Children's Spelling

Question 1

What are Barclay’s six stages of writing?

Answer 1

1. Scribbling
2. Mock Handwriting
3. Mock Letters
4. Conventional letters
5. Semi-phonetic
6. Phonetic

Question 2

Name the 7 main types of spelling error:

Answer 2

1. Insertion
2. Omission
3. Substitution
4. Transposition
5. Phonetic Spelling
6. Over/undergeneralisation of spelling rules
7. Salient (the most obvious) sounds

Question 3

Identify the spelling error made by this child and rewrite the word correctly: ‘kitchin’

Answer 3

Substitution - correct word is ‘kitchen’

Question 4

Identify the spelling error made by this child and rewrite the word correctly: ‘(golf) corse’

Answer 4

Omission - the correct spelling is ‘course’

Question 5

What error has a Rubie made with this word? ‘Shale’. Write the correct spelling.

Answer 5

Overgeneralisation - ‘Shall’ is the correct word.

Question 6

Tommy attempted to spell a word. This word was ‘expensis’. What error did he make here? Can you rewrite the word with the correct spelling?

Answer 6

Phonetic - the correct spelling is ‘expenses’.

Question 7

What spelling error has Nelly made with the word ‘becuase’? Correct the spelling.

Answer 7

Transposition - ‘Because’ is the correct spelling.

Question 8

Teddy described his mummy as having lots of ‘correg’. What spelling error has Teddy made and can you correct the spelling?

Answer 8

Salient - ‘Courage’ is the correct spelling.

Question 9

What spelling error has Heidi made when writing the word ‘perculiar’? Rewrite the word with the correct spelling

Answer 9

Insertion - ‘Peculiar’ is the correct spelling.

Question 10

What must you also consider as a factor of the phonetic and spelling choices that children make?

Answer 10

The effect of accent, as their phonetic and spelling choices might vary according to where they live.