Spelling Pattern Explorations: Less Common - ua

About this teaching resource

Do you see your students confusing spelling patterns? Less common spelling-patterns that continue to confuse students can be explored and understood through spelling pattern and sound sorts.

Spelling Pattern and Sound Sorts:

• Help children understand that most spelling patterns represent a variety of sounds
• Focus writers’ attention on the possible sequences of letters in written English
• Focus writers’ attention on the position of spelling patterns in words
• Provide children with knowledge in reading so that when they read something that doesn’t make sense they can try another way to pronounce the word. Spelling K-8, Snowball & Bolton

How to:

• Choose from a range of spelling patterns: Look at the needs of your students to choose the pattern that will most support them as writers.
• Introduce students to the spelling pattern: Use key words to sort beneath each spelling pattern.
• Sort and talk about the word cards
• Look down each list of words to notice how the words are alike and what patterns exist
• Have students hunt for more words that fit the pattern

Included in each Syllable Sort:

• A focus syllable sort
• Syllable Sort header cards (including Wondering Words, for the words that raise questions and wonderings!)
• Key Word header cards
• Sorting cards
• Word collecting cards

Can also be useful for supplementing Words Their Way.

Australian curriculum alignment

Year 5  

Year 6