ESSENTIALSPELLING is a whole class approach that teaches children spelling patterns, strategies and knowledge aligned with National Curriculum year group expectations for years 2-6.
ESSENTIALSPELLING can be used as a scheme for spelling on its own or in conjunction with your school’s existing scheme. This complete teaching resource features a suite of progressive teaching sequences for each year group for the academic year. Sequences have been ordered progressively to review and consolidate prior learning before moving on children’s spelling knowledge and application.
There are approximately 30 week-long sequences in each of the KS2 resources and 93 shorter sequences in the KS2 programme.
What is special about ESSENTIALSPELLING?
This spelling resource is different to other spelling schemes.
- Through each teaching sequence, teachers are guided to explicitly teach the spelling patterns through phonics, morphology and etymology.
- Children are taught strategies to inform their independent spelling knowledge and application.
- Vocabulary development is woven in throughout.
- Children are encouraged to actively take part and shape their learning, rather than passively listen.
Each sequence provides teachers with guidance for assessing and building on children’s prior phonics and spelling knowledge. Within the lesson plans, teachers are pinpointed to the related National Curriculum objectives that children will have studied previously and how these connect to the spelling objective in line with the current year group.
Further sequences across the year are dedicated to revisiting objectives from previous year groups. This has been particularly welcome to teachers in light of learning gaps in phonics and spelling caused by the pandemic.
The teaching sequences also include targeted, in-class support and adaptation suggestions for children who are working towards or below their current year group of study in spelling. Teachers are encouraged and prompted to use responsive and adaptive teaching methods in order to meet the needs of their individual cohort.
ESSENTIALSPELLING is not a ‘one-size fits all’ approach but is straightforward to use and supportive for both teachers and pupils. It’s designed to be low on workload but high on engagement. And it has impact.
Training
Training is available for teachers to watch ‘on demand’ via the HFL Hub: ESSENTIALSPELLING.
Alternatively, contact us at primaryenglish@hfleducation.org to find out about the range of bespoke training we can offer your school.
Further information
Read more about ESSENTIALSPELLING in our blog: An introduction to ESSENTIALspelling
Further information about our English support for all schools.
We are really pleased to have found a strong, structured programme for teaching spelling. The planning is clear and easy to teach from and the resources have been useful in supporting learning. The detailed planning has given our teachers confidence to teach spelling effectively.
St Margaret’s Primary, Luton
The scheme is clear, well laid out, rigorous and effective. I like the minor gaps and major gaps in order to target all children. The resource is time saving and clear with high level expectation.
Mandeville Primary School, Sawbridgeworth
