At Willington Primary School, we have begun to use Spelling Shed this year to support children on their spelling journey in Key Stage 2. Spelling will be taught discretely using the Spelling Shed programme in Years 3-6.
The Spelling Shed scheme uses the latest spelling research in order to develop a programme with lessons based on phonics, morphology and etymology. Each lesson has a main objective from the National Curriculum appendix for spelling. The lessons include main teaching inputs which are followed up with additional activities providing opportunities to incorporate phonics and word meaning to strengthen spelling skills and build vocabulary acquisition.
As well as discrete spelling lessons, research has shown that repeated practice, short-term retrieval and small-step goal achievement is key to spelling improvement – the programme also uses technology-driven games in order that children learn and apply different spelling rules effectively by progressing through a range of games, levels and challenges.
Spelling Shed at home- information for parents
Spelling Shed is fun and engaging way for children to confidently learn and practise their spellings as they progress through Key Stage 2 (from Year 3 to Year 6). It is a simple, fun web-game that is playable through any internet browser on phones, tablets or computers.
How does Spelling Shed work?
Each week, pupils will be assigned a spelling rule or word list that they have been focussing on in class. Pupils can also select ‘More Lists’ if they would like to revisit past assignments.
To ensure your child is given a level of challenge appropriate to them, they can choose from four levels of difficulty. The game is also designed to be dyslexic-friendly.
- Easy – The word is shown, an audio clip is played and only the included letters are shown.
- Medium – An audio clip is played and only the included letters are shown.
- Hard – An audio clip is played and the included letters, plus some random letters are shown.
- Extreme – An audio clip is played and a full qwerty keyboard is shown. Letters must be correctly accented and capitalised.
All users have an avatar that can be personalised by using honeypots. Honeypots are earned by spelling words correctly.
Pupils can also keep track of how Willington Primary School’s score ranks against other schools in the country, as well as how their total lines up with other pupils in our school.
How do I access Spelling Shed?
Click on the link to access the Spelling Shed website. Alternatively, you can download the app free of charge to any tablet. Your child will have their own personal log in which they should keep safe. Please see your child’s class teacher if you need any login details this reissued.
How to get the most out of Spelling Shed
Regular spelling practise helps children to build their vocabulary and feel more confident with their writing, allowing them to write more freely and imaginatively. With your help and encouragement, your child can understand the importance of practising their spellings. Ideally, pupils should spend a short time every day accessing the games and activities available on Spelling Shed. In addition to weekly set spellings, the more they use the program to revise previously learnt spelling patterns, the more confident they will feel in continuing to use these words in their everyday writing.
For more information, please read this parent guide:
Parent Guide for Spelling Shed
