Teach pupils common spelling patterns. If they know how to spell one word, they can spell other words that follow the same pattern. Reinforce this by exploring word families. For example, if pupils know how to spell "right," they can also spell "might" and "sight." Teach students how to use prefixes and suffixes to create new words. The root word "visit" can lead pupils to words such as "visiting," "visitor" and "visited."
Provide pupils with a list of high-frequency words. This may be a list they keep in a writing notebook or a poster displayed in the classroom. Encourage pupils to check the list before seeking help to spell a word. Pupils may also create their own personal dictionary, a book in which they record words they have difficulty spelling. Give each pupil a notebook and have pupils label each page with a letter, working in alphabetical order.
Memory aids may help pupils recall spelling rules and commonly misspelled words. For example, teach students the phrase "I before E except after C or when sounding like A as in neighbor and weigh." The phrase "I am a friend to the end" helps with the spelling of "friend." Mnemonic devices may be used such as "red hot, you two-headed monster" to spell the word "rhythm." Challenge pupils to create their own mnemonic devices to help them with words they misspell.
Teach pupils how to study for spelling tests. Introduce the "Look Say Cover Write Check" strategy. Pupils look at a word, say it out loud, cover the word, write it down, then check to see if they spelled it correctly. Pupils may also study with a partner. One person says a word and the second person spells it out loud. The first person must make sure that the word is spelled correctly. Pupils may also benefit from writing out their spelling words.