Mastering Spelling: Effective Strategies and Rules for Success

1. Spelling for success Booklet 3 Name: English teacher:

2. But how can I learn spellings? Tick it off when you have tried it Useful strategies Break it into sounds (d-i-a-r-y) Break it into syllables (re-mem-ber) Break it into affixes (un-happi-ness) Use a mnemonic (rhythm – rhythm helps your two hips move) Refer to a word in the same family (muscle, muscular) Say it as it sounds (Wed-nes-day) Words within words (I am – Parliament) Refer to word origin (bi + cycle = two + wheels) Use analogy (bright, light, night) Use key words (horrible/drinkable for –ible and –able) Apply spelling rules (‘i’ before ‘e’ except after ‘c’) Learn by sight (look – say – cover – write - check) Calligrams – a visual image (e.g. lk) Use your doodle pad to learn your spellings. You could also use it to look up meanings of unfamiliar words and to use them correctly in a sentence. 2

3. Track your progress Rule 15: Plurals This time, I scored: ________________________________________ My target words to learn are:_________________________________ Rule 16: Prefixes Auto, tele, circ This time, I scored: ________________________________________ My target words to learn are:_________________________________ Rule 17: Meet the Rebels… This time, I scored: ________________________________________ My target words to learn are:_________________________________ Rule 18: Words ending in the suffix ‘ive’ This time, I scored: ________________________________________ My target words to learn are:_________________________________ Rule 19: Words ending in ‘ful’ This time, I scored: ________________________________________ My target words to learn are:_________________________________ Rule 20: Ance or ence? This time, I scored: ________________________________________ My target words to learn are:_________________________________ Rule 21: Cial or tial? This time, I scored: ________________________________________ My target words to learn are:_________________________________ 3

4. Rule 15 Plurals The Golden Rules: - If a word ends in a consonant followed by a ‘y’, it changes to ‘ies’ in the plural - If a word ends in s, x, sh or ch, then you add ‘es’ in the plural - If a word ends in f, it changes to ‘ves’ in the plural Watch out: Roof – roofs Chief - chiefs Challenge: Research the correct form of these words in the plural: - Formula / Antenna - Man / Woman - Mouse / Louse - Goose / Foot / Tooth Recap Core Challenge Boxes Buses Churches Dishes Foxes Donkeys Keys Monkeys Trays Plays Babies Cities Flies Jellies Lollies Calves Halves Lives Loaves Scarves Roofs Briberies Hierarchies Stowaways Tearaways *Handkerchiefs 4

5. Rule 15 Plurals Core Recap Challenge Boxes Buses Churches Dishes Foxes Donkeys Keys Monkeys Trays Plays Babies Cities Flies Jellies Lollies Calves Halves Lives Loaves Scarves Roofs Briberies Hierarchies Stowaways Tearaways *Handkerchiefs 5

6. Rule 16 Prefixes Auto, tele, circ Auto – usually means ‘oneself’ – e.g. – autobiography means a book written about oneself. It can also mean ‘by itself’ – e.g. – automobile is ‘moving by itself’. Tele – always means ‘from far’ – e.g. – a telescope helps you see things ‘from far’ away. Circ – means round – e.g. – circular means round in shape. Recap Core Challenge Circle Circus Television Telephone Automatic Autobiography Autograph Automobile Circulate Circuit Circumference Telegraph Telepathy Telephone Telescope Teleport Autocratic Circumnavigate Circumstance Circumspect Telecommunication 6

7. Rule 17 Meet the Rebels… Without rules or reasons, these rebellious rule-breaking renegades have to be learned off by heart… Which strategies from the start of the booklet will you choose to help you? Recap Core Challenge Identity Leisure Muscle Occupy Occur Immediately Interfere Interrupt Language Lightning Marvellous Miniature Mischievous Monstrous Necessary Neighbour Nuisance Opportunity Profession Pronunciation Onomatopoeia Parliament Prejudice Privilege Purgatory 7

8. Rule 18 Words ending in the suffix ‘ive’ Recap Core Challenge Arrive Attractive Captive Thrive Survive Alliterative Alternative Apprehensive Comprehensive Corrective Discursive Explosive Adjective Aggressive Communicative Authoritative Derivative Exhaustive Investigative Retrospective Quantitative 8

9. Rule 19 Words ending in ‘ful’ The Golden Rules: - Remember that these words only need one l at the end. - If the stem word ends in y, it will need changing to ‘I’ before adding the ‘ful’. Recap Core Challenge Careful Playful Harmful Thankful *Joyful Boastful Colourful Doubtful Faithful Fearful Handful Shameful Fanciful Pitiful Cheerful Plentiful Beautiful Scornful Merciful Bountiful Remorseful Resentful Doleful 9

10. Rule 20 Ance or ence? The Golden Rules: - Use ‘ence’ after a soft c or soft g sound – e.g – innocence - Or words that end in ‘ent’ in the adjective – e.g. – confident becomes confidence, violent becomes violence. - Use ‘ance’ after stems ending in the ‘er’ sound or other vowel sounds – e.g. – alliance, appliance. - Or words that end in ‘ant’ for the adjective – e.g. – elegant becomes elegance, brilliant becomes brilliance. Exceptions: Audience, experience, science. Recap Core Challenge Innocence Violence Confidence Evidence Importance Defiance Dominance Relevance Reluctance Significance Tolerance Absence Existence Persistence Presence Acquaintance Extravagance Vigilance Belligerence Opulence 10

11. Rule 21 Cial or tial? The Golden Rules: - Use ‘cial’ for words where the stem ends in a vowel – e.g. – special, artificial, social. - Use ‘tial’ after a word where the stem ends in a consonant – e.g. – confidential, essential. Watch out: Spatial, initial, palatial Provincial, financial, commercial Recap Core Challenge Official Social Special Essential Facial Spatial Initial Confidential Essential Potential *Palatial *Financial *Commercial Beneficial Crucial Glacial *Provincial Superficial Quintessential Circumstantial Deferential 11