Spelling is a crucial part of writing, especially for pupils who are just starting out. That is why strong, explicit spelling instruction matters from the very beginning.
This article explores why spelling is so important, how it links to writing confidence, and what effective teaching looks like in practice. You’ll find practical strategies, engaging activities and prompts to help you reflect on your approach.
Why spelling is important
Spelling is a skill that unlocks creativity and confidence in writing. By teaching spelling explicitly, practising it regularly and making it engaging, you give every pupil the chance to communicate their thoughts freely. Making spelling a priority in every classroom means pupils can move past the basics and get stuck into the fun and creative side of writing. With strong spelling foundations, every child can become a capable writer.
The Department for Education’s writing framework highlights that when pupils feel confident in spelling, they are more likely to experiment with new words, share their ideas freely and enjoy writing. But for those who struggle, spelling can hold them back – limiting word choice, disrupting their flow and even making them avoid writing altogether.
Why is spelling so challenging?
Efficient spelling is increasingly important in today’s digital world (Daffern and Fleet, 2021). English spelling can be tricky. Just 26 letters represent around 44 distinct sounds, with many ways to spell the same sound. The rules are inconsistent, with plenty of exceptions and unpredictable patterns, so choosing the correct spelling is not always simple.
Moats (2005) explains that English spelling is complex as it borrows from many languages and often reflects meaning as well as sounds. Explicit spelling instruction helps pupils spot word connections and understand spelling patterns, which improves accuracy, vocabulary, and comprehension. Struggling with spelling is normal. By reassuring pupils and teaching spelling clearly, you help them build confidence as writers.
Phonics: The foundation of spelling
Effective spelling teaching starts with phonics. Systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) programmes help pupils learn to segment spoken words into sounds (phonemes) and match them to letters or groups of letters (graphemes). This approach is especially important in Reception and Year 1, and should follow the progression of your school’s phonics programme.
Alongside regular phonics teaching, you should focus on common exception words – often called ‘tricky words’. These are words that do not follow standard phonics rules, such as ‘said’, ‘was’ or ‘the’. Teach pupils to spot the part of the word that is unusual or does not match what they have learned so far. Use visual cues, mnemonics or discussion to help them remember.
Reflection questions
- How do pupils practise segmenting and blending sounds when learning to spell?
- In what ways are common exception words (‘tricky words’) taught explicitly?
Action steps
- Revisit your SSP’s guidance on grapheme phoneme correspondence (GPC) progression and expectations for teaching children to use phonics for spelling.
- Make sure children can connect ‘tricky words’ to known grapheme-phoneme correspondences, and help them identify the unusual part of each word.
Going beyond phonics: Patterns and meaning
To spell accurately, pupils need to draw on different types of knowledge: how words sound, how they are written, their structure, origins and appearance (Oakley & Fellowes, 2016).
As pupils grow in confidence with phonics, broaden spelling instruction to include patterns and meaning such as roots, prefixes, suffixes and word origins. This helps pupils make better choices when spelling unfamiliar words and deepens their understanding of English (Moats, 2005).
Once pupils are secure with phonics, teach orthography – the patterns and rules behind English spelling. This helps pupils recognise legitimate letter combinations, spot patterns and exceptions, and make informed spelling choices, which supports fluency and accuracy.
Pupils are more likely to remember spelling when they understand its meaning, rather than just memorising letter sequences (Konkle, 2010). Building on phonics and orthography, introduce morphology by exploring prefixes, suffixes and roots. Teach pupils to identify and use common morphemes and understand how changing a morpheme alters meaning or grammar. This develops both spelling and vocabulary.
As pupils become confident with word parts, extend their learning by exploring word origins and how languages influence English spelling. Teaching etymology helps pupils understand unusual spellings and make links between related words, which fosters curiosity and builds confidence with unfamiliar vocabulary.
It is important to plan carefully how your pupils move from the systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) programme to the wider spelling curriculum. As children progress beyond early phonics, your approach to spelling should stay clear, consistent and systematic across year groups. By planning this transition thoughtfully, you help your pupils maintain progress and confidence, and ensure every child continues to develop strong spelling skills as they move through the curriculum.
Reflection questions
- How do you teach spelling patterns and conventions in lessons?
- How do you introduce word structure, such as prefixes, suffixes and root words, to pupils?
- In what ways do pupils explore the meaning and origins of words?
Action steps
- Work with teachers across year groups to agree and embed consistent approaches for teaching spelling patterns, morphology and etymology.
- Check that pupils are supported as they move from SSP to the wider spelling curriculum, ensuring each phase builds clearly on the last and that expectations and resources are aligned across year groups.
Practising spelling
Practice is more than repetition. It is about giving pupils regular, purposeful opportunities to revisit and use what they have learned (Engelmann, 2007). Well-structured practice and feedback help pupils build confidence and develop spelling skills over time. By making spelling a routine part of the week, you support pupils to become accurate, automatic spellers and encourage a positive attitude to writing. Your spelling curriculum should include opportunities to:
- Practise previously taught words - Regularly revisit words through quizzes, flashcards or word hunts. Encourage pupils to use these words in sentences to reinforce spelling and meaning.
- Write dictated sentences - Use dictation to combine spelling, handwriting and listening. Read sentences aloud for pupils to write, then review together to check accuracy and give feedback.
- Revisit tricky words and patterns - Return to tricky words and patterns often, using visual reminders like word walls. Encourage pupils to spot patterns, exceptions and share strategies for remembering spellings.
When you embed these opportunities in your spelling curriculum, you help every pupil develop their spelling skills in a meaningful way.
Pupils benefit most when they learn spelling in school, through guided practice, rather than being asked to memorise word lists at home. When spelling practice happens mainly at home, inequalities can widen. Not every pupil has the same support or resources outside school and asking children to rote learn lists of spellings can reinforce these gaps. By embedding spelling practice into the school week, you create a more equitable and effective learning experience for every pupil.
Reflection questions
- How often do pupils practise spelling in your classroom?
- How do you revisit previously taught words and spelling patterns with pupils?
Action steps
- Embed regular spelling practice into the timetable, including dictation and handwriting tasks across year groups.
- Establish routines for revisiting and reviewing tricky words and spelling patterns throughout the year, ensuring consistent reinforcement.
- Use a varied menu of activities – such as games, dictation and sentence writing – to keep spelling practice engaging and memorable for all pupils.
This explainer is part of a series for teachers and school leaders on how to navigate the writing framework. Explore the other articles.
References
- Daffern, Tessa & Fleet, Robert. (2021). Investigating the efficacy of using error analysis data to inform explicit teaching of spelling. Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties. 26. 67-88. 10.1080/19404158.2021.1881574.
- Engelmann, S. (2007). Student-Program Alignment and Teaching to Mastery. Journal of Direct Instruction, 7(1), 45–66.
- Konkle, T., Brady, T. F., Alvarez, G. A., & Oliva, A. (2010). Conceptual distinctiveness supports detailed visual long-term memory for real-world objects. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 139, 558.
- Moats, L., & Snow, C. (2005). How Spelling Supports Reading. American Federation of Teachers, 1–13.
- Oakley, G., & Fellowes, J. (2016). A closer look at spelling in the primary classroom. Primary English Teaching Association Australia (PETAA).
