Stage 3 Spelling Term 4

EN3-4A draws on appropriate strategies to accurately spell familiar and unfamiliar words when composing texts
Students:
Develop and apply contextual knowledge
understand how accurate spelling supports the reader to read fluently and interpret written text with clarity
Understand and apply knowledge of language forms and features

understand how to use banks of known words, word origins, base words, suffixes and prefixes, morphemes, spelling patterns and generalisations to learn and spell new
words, for example technical words and words adopted from other languages (ACELA1513, ACELA1514, ACELA1526)

understand that the pronunciation, spelling and meanings of words have histories and change over time (ACELA1500)

Respond to and compose texts

recognise most misspelt words in their own writing and use a variety of resources for correction
integrate a range of spelling strategies and conventions to accurately spell most words, including words of many syllables, when composing imaginative and other texts
use morphemic, visual, syntactic, semantic and phonological strategies, eg recognition of letter patterns of words, when composing texts
demonstrate an awareness of the limitations of spell check features in digital communication

Students are provided with a weekly spelling list every Monday. Spelling lists are based upon five areas including sight/high
frequency words, soundwaves words, rules/word focuses, and theme words. (Maximum words students should learn are 30
words.)
There will be a spelling lesson four days a week. Spelling activities will run on the model outlined on the Spelling Activities
chart (see over) on a fortnightly basis.
Activities include: alphabetical order, visual processing, syllables, dictionary meanings, vowel capitals, word shapes and
sentences. Homework also includes LCWC and a Spelling activity.
Worksheet Activities:
o

work covering phonic families, spelling rules and word origins

homonyms, silent letters, suffixes and prefixes and easily confused words

variety of activities enables students to use different strategies in learning how to spell

Based upon their spelling assessments students were placed into the following groups:
30words

25 words

15 words

10 words

Assessment of spelling words will occur every second Friday (test to include a dictation using the words learnt.) Once
students have achieved all their words correct for 3 weeks, they move up a level and hence, learn more words.

Week Two (Soundwaves Week 27)

A contraction is defined as two words that are made shorter by placing an apostrophe where letters
have been omitted.
When the letter before a y is a consonant, change the y to an i' before adding es.
Sight Words
know
give
after
walk
going

Sound Focus
oo u
soot
sugar
barefoot
ambushed
driftwood
fumigate
woollen
misunderstood
hoodwink
crookedly

Contractions

Making Plurals

Theme Words

shouldn't
couldnt
wouldnt
didnt
cant

bullies
woollies
cherries
ferries
berries

electricity
current
atom
battery
charge

Week Three (Soundwaves Week 28)

The suffix ity means condition or quality of being ___. E.g curiosity the quality of being curious.
We usually drop the e at the end of words when adding a suffix that begins with a vowel.
Sight Words
come
her
him
think
from

Sound Focus
y u (yoo)
queue
behaviour
misuse
annual
argue
communicate
duel
accumulate
regular
manufacture

Suffix
-ity
curiosity
humanity
uniformity
popularity
opportunity

Adding ing

Theme Words

arguing
enduring
duplicating
uniting
creating

circuit
ampere
energy
voltage
kilowatt

Week Four (Soundwaves Week 29)

The suffix sion means state or quality.
The suffix tion is used to form abstract nouns from verbs expressing action or state.

Sight Words
then
some
how
when
has

Sound Focus
oo ew ue u u_e u
nephew
excuse
approval
durable
souvenir
amuse
avenue
enthusiasm
bruise
unanimous

Suffix
-sion
illusion
supervision
transfusion
exclusion
conclusion

Suffix
-tion
globalisation
distribution
contribution
duration
pollution

Theme Words
generator
hydroelectricity
insulator
conductor
transformer

Week Five (Soundwaves Week 30)

The prefix un- means not or gives a negative or opposite force in adjectives.
The suffix ful means to have the qualities of. E.g. beautiful to have the qualities of beauty.
Sight Words
those
always
around
which
these

Sound Focus
z zz s se s si
resident
improvise
citizen
bazaar
disease
bizarre
scissors
confusion
pleasure
sabotage

Prefix
ununcivilised
uncompromised
undesirable
unusual
uncanny

Suffix
-ful
resourceful
careful
beautiful
bountiful
cheerful

Theme Words
negative
positive
switch
static electricity
electromagnets

Week Six (Soundwaves Week 31)

The suffix ly usually means in this way. It is generally used to describe the way a verb is done.
The prefix dis- has a negative or reversing force.
Sight Words
only
just
could
every
may

Sound Focus
ou ow
lounge
announce
trousers
account
browse

cauliflower
empowered
drowned
allowance
powdered

Creating
Adverbs
Adding -ly
drowsily
cowardly
powerfully
appreciatively
dishonestly

Prefix
dis-

Theme Words

discount
discourage
disinterested
dislocated
disobedient

protons
neurons
nucleus
electrons
generate

Week Seven (Soundwaves Week 32)

The suffix ship means to shape or denotes the condition, character, office or skill.
The suffix able means capable of, fit for. It forms words into adjectives.
Sight Words
when
open
them
gave
would

Sound Focus
ch tch sh ch ti ci
brochure
proficient
question
speechless
challenge
specialise
discussion
architecture
sketches
resuscitation

Suffix
-ship
championship
mateship
apprenticeship
internship
relationship

Suffix
-able
charitable
actionable
sustainable
negotiable
comfortable

Theme Words
renewable
solar
circuitry
alligator clips
appliances

Week Eight (Soundwaves Week 33)

The prefix ex- means out of, from thoroughly and sometimes not or without.
The prefix re- means again or again and again to indicate repetition.
Sight Words
because
very
your
best
which

Sound Focus
oy oi err ear
spoil
arrears
oyster
superior
unemployed
perseverance
buoyancy
career
ointment
volunteered

Prefix
exexploit
exterior
exaggerate
exclaim
exhibit

Prefix
rereappeared
reserved
regenerate
reacquaint
reapplies

Theme Words
efficiency
investigation
consumption
James Watt
Benjamin Franklin

Week Nine (Soundwaves Week 34)

Degrees of comparison refers to adjectives being written in different forms to compare one, two or
more nouns which are describing people, places or things. The three forms of comparison are the
positive, the comparative and the superlative.
Sight Words
fast
slow
why
better
who

Sound Focus
th
athlete
threaten
theory
marathon
sympathy
withering
feathery
breathable
authentic
parenthesis

Degree of Comparison
-er
-est
wealthier
wealthiest
further
furthest
smoother
smoothest
happier
happiest
hungrier
hungriest

Theme Words
parallel
series
resistor
insulator
resistance

Week Ten (Soundwaves Week 35)

The suffix aire forms nouns denoting a person characterised by that named by the stem. E.g.
millionaire a person with a million dollars.
The prefix trans- means across, beyond or through in combination with elements of any origin.
Sight Words
how
does
take
stop
many

Sound Focus
air are
premiere
warily
despair
impaired
disrepair
variation
aquarium
various
awareness
veterinarian

Suffix
-aire
millionaire
extraordinaire
questionnaire
solitaire
multibillionaire

Prefix
transtransparent
transport
transaction
translated
transfixed

Theme Words
charged particles

terminal
element
rechargeable
ammeter

Activities:
Each week students should complete a range of spelling activities that assist in developing their
understanding of the words for that week. Those activities include:
1. Crossword Clues students are given a list of words (either running across or down) and are asked
to create clues for these words. They could be dictionary meanings (in their own words) or fill in
the blank sentences. E.g. A ________ is like a doctor for animals. (veterinarian)
2. Handwriting students write a paragraph of dictation in their handwriting books featuring a
range of their spelling words.
3. Sound Split students write their list by splitting all of the words into their sounds:
telephone t-e-l-e-ph-o-ne
4. Word Table students draw up or are given a table like the one below, they look for the specific
parts of text in their words to develop their understanding of how the sounds and combinations of
letters make up words.
Number
of letters

Compou
nd word

Combina
tions

3
3

Visual

Blends

telephone
strawberry
churches

Number
of
sounds

Spelling Word

Phonological / Visual

Number
of
syllables

Phonological

st, str

ph
aw
ch, ur

9
10
8

straw / berry

5. Spelling Scrabble students use the grid below to see how much each of their words would be
worth if they were playing scrabble.

6. Word Clouds students choose words from their list and create a word cloud.

7. Boggle students use the letters from 3 words from their list and attempt to create as many words
as they can. The letters can only be used once in each word.
8. Word Ladders students choose two shorter list words that have the same amount of letters and
attempt to change on letter at a time from the first word to the second.
walk
wall
will
wilt
tilt
tile
tale
gale
gave
give
9. Word Jumbles students jumble the letters to 10 of their words and have a friend attempt to
unjumble these words.
10. Picture Words students either draw pictures for as many of their list words as they can OR
attempt to create a picture using their words.