwhelming them. Here are just a few suggestions for simple (and fun!) ways parents can help maintain their children’s core English and maths skills, using […]
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Is spelling really that important any more? Especially in the modern world where children are growing up using onscreen documents, emails, texts, all with autocorrect? Unfortunately, as Jerrold Zar illustrates in his poem ‘An Ode to a Spellchecker’, we can’t always trust the computer to spot the ‘Miss steaks aye kin knot sea’. The truth […]
Read moreGiving children the skills to become confident spellers has a huge impact across the curriculum – not only helping them approach their weekly spelling tests with ease, but importantly helping them make effective vocabulary choices in all of their writing. Here are some top tips from our resources to help. Make the most of staff […]
Read moreHow important is good spelling, really? Is it still vital in a world of typed documents, emails and auto correct? Isn’t it the quality of writing we should be worried about, rather than the spelling of the words themselves? Perhaps, as Mark Twain observed, ‘anyone who can only think of one way to spell a […]
Read moreTeaching the formation of letters and how to join remains as important today as it was back in 1958 when Marion Richardson and Dr. Fletcher, in the manual ‘Quick and legible handwriting’ made the following comment: “Basic letter shapes used in print script do not lend themselves to speed and legibility. By making use of […]
Read moreIn May, Year 6 will be tested for the first time on the content of the new curriculum for grammar, punctuation and spelling. We’ve taken a look at the sample tests and test frameworks to see what’s the same, what’s different, and what to watch out for. Paper 1: Grammar and punctuation Like the 2015 paper, children will have […]
Read moreThis spring, for the first time, Year 2 children will sit a formal grammar, spelling and punctuation test. We’ve taken a look at the sample tests and test frameworks to see what’s in store for them (and for you). Paper 1: Spelling The spelling test takes 15 minutes, though this is not strictly timed. It consists of […]
Read moreCurriculum changes mean that both Primary and Secondary schools are renewing their focus on spelling, punctuation, and grammar. For primary schools, from summer 2013 year 6 children will sit an English grammar, punctuation, and spelling test, which will assess each child’s English skills in four key areas: Grammar, Punctuation, Spelling, and Vocabulary. In secondary schools, […]
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