Blog posts
With back-to-school action words, rule-breaking el endings, and synonyms for nice, we hope our September spelling lists kept you on your toes! Didn’t get a chance to try them out? Don’t worry: now you can use them in our Autumn Anagrams spelling game.
Tailoring Spellzone to your students’ needs has never been easier! As students work through the Spellzone course, they are automatically assigned Learn the Words activities such as Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check; Listen and Spell; and a range of spelling games. Our latest update means you can now choose which Learn the Words activities you would like your...
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Want to make your writing more energetic?
From a leaf trembling in the wind to an adventurer clambering up a mountain, our collection of 150 verbs includes movements big and small, fast and slow, animated and languid. These doing words will give you the tools to describe actions in a detailed way and make your storytelling more interesting.
Let’s begin…
accelerate: to increase in speed or velocity
ascend: to move upward, typically in a steady manner
amble: to walk slowly and casually
bike: to ride a bicycle
bolt: to move suddenly and rapidly
bounce: to spring back after hitting a surface
bound: to move forward with big leaps
brake: to apply...
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We know that involving parents and carers in their children's learning journey can be a game-changer - especially when it comes to remote learning!
At Spellzone, we're here to help you make this as simple as possible.
Here are 3 easy ways to get parents involved, complete with links to the necessary documents:
Sample introductory letter and consent form
If your school is new to Spellzone, this adaptable letter explains the benefits of Spellzone and how the students can participate.
As each school uses Spellzone differently, make sure you edit the sample letter to suit your school’s specific purposes. You can also adapt and send home this...
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What are Learn the Words activities?
As students work through their Course Pathways, they are provided with Learn the Words activities for practice.
These activities include:
The Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check learning activity
The Listen and Spell test
Nineteen spelling games
To get the best out of their Spellzone experience, we recommend students complete a range of Learn the Words activities before moving onto the course tests. You can choose which activities you want your students to complete via the Account tab on the blue bar.
How do I see if a student is using Learn the Words activities?
Click on a...
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With back-to-school action words, rule-breaking el endings, and a variety of ways to say something is nice, our September spelling lists will keep you on your toes!
Back-to-School verbs
The summer holidays have come to an end and it's time to sharpen those spelling skills! From answering questions to erasing mistakes, the verbs in this list describe actions that might take place at school. How many can you spell?
Rulebreakers - the el ending
The /Əl/ sound at the end of a word is usually spelt with the letters le, but this month’s rulebreakers use the letters el instead.
Make sure you’re up to speed with this...
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Boost your spelling skills and immerse yourself in a world of words with our 3 Word Lists for August 2023. Our spelling activities and games will have you tackling this month's tricky rulebreakers, fruity flavours, and, lightning-fast vocabulary in no time. Why not try our Summer Spelling game?
English can be confusing, especially with homophones like meat and meet. Don't worry, our latest Commonly Confused Words blog post is here to help! We provide a straightforward breakdown of the distinctions between these two words and offer practical tips to help you confidently choose the right one.
Fed up with using the same words over and over again?...
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Do you want to become a more powerful writer?
Last week, we shared 150 adjectives to try instead of using the word ‘very’ to emphasise your point.
Here are 150 more words:
very Impatient:
restless, antsy, fidgety, agitated, eager
very lazy:
slothful, idle, sluggish, inactive, indolent
very lively:
energetic, vivacious, animated, spirited, dynamic
very loud:
deafening, thunderous, booming, resounding, cacophonous
very messy:
disorganised, untidy, chaotic, cluttered, dishevelled
very neat:
tidy, organised, orderly, immaculate, uncluttered
very nervous:
anxious, jittery, edgy, apprehensive,...
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Do you want to make your writing more compelling? Stop using the word ‘very’ to emphasise your point!
Here are 150 adjectives to try instead:
very angry:
furious, enraged, incensed, livid, irate
very annoying:
irritating, bothersome, vexing, grating, exasperating
very bad:
terrible, dreadful, abysmal, horrendous, atrocious
very beautiful:
gorgeous, stunning, breathtaking, exquisite, radiant
very big:
enormous, massive, colossal, gigantic, immense
very bitter:
acrid, pungent, sharp, biting, acerbic
very brave:
courageous, valiant, fearless, heroic, bold
very bright:
brilliant,...
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What does each word mean?
Meat refers to the flesh of animals (including fishes and birds and snails) when it is consumed as food.
The word is also sometimes used figuratively to describe:
a) the inner and usually edible part of a seed, grain, nut, or fruit,
b) the most essential or most vital part of an idea or experience.
Here is meat used in an example sentence:
We are cooking meat and vegetables on the BBQ.
Which meat do you prefer: chicken or pork?
Extract the meat from the pumpkin before you carve it.
Let’s get into the meat of this discussion.
The verb meet describes the act of coming together. The word is also...
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From deciphering tricky spellings to embracing the fruity flavours of summer, our August word lists will take you on a high-speed language adventure! Are you ready?
Rulebreakers - the al ending
While most words use the letters ‘le’ to spell the /Əl/ sound at the end of a word, this month’s tricksy rulebreakers use 'al' instead.
Brush up on spelling the 'al' ending in Unit 26 - Word endings: -le, and exceptions e.g. -al, -el, -ol.
Fruity Words
From the juicy sweetness of peaches and strawberries to the zesty tang of lemons and limes, this month’s fruity words will no...
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In our 3 Word Lists for July 2023, we looked at words ending in ‘zle’, explored common spelling rules that appear in these family words. and improved our vocabulary with these synonyms for the word big.
How many of these 10 things you can do with any Spellzone word list have you tried?
As the world turned its attention to the Wimbledon Championships, we were here to help you ace your tennis-themed spellings. From ‘love’ and ‘deuce’ to ‘break point’ and ‘baseline,’ this blog post explores the rich language surrounding the beloved sport.
The long, sunny days of summer...
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Reading allows you to travel to different worlds, experience new cultures, and walk in the shoes of fascinating characters. It’s also a great way to help you improve your spelling and vocabulary – even during the school holidays!
Here are some reading suggestions for the summer. Click on the title of any book to find the word list that goes with it. Don’t forget to try our Summer Spelling game!
Year 7:
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne: An emotional tale set during World War II that explores the unlikely friendship between two boys on opposite sides of a concentration camp fence.
Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman: A...
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With world-renowned tennis players currently competing in the Wimbledon championships, we thought it was the perfect time to explore some common tennis words.
Like many sports and games, tennis has its own unique language that’s filled with terms that might seem puzzling at first.
But fear not!
In this blog post, we'll demystify common tennis terms to help you understand and appreciate the sport even more.
Tennis Court – A rectangular playing area divided into two halves by a net, where the game is played.
Serve – The act of hitting the ball to start a point. The server stands behind the baseline and hits the ball...
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It’s time for our 3 spelling lists for July!
Words ending in zle
The letter combination le often comes after the letter z when spelling a /zul/ sound at the end of a word. How many of these zle words can you spell?
Learn more about words ending in zle in Unit 26 - Word endings: -le, and exceptions e.g. -al, -el, -ol.
Family
From the augh sound in daughter, to the i before e in niece, to the short /u/ sound in cousin, these family vocabulary words will keep you on your toes when it comes to spelling rules.
10 Words for... BIG
We’re describing all things BIG in July’s 10...
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Our 3 Word Lists for June 2023 were words ending in '-stle’, 10 Words for... SAD, and – to celebrate the summer solstice here in the Western hemisphere – Characters in A Midsummer Night´s Dream. Studying Shakespeare at school? We’ve got lots more word lists for you.
This month, we’ve also been busy adding word lists to our Characters from English Literature collection. Can’t find a list for a text you’re studying? Let us know!
At Spellzone, we are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible learning environment to ensure as many users as possible can engage with our resources....
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Want to add personality to your English?
An idiom is like a secret code: a special phrase or expression that has a meaning different from the literal words used. Idioms provide a wonderful opportunity to add creativity and flair to everyday conversations while also conveying complex ideas and emotions in a way that is captivating and relatable to others.
In this new series, a blend of our 10 Words and Idioms segments, we’ll choose an idea and share different ways to express it in English.
Today, we are looking at 18 different ways to communicate that something is easy – let’s get started!
a breeze – The test was a...
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Spellzone is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible learning environment so that as many users as possible can engage with our resources.
The Spelling Ability Test identifies specific spelling weaknesses and provides bespoke learning pathways for students to work through. Students can then access Spellzone on any device, at school and at home, and work at their own pace and level.
Students can also adapt Spellzone using 8 additional accessibility features. To find these:
Log into Spellzone
Click on the ‘Accessibility’ button in the top-right corner of the screen.
Let’s explore 8 ways to adapt Spellzone to...
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Ready for our 3 spelling lists for June? Let’s dive in!
Words ending in '-stle'
The /s l/ sound is usually spelt with the letters 'stle' at the end of a word, but watch out: the letter t is silent!
Get to grips with words ending in '-stle' in Unit 26 - Word endings: -le, and exceptions e.g. -al, -el, -ol.
10 Words for... SAD
This month’s 10 Words… vocabulary list offers learners a wide array of descriptive words to explore and describe the complexity of sadness. Don’t want to feel too blue? Learn these words using a fun spelling game!
Characters...
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Our 3 Word Lists for May 2023 were words ending in ‘tle’, arts-related jobs, and 10 Words for... HAPPY. Whether you’re looking to excel in exams or enhance your communication skills, this month’s word lists will provide a comprehensive range of words to explore.
From automated assessments to personalised learning paths, discover how Spellzone empowers teachers to focus on what matters most: teaching. Check out these 5 Ways Spellzone Helps Reduce Teacher Workload.
By providing inclusive resources, differentiated instruction, and targeted support, Spellzone ensures that every learner has an equal opportunity to...
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What does each word mean?
An oar an implement used to propel or steer a boat.
Here is oar used in an example sentence:
I used two oars to row the boat.
The word or is used in a sentence to link an alternative.
Here is or used in some example sentences:
Do you prefer apples or oranges?
It might rain or it might be sunny.
You can work on your Course Pathway or play a spelling game.
Ore a mineral that contains metal that is valuable enough to be mined.
Here is ore used in an example sentence:
They extracted iron ore from the earth.
Where does each word come from?
Oar comes from the Middle English...
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