Spelling Focus

Example words

Revise apostrophe for contraction.

Noting that letters either side of the apostrophe do not join.

can’t       didn’t        hasn’t    wouldn’t  

couldn’t    isn’t

Revise plurals eg adding -s, -es and –ies

bicycle / bicycles      torch/torches 

puppy / puppies         thief / thieves

potato /potatoes

Words with ‘silent’ letters (i.e. letters whose presence cannot be predicted from the pronunciation of the word)

doubt    island     lamb    solemn  

thistle      knight

Words containing the letter-string -ough.

ought     bought         thought     brought

rough     tough     enough

cough

though     although    dough

through

thorough     borough

plough     bough

Homophones words that sound the same but are spelt differently.  

advice/advise  device/devise

licence/license   practice/practise

prophecy/prophesy, farther /father

Use of the hyphen

Hyphens can be used to join a prefix to a root word, especially if the prefix ends in a vowel letter and the root word also begins with one.

co-ordinate, re-enter, co-operate, co-own

Use dictionary to support teaching of word roots, derivations and spelling patterns

sign            signature      significant

permit       permissible       permission

light           lightening         delighted

prove             approve        approval

Our focus words from the statutory Y5/6 word list

Half term 1

occur         accompany       according

achieve     aggressive      forty

ancient    apparent         occupy 

Our focus words from the statutory Y5/6 word list

Half term 2

symbol    system   temperature

committee   environment     rhyme

government  communicate

accommodate   embarrass   rhythm