Back to school: How to use Spellzone in the classroom

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Now that the summer holidays are well and truly over, we thought it might be worth sharing a few ideas for how you can use Spellzone both in the classroom and for setting homework. To find some general tips for teaching spelling click here and for a typical lesson plan click here.

If your school doesn’t already have a school-wide spelling policy, it is really worth implementing one. Consistency is vital for learning spelling, so it is important that students are encouraged to spell correctly in all fields and subjects – rather than just in English lessons. With spelling feedback from all subjects, students will be able to create a more detailed record of their spelling errors (both frequent mistakes and one-off slip-ups) which they can then upload onto their Spellzone word lists. Word lists can be categorised, and students will be able to hear how each word is pronounced and practise using the word in a sentence.

Word lists are also a great way for students to learn all the technical terms for specific subjects. Teachers are able to upload key words from any course into subject-specific lists which the students can then view from any device with access to the internet. If you require your students to learn a group of words, you can also set a word list as homework – and easily keep tabs on who has completed the work and who hasn’t!

As well as word lists, you can also set individual Spellzone units as both homework and classroom tasks. The same unit can be set for the whole class, or different units can be assigned to individual students depending on their ability. This is great if you have to leave the class for a few moments, or if some students require more attention than others – and, again, it is very simple to keep an eye on which students have completed the work. For a guide on how to set a Spellzone unit as a classroom task, click here. You can also access the rest of our step-by-step guides - these will take you through the various administrative procedures you may need to complete in order to get started.

Have you had a go at our word games? These are great as a warm-up activity, or perhaps to while away the last few minutes between the natural end of a lesson and the bell ringing. You can personalise the words used in the games by opening a word list of your choice and clicking on the soccer ball-shaped icon – perhaps this is the new best way to help students remember the names of natural hazards or elements in the periodic table!

Do you have a routine for using Spellzone in your classroom, or any tips or ideas for using the site that you would like to pass on to other teachers and students? Let us know and we’ll Retweet and share them. Happy Spelling!

24 Sep 2013
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Back to school: How to use Spellzone in the classroom

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