Some spellings matter because they are needed repeatedly in science, humanities, English or another subject. A subject spelling journal keeps those words and their most useful cues in one place.

Add words from real work

Choose important words the young person has misspelt in classwork or homework. Do not add every word from a new topic in advance. Choose the first few words and make the first entry together.

For each word, record:

• the correct spelling;

• the difficult section;

• one root, suffix, related word or memory trick (mnemonic); and

• the subject in which it is used.

For photosynthesis, mark photo and connect it with light. For reaction, connect it with react, reactive and reactivity.

Use and review it

Before relevant homework, identify two or three entries likely to be needed. Let the young person consult the journal while drafting, then choose one word to write from memory afterwards.

Review a few entries each week. Remove words that are now used accurately so the journal stays manageable.

The journal should support the writing rather than interrupt it. If a difficult spelling is needed to express an important idea, provide it and return to the learning later.