Spelling a word correctly once does not mean it will be remembered next week or used accurately during homework. Overlearning means writing it from memory for a few more days after the first success, so the spelling sticks.

Choose a small, valuable set

Select three to five words from current subjects or recurring errors in the young person’s own writing. Mark the difficult section and add one helpful cue. Do the first word together, then let them try the next while you watch.

For parliamentary, connect it with parliament and mark the ending. For reactivity, identify react and the suffixes ive and ity.

Practise from memory across several days

A useful sequence is:

1. Look closely at the word and its difficult part.

2. Cover it and write it from memory.

3. Check and correct it immediately.

4. Return to it the following day.

5. Use it in a sentence from the relevant subject.

6. Check whether it appears correctly in later homework without copying.

Copying the word while it is still on view does little to help them remember it. They need a real attempt from memory.

Remove a word once it is used accurately on more than one occasion. Add another useful word rather than allowing the list to grow indefinitely.

Keep the sessions brief and age-respectful, and use words from current work rather than a separate weekly test.