"Help your child to spell" and our Homework Policy
Help your child to spell
► Be positive. Stressing failure will discourage children.
► Follow the school's procedures and the policy on spelling when you work with your child.
► Here's a way of helping children with incorrect spellings:
1. Pick out a handful of important spelling errors in your child's work. Choose everyday words, especially if you can use them to talk about other spellings.
2. Ask your child to have another go at spelling the word correctly.
3. If your child makes an incorrect attempt, give a clue eg. "There's a letter missing." or "There's a letter too many here."
4. Give the spelling yourself only if you must. This will make your child think really hard about the spelling rules which may apply.
5. Point out any simple rules, word or families or interesting features of the word. This will help your child to apply advice to other words.
eg.Spelling error: strenth
You: There's a letter missing.
Child: I have no idea.. (pause to look)., no, I can't tell.
You: How do you spell strong?
Child: s..t..r..o..n..g Is there a g missing?
You: Yes. Here, after the n. (writes it in) How would you spell length?
Child: L..e..n..g..t..h
You: Yes. Good I will ask you about this again next time.
6. When you have a moment, return to the words with which you have helped your child and ask him or her to spell them without any help. Cross off the list those words which your child gets right. Leave on the ones which are still incorrect. Reinforcement is needed.
► Suggest strategies for learning spellings, such as: saying the word as it sounds eg. Wed-nes-day.
Breaking the word into its parts
eg. dis+satisfied.
Mnemonics
eg. Necessary - No Elephant Can Eat Strawberry Sandwiches
And Raspberry Yoghurt.
Identifying words within words eg. there's A RAT in SepARATe.
Sounding out variations of the word to confirm the vowel: eg. infinIte - infinIty.
Pointing out spelling rules
eg. Drop the E when you add ING (not the full rule)
► Use the LOOK - COVER - WRITE - CHECK method of learning spellings
► Buy a good dictionary and encourage your child to use it! Be seen to use a dictionary yourself. Watch your child using the dictionary: does the child need help to use it? We recommend the following inexpensive dictionaries:
1. The Oxford Junior Dictionary - a full alphabet appears on each page to help to find words, very useful for struggling spellers.
2. The Collins Concise School Dictionary - a good clear dictionary for most pupils.
3. The Concise Oxford Dictionary - more expensive and detailed.
4. The Chambers Mini Dictionary - a clear pocket dictionary.
5. Harrap's English Spelling Dictionary - pocket sized and useful for children who are already good spellers.
6. Spellmaster - a computer dictionary with some spelling games included.
7. Computers - if your child has a computer encourage him/her to use the spell-check facility.
► Buy games which will encourage attention to and interest in words:
Scrabble
Lexicon
Boggle
Upwards
Joke books which play on words
► Play word games such as:
Hangman - one person draws dashes indicating the number of letters in a secret word and the other person guesses at the letters in it. Correct guesses are inserted in the word but incorrect ones will result in a hanging (on paper!)
Shannon's game - Like Hangman but you start at the first letter and move onto the second letter, third letter and so on in order. It draws attention to familiar letter strings.
Crosswords - begin with simple ones and make them increasingly more difficult.
Word Searches.
Word Ladders - eg. change tent to rule in 4 moves, changing one letter at a time, always using real words.
Jumbled Words.
Anagrams - makes new words from old ones.
► Watch useful TV quiz programmes such as 'COUNTDOWN' Use odd moments to re-inforce spelling. For example, play word games during a car journey. Try filling out the letter sequences on number plates to make words (BSN - business, bursting etc.)
► improve your own spelling by using the same strategies and working with your child.
► Be positive. Stressing failure will discourage children.
► Follow the school's procedures and the policy on spelling when you work with your child.
► Here's a way of helping children with incorrect spellings:
1. Pick out a handful of important spelling errors in your child's work. Choose everyday words, especially if you can use them to talk about other spellings.
2. Ask your child to have another go at spelling the word correctly.
3. If your child makes an incorrect attempt, give a clue eg. "There's a letter missing." or "There's a letter too many here."
4. Give the spelling yourself only if you must. This will make your child think really hard about the spelling rules which may apply.
5. Point out any simple rules, word or families or interesting features of the word. This will help your child to apply advice to other words.
eg.Spelling error: strenth
You: There's a letter missing.
Child: I have no idea.. (pause to look)., no, I can't tell.
You: How do you spell strong?
Child: s..t..r..o..n..g Is there a g missing?
You: Yes. Here, after the n. (writes it in) How would you spell length?
Child: L..e..n..g..t..h
You: Yes. Good I will ask you about this again next time.
6. When you have a moment, return to the words with which you have helped your child and ask him or her to spell them without any help. Cross off the list those words which your child gets right. Leave on the ones which are still incorrect. Reinforcement is needed.
► Suggest strategies for learning spellings, such as: saying the word as it sounds eg. Wed-nes-day.
Breaking the word into its parts
eg. dis+satisfied.
Mnemonics
eg. Necessary - No Elephant Can Eat Strawberry Sandwiches
And Raspberry Yoghurt.
Identifying words within words eg. there's A RAT in SepARATe.
Sounding out variations of the word to confirm the vowel: eg. infinIte - infinIty.
Pointing out spelling rules
eg. Drop the E when you add ING (not the full rule)
► Use the LOOK - COVER - WRITE - CHECK method of learning spellings
► Buy a good dictionary and encourage your child to use it! Be seen to use a dictionary yourself. Watch your child using the dictionary: does the child need help to use it? We recommend the following inexpensive dictionaries:
1. The Oxford Junior Dictionary - a full alphabet appears on each page to help to find words, very useful for struggling spellers.
2. The Collins Concise School Dictionary - a good clear dictionary for most pupils.
3. The Concise Oxford Dictionary - more expensive and detailed.
4. The Chambers Mini Dictionary - a clear pocket dictionary.
5. Harrap's English Spelling Dictionary - pocket sized and useful for children who are already good spellers.
6. Spellmaster - a computer dictionary with some spelling games included.
7. Computers - if your child has a computer encourage him/her to use the spell-check facility.
► Buy games which will encourage attention to and interest in words:
Scrabble
Lexicon
Boggle
Upwards
Joke books which play on words
► Play word games such as:
Hangman - one person draws dashes indicating the number of letters in a secret word and the other person guesses at the letters in it. Correct guesses are inserted in the word but incorrect ones will result in a hanging (on paper!)
Shannon's game - Like Hangman but you start at the first letter and move onto the second letter, third letter and so on in order. It draws attention to familiar letter strings.
Crosswords - begin with simple ones and make them increasingly more difficult.
Word Searches.
Word Ladders - eg. change tent to rule in 4 moves, changing one letter at a time, always using real words.
Jumbled Words.
Anagrams - makes new words from old ones.
► Watch useful TV quiz programmes such as 'COUNTDOWN' Use odd moments to re-inforce spelling. For example, play word games during a car journey. Try filling out the letter sequences on number plates to make words (BSN - business, bursting etc.)
► improve your own spelling by using the same strategies and working with your child.
English Department Homework Policy - 2001
The English department supports the aims and objectives of whole school policy on homework. We expect pupils to complete homework to extend their knowledge and develop their skills as independent learners.
Rationale
Homework is perceived as encouraging individual learning, self-discipline and responsibility for personal achievements, which becomes even more important during Years 10 and 11. Students should see the purpose and value of homework.
English is currently set once a week (see School Homework Timetable) and takes two forms: Written homework i.e. extended writing for a specific purpose (reports, instructions, books reviews etc) creative writing, grammatical and extension exercises.
► Learning homework which can include: reading for pleasure, research from a library, a current affairs programme or Internet sources, conducting a survey, interviewing adults, learning spellings and spelling strategies, etc.
Some students may be set individual homework targets for example if it is found that one, or a group of students, need extra support in a certain area e.g. full stops, capital letters etc. Homework tasks are written on the board for lower bands and all students note homework in their planners.
In lower school 30 minutes per week should be spent on homework, and during Year 10 and 11 some weekend work should be involved to produce high quality Assignments.
Willowgarth has produced Home Guides for parents, giving full details of our expectations and how they can support our homework policy.
Qualitative Expectations
The teacher should clearly explain what is required and full instructions should be recorded in individual homework diaries. All homework should be executed conscientiously, completed and handed in at the agreed time. If, for some reason, homework has not been handed in, a parental note is required to explain the reason and an alternate date agreed for completion. Homework can be done by prior arrangement during form periods, breaks and lunchtimes either in the classroom or in the Library.
Formal Procedures for Non-compliance with Homework Policy
The individual English teacher imposes sanctions as necessary to ensure that work is completed - departmental detentions until the homework is finished and of the expected quantity and quality. If the student continues to fail to produce work, the HOD is informed. For persistent defaulters staff must ensure that the referral system is adhered to:
► departmental detentions
► Referral to HOD
► Referral to Head of Year
► Standard letter home informing parents of the situation
The English department supports the aims and objectives of whole school policy on homework. We expect pupils to complete homework to extend their knowledge and develop their skills as independent learners.
Rationale
Homework is perceived as encouraging individual learning, self-discipline and responsibility for personal achievements, which becomes even more important during Years 10 and 11. Students should see the purpose and value of homework.
English is currently set once a week (see School Homework Timetable) and takes two forms: Written homework i.e. extended writing for a specific purpose (reports, instructions, books reviews etc) creative writing, grammatical and extension exercises.
► Learning homework which can include: reading for pleasure, research from a library, a current affairs programme or Internet sources, conducting a survey, interviewing adults, learning spellings and spelling strategies, etc.
Some students may be set individual homework targets for example if it is found that one, or a group of students, need extra support in a certain area e.g. full stops, capital letters etc. Homework tasks are written on the board for lower bands and all students note homework in their planners.
In lower school 30 minutes per week should be spent on homework, and during Year 10 and 11 some weekend work should be involved to produce high quality Assignments.
Willowgarth has produced Home Guides for parents, giving full details of our expectations and how they can support our homework policy.
Qualitative Expectations
The teacher should clearly explain what is required and full instructions should be recorded in individual homework diaries. All homework should be executed conscientiously, completed and handed in at the agreed time. If, for some reason, homework has not been handed in, a parental note is required to explain the reason and an alternate date agreed for completion. Homework can be done by prior arrangement during form periods, breaks and lunchtimes either in the classroom or in the Library.
Formal Procedures for Non-compliance with Homework Policy
The individual English teacher imposes sanctions as necessary to ensure that work is completed - departmental detentions until the homework is finished and of the expected quantity and quality. If the student continues to fail to produce work, the HOD is informed. For persistent defaulters staff must ensure that the referral system is adhered to:
► departmental detentions
► Referral to HOD
► Referral to Head of Year
► Standard letter home informing parents of the situation