At Carr Hill High School teachers understand the importance of getting the basics right. At the school’s weekly Spelling Club students have the opportunity to improve their spelling ability via a number of holistic methods.
The club, which has been running for two years, aims to change bad habits and help students to use the right words in the right way. Teachers encourage pupils to take apart their current knowledge of spelling and build it up again using various techniques. The techniques include creating word webs, breaking words into sounds or syllables and look, cover, write, check.
Students are given a baseline test to complete upon joining the club so that teachers can gauge every individual’s ability. Throughout the year pupils are tested again and can see the improvement they are making. The progress students make can be applied across most subjects and can even help improve coursework grades and exam results.
Year 9 pupil Chelsea has been attending the club since the start of the spring term. She said: “The club has been really useful so far and I already feel like I can correctly spell a lot more words.”
At the start of each club students are given a list of 10 words to spell. Throughout the session students will work on words they have spelt incorrectly at the beginning. The aim is to be able to spell every word on the list correctly by the end of the session.”
Year 9 student Megan is also enjoying the club. She said: “For the past two or three weeks I have been achieving 10 out of 10 in my class tests so I know my spelling ability is getting better.”
English teacher Miss Parkinson said: “Bad spelling habits are easy to pick up but not so easy to break. Spelling Club is about going back to the basics of spelling and building up the right practices. I’ve been very impressed with the progress the pupils have made and have noticed a marked improvement in ability.”
Spelling Club takes place every Tuesday, between 3.10pm and 4.15pm, in room 19. The club is open to all ages and abilities.
.jpg)
