Weekly spelling tests - does your child have them?

[Loobylou3]

Just that really. My dd (year 1) does and they get on my nerves just with the amount of words she wouldn't use in her writing yet...for example leisure, pleasure, beige...I get keywords/tricky words or words used a lot but surely if they don't use the words a lot at that age it is a bit of a waste of time.
Maybe I am wrong and be happy to hear if you think learning/testing spellings is very important.

No, no tests here. I thought that they were now considered to be completely pointless.

DS has up to 20 words a week. They have to find out their meaning and use the word to write a sentence. The sentences are often entertaining and occasionaly embarrassing if we don't check them. It seems to work well.

It certainly enriches their vocabulary. They also try to hide rude words within the sentences but his teacher is very quick to spot them.
DS is an avid reader so doesn't struggle with spelling. It has never been hard work, but I know for some children it is a nightmare every week.

DDs have had these all the way up from Year 1 to Year 6. At the start of year 2, DD3 came home with government, revolution, corrosion... now in Year 4 we seem to have regressed to five, alive, active... Lord knows what logic they apply. And like DDs 1 and 2, she does very well in spelling tests, but in ordinary writing, not so much.

My DS (Year 2) gets 10 spellings a week, if they don't get them right they get carried over to the next week (and on and on in some cases), but no more than 10 a week.

In Yr1 they had to put some of the words into sentences so they got to know the meaning of them but that doesn't seem to be the case this year.

Yes, DD has had weekly spelling tests since reception (now in yr2).

DS is in yr5 & also gets them.

They also have to write a sentence for each word & hand it in weekly.

15 words a week, daily practice takes her about 20 minutes, she is 6

Yes. DS is seven and in first grade (we're American).

Yes.

About 20 words for Year 4 child. 10 for Year 2 child. Year 2 child also has to do sentences.

Both kids tend to get high scores in their tests but both also subsequently spell the words wrongly....

Year 4 have 12 a week - alternate between Welsh and English

Year 2 don't

No tests here. ds is 6 and I have been told not to correct his spelling and there are no spelling test and no homework, only one reading book a week.

Yep every week from year one. The words seem difficult and so out of place but usually they're tied to phonic sounds e.g on your example ea and ei all have the same sounds as in leisure, pleasure.

Yes my year 2 dd has 8 spellings a week linked to the phonics work they've been doing. She also has to use the words to write sentences/ a story. They are tested every Friday and new spellings given out.

Our school decided to stop weekly spelling tests a couple of year ago.

5 per week in Y1 now 10 per week in Y2. It's too much I think.

Yep daughters school will start spelling test in year 1 but have been told they will be simple to begin with ( cat ,hat etc). Personally I think its a good thing looked at one school headteacher said she didn't believe in testing ?

Know some parents at different school who have felt it's too
Much at that age

It's a difficult one and I understand the time it takes out of people's weekends etc. However, our school has a policy not to do spelling tests...and the children's spelling is AWFUL. Really, really bad. In fact it was the main reason the school got a 'Good' rather than 'Outstanding' at recent Ofsted inspection. Really wish they did spelling tests.

No. Never had them. Three different primary schools, and DS in year 4 has never had a spelling test.