All aboard! Spelling Stations takes children on a train journey of discovery from station to station learning new spelling patterns as they go. The visual clues linked to station names give children strategies for remembering how to spell words and plenty of activities to help consolidate that learning.
We understand that sometimes the best way to learn about a new range is to test it out, so here's a sample lesson plan for Level 1 and Level 2, so you can try before you buy! Once you've checked those out, head over to our shop and grab your new resources!
Please note that this range is designed to be used by little learners in the UK.
‘A lot of students struggle with spelling and it can take time to get it right. List after list of learning gives nothing for young brains to hold on to. In the true spirit of Letterland, Spelling Stations provides memory aids that appeal to children. By remembering a silly station name, they remember spelling patterns! I hope you enjoy the journey.’
- Lisa Holt, Author of Letterland Spelling Stations
What's Included?
Resources for Teachers:
Spelling Stations 1 Teacher's Guide introduces the 'rules and regulations' of spelling as a journey of discovery for Year 1.
Spelling Stations 1 Pupil Pack takes your students on a spelling journey which encourages them to use their spatial memory to recall the spelling rules.
Spelling Stations 2 Teacher's Guide introduces the 'rules and regulations' of spelling as a journey of discovery for Year 2.
Spelling Stations 2 Pupil Pack allows students to travel through Letterland Spelling, visiting lots of stations and discovering tricks and strategies to help them remember how to spell!
Resources for Parents and Teachers:
Supporting the National Curriculum, the illustrated step-by-step activities include filling in missing letters, matching, word searches, reading and colouring.
Spelling in the English language is notoriously difficult to master. The reason for its complexity is the way in which the language has developed. It has been formed over hundreds of years and involves the amalgamation and adoption of many words and spelling variations from other languages. It is good to share this concept with children so they don’t think that spelling difficulties are a reflection of their own ability.
Spelling is a Two-Step Process
Step 1: Segmenting the sounds from beginning to end
Children hear, think or say aloud the word they wish to spell. Then they separate out the sounds within the word (this is called segmenting). For example, if children want to spell snail, they must hear the s-n-ai-l sounds separately from beginning to end. In a longer word they may syllable chunk the word first. This means breaking the word into larger chunks before the individual sounds are identified.
Step 2: Knowing which letter patterns represent which sounds
Once children can identify the sounds in a word from beginning to end they must then decide which way to write those sounds. For example, in the word snail, children need to know that the /ai/ sound is spelt with the letters ai and not ay. Knowing which letter patterns represent the sounds in words relies on children’s experience of vocabulary and Word Banks.
There is no short cut or magic rule to learning which way words are spelt. There are, however, proven ways in which we can help!
Research has shown that using a mnemonic system (an aide to memory) is a highly
successful way of embedding spelling in children’s long-term memory. Letterland Spelling Stations uses several effective mnemonic strategies to embed spelling. The train station names provide an association for the linked banks of words and spelling rules. Each week has a station name and image associated with it. By remembering the station name, children have a visual clue to help them unlock the words of the week rather than simply having to remember an abstract list!
To find out more about Letterland Spelling Stations, head over to our website, or grab your new resources now at the Letterland shop.