Learning and remembering spelling

[BJJD]

I am new to Mumsnet but a friend suggested it would be a perfect forum to ask for help - please help!

My D2 is in year 2 and is struggling with her spellings. She learns her weekly spelling lists for Friday but by Monday it has completely gone and in her writing she can't remember whether she should be using 'ea' or 'ee' etc and this really bothers her . I have tried so many different ways but with no happy result. She is getting so demoralised. It is not fun for anyone now - a big struggle.

Anyone have any ideas, books or resources they could suggest to try to help her remember? Anything that makes it fun would be a bonus!

Have you tried her on Starfall?

I have often read on MN that spelling tests don't work at all to improve spelling, precisely because of the experience you've found: they learn 'em for Friday & forget 'em by Monday.

I'm guessing that lots and lots of reading is the best way to learn to spell, that and phonics, so they learn when a word 'looks' right or not.

Spelling lists can be a complete nightmare can't they! I recently came across something that takes a different approach with spellings that was recommended by a friend.

It's called Picture Spell and I've been using it with my Y1 DD for a few months now and she's really enjoying it and also doing really well with her spellings.

It uses a series of pictures to help children really remember the different spellings for the same sounds. Each sound has two or three different pictures (e.g. like one for 'ea' and one for 'ee' that you mention) and each picture contains words using the particular spellings.

There's a guide for parents and lots of suggested activities to do with the pictures. If you spend the same amount of time on the activities as you do on learning the lists your DD you can make pretty good progress. It's definitely worth a look to see what you think - www.picturespell.co.uk/

I hate spelling tests. Just not at all convinced that they work but know very little about it.

With my kids i get them to play computer games. There is a great one at woodlands primary school - based on the read write cover strategy. You enter their spelling list and then it goes through it with them.

When they have done that once or twice. I let them go on "spelling city" which has a list of about eight games to play with their spelling list.

Seems to be a low stress way of doing it with my son.

Lisa

Thanks so much for your replies - had a crazy week with oldest child taking assessments for senior school. All your suggestions sound really interesting. She likes working on the computer and percieves it as play so she will hopefully see that less like learning her spelllings.

I really like the idea of picturespell as it has images which can reinforce the spellings. She loves picture books and colouring books. The pictures are laminated so you can use them for placemats so we could spot the spellings and talk about them at meal times.

Has anyone else heard of or used picturespell?

Will try your suggestions out and let you know how we get on.

Thank you

Yes my son uses Picture spell, both at school & at home. It has helped hugely. He loves finding the different pictures on the laminated sheets, circling each one along the way (very grown up!) then can use this as a prompt to write the words down.
Very simple to use, with some great ideas for different games to play using the sheets to keep it all fun.

WOW - we have lift off and success 12 out of 12 for her spellings test - never seen before but best of all was her beaming face showing me her 'I did it' sticker!

We tried the suggested websites and they were good for a bit but she found them repetitive and lost interest. She also plays them at school, so I took the financial plunge and bought picturespell. Great service - fast efficient and the posters arrived within a few days.

We started playing with them in the suggested way but before I knew it the children had taken them off to play schools. They have also made up their own posters with different words - hours of entertainment for them.

My children are 10, 8 and 6yrs - they are all improving their spelling not just the 6 yrs old.

Whoever thought of such a playfull inventive way to get the kids to learn, is fab in my book. So pleased, I am taking them into school in the hope they will adopt this new approach and ditch the old.

Really recommend them for all ages and abilities. Thanks to the picturespell team the spelling fights and failures have stopped. Spread the word - I haven't got shares honest (I wish I had as I think this is going to be big)

Thanks so much for your advise...our weekends are so much better!

So is this an advert then for picture spell?

Given it blatantly is an advery, it's ironic that the OP couldn't spell advice properly in her last post

advert not advery

"Thanks to the picturespell team the spelling fights and failures have stopped".

That's rather elaborate advertising by stealth.

This is very funny and really awful at the same time.

Hey, mysteriously named BJJD, Kat3L and TR40 what was the name of that thing that takes a different approach to spellings? Fast, efficient and arrived in a few days, you say?

I see it doesn't bother with the "i before e except after c" rule.

Hilarious!

Your replies have really shocked me. I bought the picturespell stuff and it worked. It was so exciting it never occurred to me that people would try and advertise here.

I thought this mumsnet thing was supposed to help and support mums not rip them apart and make them feel terrible. To ridicule me for a spelling mistake - why. It is like being bullied at school all over again.

I was really shocked that the stuff turned up so quickly (haven't you ever had to wait ages for a package), I have.

The weekly spelling fight has stopped and for once in her life, she got all her spellings right, she was so pleased. I was so excited and really wanted to tell everyone...that is just me. If that is wrong then sorry.

We will keep using picturespell as it works for us. Probably won't use mumsnet again tho.

BJJD, no need to leave mumsnet: it really is helpful and supportive. It's just that your posts, together with TR40's and Kat3L's, look so very much like rather clunky marketing that it's near impossible to read them any other way. And it really is awful to feel that people are trying to surreptitiously sell you things when you are in a place that you go to for advice and support.

(I would never pick anyone up on their spelling under normal circumstances btw.)

Good luck with it all anyway.

Whether it is an advert or not I would be loath to spend £35 on a picture with objects who's names contain a specific spelling pattern ...

Mrz, don't you take a strong interest in literacy?

I am alarmed therefore at your use of who's when you mean whose.

apologies moondog I should engage my brain before I hit post message

Loath as I am to give this thing any more publicity, what did you mean about the names of the objects containing a specific spelling pattern, mrz? You mean because one picture contains all -ai- words, another -ay- etc? Is that bad?

(That was a poorly constructed post, sorry. Feeling grammatically self-conscious now after all the nitpicking.)

No it isn't bad but I wouldn't pay £35 for it especially when you could achieve the same end free.

www.phonicsplay.co.uk/Phase%206%20menu.htm

Ah, I see. Thanks.

I probably should add it isn't the most effective way of learning to spell...

What isn't, mrz? You mean teaching alternative spellings of sounds in groups?

(Sorry for all the questions. Have slightly obsessive tendencies wrt spelling.)