Run out of spellings

[quietplease]

DD1 is 5 years 4 months (July birthday) and in Y1. She loves reading, writing and spelling and she's done really well with this, recently progressing to free readers.

She's finished all of the spellings for Y3/Y4 (medium frequency they call them...) and now I'm not sure what to do. I asked the teacher for the next lot of spellings (as she loves doing them) but she just said to pick some words from her reading book and teach her those.

Seems a difficult task to know which ones to choose. Is she saying this because the Y3/Y4 list is the last list they have? Any other ideas how we can help? She really enjoys having a little "test" at the weekend and amazes us how quickly she learns.

sorry

Why don't you want to pick words from her reading book?

genuine question - sorry you feel like that about it.

I'm a speech therapist - I found it easy to know how to develop her skills when it was all the basic stuff but feel lost now - they don't teach us about reading and spelling when we do our training.

Goblin - I'm not sure which to pick - doesn't seem systematic - there was a system (I don't understand it but knew somebody must have devised it) and left to my own devices, not sure I'm doing it right!

You could have a look at the spelling journals at

www.schoolslinks.co.uk/resources_spelling.htm

and the associated spelling wordsearches. They will give you lots of examples of spelling lists

So use her reading book, pick out a word, get her to spot others with a similar pattern or rule and use those.
My DD loved spelling and word games, so I'm not feeling biscuity about it.

why the mrz?

I don't really see why they can't give her the next set TBH. wouldn't be that difficult to get a copy from the yr5 teacher surely?

I LOVE your use of "Biscuity"!!!!!

What does that mean? I want to use it!

Thanks for the link, Spaniel

I don't feel biscuity either but there isn't a smiley to express my feelings What on earth is the school doing!

Biscuit is a kind of roll your eyes, no comment sort of icon.
You could be a hothousing loon whose daughter has to spell 16 words before eating her organic weetabix for all I know, but I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt.

I still use this in class, and oldie but a fairly goody, linked to games and phonic activities.

nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/47439
You have to download the spelling bank

Goblinchild my "takes the biscuit" was for the school not the poster

support for spelling but it's aimed at much older children

I wasn't sure, everyone is entitled to an opinion mrz.

I find it oddthat a teacher is blithely sending home Y3/4 spelling lists for a 5 year old and can't help wondering what they are actually teaching now I'll shut up because I've realised I've said odd about two of the OPs posts

You're right, I could be a hot-housing freak, you'll have to take my word for it that I've not got her chanting latin verbs at bedtime.

She's bright - I want to do the right thing by her without unecessary pushing. Like many summer birthday kids, her social skills have always lagged behind and TBH, I always thought it was more important she just played.

OTOH, she wants more spellings. Hopefully there will be something useful on one of your suggested lists, so ta.

Well, they're not teaching spelling rules and patterns, how to play around with language and explore for themselves.
All those lovely dinosaur names that roll off the tongue, and interesting poems using rhyme and word families.
Which is a bit sad.

Mrz

What do you mean by blithely sending home lists? Genuine question. Like I said, I'm not a teacher - I trust what they're doing is right and I don't question them.

Should I?

Goblin Child, you have a good point. We do lots of that sort of stuff at home because of my profession (and generally being a language-y person) but I'm not aure the national curriculum allows for that sort of creativity?

We spent a term in America. My ds was 7. His teacher gave spellings relating to 'project' type work going on in class. So currently you could do Hallowe'en (with apostrophe), ghost (silent h), witch (not which) type spellings. (Or economy, budget, defecit...) He did a list of local election words like community, here (Ireland) he'd have been on 5 letters.

One question- does she retain all these spellings and spell them correctly when she writes?

My DD didn't have the writing stamina to record many of the words she could spell, not at 5.
She just liked the sounds of the words and how letters linked to make words and meaning.
This was 15 years ago, so I'm not being precious, just explaining.

I don't see the problem with sending older years' lists home - surely it's not mutually exclusive with teaching her well in class time?

I raced through spelling lists as a child, I was given harder lists and was suitably challenged in school. I don't get why it's a big deal?