A spelling score does not identify whether the pupil’s main difficulty involves phoneme-grapheme knowledge, common letter patterns, orthographic conventions, syllable boundaries, morphology or retrieval. Analyse errors in current writing and a short spelling assessment before selecting provision.

For example, a pupil who writes “stopt” and “jumpt” can hear every sound and needs the -ed past-tense convention. A pupil who writes “sop” for “stop” is losing a sound and needs phoneme work first.

Choose a small connected target

Group words by the feature being taught rather than using an unrelated weekly list. Draw examples from the pupil’s current curriculum and writing.

A session might:

1. say and segment the word;

2. identify the target sound-spelling pattern or morpheme;

3. build and write the word, for example with Simultaneous Oral Spelling: the pupil says the word, names each letter aloud as they write it, then reads back what they have written;

4. retrieve it from memory after a delay;

5. use it in a dictated sentence;

6. check for transfer in independent writing;

7. revisit earlier patterns cumulatively.

Where decoding intervention is also required, align the sequence and terminology. Reading and spelling should reinforce the same code knowledge.

For older pupils, include roots, prefixes, suffixes, word families and useful subject vocabulary. Assistive technology can protect access to extended writing while direct spelling teaching continues.

Monitor transfer

Record accuracy on unpractised words containing the taught pattern and in ordinary writing. Review whether the pupil selects the strategy independently. Do not infer progress solely from a rehearsed test list.

Specify staff training, session frequency, the teaching sequence, baseline, review point and criteria for changing or ending the intervention. A typical pattern is three to five adult-led sessions a week of 10 to 20 minutes, one to one or in a small group, with one or two targets such as “spells unpractised words ending in -tion correctly in independent writing”. The length of the block depends on how much support the pupil needs; decide where it fits in the timetable and when to review progress (many schools review after six to eight weeks).

Programme options to investigate

• Read Write Inc. Spelling (paid): structured Years 2–6 provision using phonics, morphology and etymology. It takes about 15 minutes a day and is designed to follow Read Write Inc. Phonics (paid), for pupils meeting the Year 2 reading expectations, so it suits pupils whose phonics is secure. Review current training and resource costs.

• Nessy Reading and Spelling (paid): adaptive practice for roughly ages 6–11. Use as supplementary practice within an adult-led plan, not as the complete intervention.

• Morph Mastery (paid): a book of morphological work for ages 9–13 (Speechmark, 2022), with photocopiable resources and a 6-week plan, written for teaching assistants and teachers without specialist training and usable one to one or in small groups. It is a one-off purchase, and the book reports the author's pilot data. It is most relevant where morphology and word structure are the identified need rather than basic phonics.

• Lexia PowerUp Literacy (paid): Secondary adaptive software with word study, grammar and comprehension strands, plus printable lessons for adult-led follow-up. Licence prices are on request. Lexia's UK site leads with an EEF trial result, so check which programme and age group that trial covered. It requires planned adult oversight and should not displace explicit teaching.

• English appendix 1: spelling: the free national curriculum list of spelling patterns and conventions by year group, useful for choosing and ordering targets.

Check current availability, age fit, delivery requirements, cost and independent evidence.

Talamo has no commercial relationship with any of the organisations named here. We suggest them only because we think they could be useful to schools.