Pencoed Primary School are a fantastic Spelling Shed and MathShed Showcase School based in Bridgend, Wales. We spoke to them to find out the impact that EdShed has had at their school. “One of the key things we wanted to do was to improve our pupils’ higher-level vocabulary knowledge – this is where we came …
Each year in May, all eligible Year 6 pupils are assessed using Key Stage 2 SATs tests. The KS2 English grammar, punctuation and spelling (GPS) test consists of two papers. GPS Paper 1 is a 45-minute, 50-mark test which focuses on grammar and punctuation questions. For an analysis of GPS paper 1, read our ‘Play …
Can preparing for Key Stage 2 SATs really be engaging and unintimidating? The simple answer is yes, of course it can and why shouldn’t it be? Preparing for KS2 SATs often looks like completing lots of past papers and whilst some of this is important, it’s also important for your preparation to be engaging and …
Play Your Way to SATs Success With Grammar Arcade Read More »
We’re delighted to announce that Spelling Shed is the winner of Bett’s Primary Digital Learning Product Language & Literacy Award. What Did the Judges Say? “This is a comprehensive resource for teachers to support teaching, learning and assessment of spelling. Its assessment tool is effective and reduces teacher workload. Parents can see their child’s learning …
Spelling Shed has launched baseline assessments, designed for use at the beginning of the academic year. How to Assign Spelling Shed’s Baseline Assessments This handy video shows you how to assign Spelling Shed’s baseline assessments and how to view data. Assigning baseline assessments is easy. 1. Create an assignment like you usually would by clicking …
With the SATs season around the corner, we share some of our top tips for preparing your class for the spelling paper as part of grammar, punctuation and spelling tests. When? This year, the two papers for spelling, punctuation and grammar are on May 13th. Paper 1 covers grammar and punctuation and Paper 2 covers …
Nursery rhymes may seem like catchy tunes we sing with young children; however, the origins and importance of the nursery rhyme should not be overlooked. Phonics Shed are a proud sponsor of World Nursery Rhyme Week 2023. This fantastic week runs from the 13th to 17th November. Our nursery rhyme planning and resources are based …
Spelling Patterns – to test or not to test? This has been an ongoing question posed by educators after realising that words learned for a spelling ‘test’ or ‘quiz’ are commonly forgotten shortly after said quiz. Spelling can be a challenge for many children and indeed teachers who are trying to find the best method …
How to Teach Spelling Patterns: I before E except after C Read More »
Does your Systematic Synthetic Phonics scheme meet the National Curriculum statutory requirements for KS1? Does it prepare your children for the more complex code they will encounter in their reading and writing in Year 3 and beyond? The simple answer is that almost all Government Validated Phonics Schemes do not adequately cover the National Curriculum …
Using Spelling Shed alongside your phonics scheme Read More »
Why is spelling such a complex skill to master and how can we teach students to be effective spellers? A common misconception is that if you can read a word then you can spell it. However, there are many ways a phoneme (sound) can be represented in written form. Take the phoneme /k/. It can …
And just like that, we are halfway through the year! June has brought with it (some!) sun, busy weeks at school and some amazing books! Here, I’ve rounded up the best 5 new releases of the last month for you to choose from, as well as a sneaky preview of one that is coming soon… …
How to use etymological information can improve understanding in reading and aid spelling Morphology and etymology go hand in hand and when joined together with orthographical mapping, they become a powerful trio in the learning of spellings. Other words with Greek origins: dolphin elephant alphabet hyphen triumph How do we use etymology in Spelling Shed …
What is it and how can we use it in the classroom to support spelling? Do you know what a zyzzyva is and how to pronounce it? Key Terms Base word – A word that can stand alone when all of the affixes have been removed Root Word – The root carries the primary meaning …
Using Morphology to Help Build Vocabulary and Spelling Strategies for Your Learners Read More »
What is Orthography? ‘The conventional spelling system of a language.’ ‘The study of spelling and how letters combine to represent sounds and form words.’ (Oxford English Dictionary) High quality SSP ensuring children have a solid foundational knowledge of GPCs The first way we use orthography is when teaching pupils phonics in KS1. We advocate the …
How to use Orthography to get the Most out of Phonics for Spelling Read More »
Systematic instruction means that there is a planned sequence of phonics elements that comprises a logical progression of skills and knowledge, with sufficient practice and cumulative review for mastery to be achieved. Learning to spell is a key ingredient to becoming a good reader and is far more intricate than just memorizing words. Catherine Snow …
The summer holidays are a much welcome break for both teachers and children, but even more so this year after the Covid-19 pandemic and the uncertainty and stresses that have come with it. The team at EdShed are so happy that we have been able to help teachers plan lessons and make home learning more …
10 Free Apps to help kids continue learning over summer Read More »
With the state of the Covid-19 pandemic uncertain, it is hard to plan for the 2020 – 2021 school year. The 2019 – 2020 school year has been significantly disrupted by the novel coronavirus. Schools and children have adapted amazingly and we’re proud to have been able to help support learning through such a difficult …
This video is of a whole-school training session on getting the most out of Spelling Shed. We look at the different ways word lists can be set up and tools to engage learners. Thanks to Bewdley Primary School for letting us film. Learn more about Spelling Shed HERE.
