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Spelling Toolkit
Year 4
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Statutory Requirements with suggested timelines

Autumn

Consolidation of spellings from Years 1, 2 and 3 with weekly investigation of a pattern the class/group are not solid in.
Alongside this there needs to be assessment of the application of these spellings in all their writing across the
curriculum and used as part of the on-going modelled process of editing, reviewing and improving their writing as
they go along.

• Endings which sound like /ʃən/, spelt –tion, –sion, –ssion, –cian

• Words with the /k/ sound spelt ch (Greek in origin)

Spring

• Words with the /ʃ/ sound spelt ch (mostly French in origin)

• Words ending with the /g/ sound spelt –gue and the /k/ sound spelt –que (French in origin)

• Words with the /s/ sound spelt sc (Latin in origin)

Summer

• Words with the /eɪ/ sound spelt ei, eigh, or ey

• Possessive apostrophe with plural words

• Homophones or near-homophones

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Introduction
This has been produced by the English Team to support teachers in ensuring coverage of the statutory
requirements for the National Curriculum.

There is a suggested teaching sequence for each spelling convention with page numbers of where to find the
supporting children’s resources for each sequence. Ways to capture assessment are listed by year group in
the Appendix.

Contents
Suggested Games/Activities 3

Term 1 Spelling Convention Sequences 6

Term 2 Spelling Convention Sequences 12

Term 3 Spelling Convention Sequences 16

Pupil Resources to support Spelling Convention Sequences 20

Appendix 46

Year 3 words by term and convention 48

Year 4 words by term and convention 52

The Spelling Cycle

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Games suggested in the Spelling Toolkit

Which One?

Write a word 3 ways and the children have to identify which is the correct spelling.

Find My Family

Children have a sticker with a word on and they have to find other children with words from the same word family.

Treasure Hunt

Children choose 2 cards that are face down, if they are a match they are treasure so go into the treasure box.

Teacher Definitions/Guess My Word

Children can see the words and the teacher or child gives a definition for the children to decide which word the
teacher or child is defining.

Snowball

Children think of a word and write it down on scrap paper. Scrumple the paper up and throw into the middle of the
circle or table, open the paper and see if they can think of another of the words to add to the paper. Scrumple and
repeat depending on the number of words in this spelling convention/group.

Which One Fits?

Verbal, or written sentences, with a missing word. Children choose a word from the list that will fit in the sentence.

Quickwrite

Children write all the different words they can remember with the chosen spelling convention in one minute,
or repeat the same word/s as many times as possible in a minute.

Which Hoop?

Children sort the words into the correct hoops, 2,3 or 4 depending on convention. Can use small PE hoops with
the words cut out on card, or drawn hoops for the children to write the words in.

Word Hunt

Use the books on their tables to look for as many examples of the words as possible and keep a tally.

Human Words

1 letter on each card, children sort themselves into the right order and agree/get support from the other children.

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Term 1
Consolidation of spellings
from Years 1, 2 and 3 with a
weekly investigation/s of a
pattern/s the class/group
are not solid in.

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Term 1

The Suffix –ion (add t)

Resources p 20
e.g. invention, injection, inspection, rejection,
action(2), hesitation(4), completion, elation
Revisit – Clap the syllables to sort into 2, 3 and 4 syllable

groups. (3 most common).

Teach – this is the most common letter to add to the suffix

–ion for the /ʃən/ sound at the end of words that end in t

or te.

Practise – write root word with t or te ending, then re-write

with –tion and identify any patterns. (drop t or te before

adding –tion).

Apply – choose at least 4 of the words to show can use in

context sentences.

Assess – tell the children that you will be giving them a

reward for every time they use and spell the words correctly

over the next couple of weeks.

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The Suffix –ion (+ss)

Resources p 22
e.g. expression, discussion, confession,
permission, admission, submission
Revisit – give the definition, children to guess words.

Teach – add s to the suffix -ion for the /ʃən/ sound at the

end of words that end in -ss or –mit.

Practise – write root word with –ss or -mit ending, then

re-write with –ssion and identify any patterns. (drop –ss and

+-ssion, drop –mit and +-ssion).

Apply – make up a silly story using the words.

Assess – tell the children that you will be giving them a

reward for every time they use and spell the words correctly

over the next couple of weeks.

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The Suffix –ion (+s)

Resources p 24
e.g. expansion, extension, comprehension,
tension
Revisit – Sort the words into the 3 suffix groups and
discuss what is different about today’s words.
invention, injection, inspection, expression, discussion,
confession, permission, expansion, extension,
comprehension, tension
Teach – add –s to the suffix -ion for the /ʃən/ sound at the
end of words that end in d or se. Exceptions attend-
attention, intend-intention.
Practise – write root word with –d or -se ending, then
re-write with –sion and identify any patterns.(drop –d and
+-sion, drop –se and +-sion).
Apply – make up a mnemonic to help them remember how
to spell one of the words.
Assess – tell the children that you will be giving them a
reward for every time they use and spell the words correctly
over the next couple of weeks.

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The Suffix –ian (+c)

Resources p 27
e.g. musician, electrician, magician, politician,
mathematician
Revisit – Quickwrite any words they can think of that

end in –cian.

Teach – add c to the suffix -ian for the /ʃən/ sound at the

end of words that end in -c or –cs.

Practise – look, say, cover, write, check words.

Apply – use the words correctly in context in sentences.

Assess – tell the children that you will be giving them a

reward for every time they use and spell the words correctly

over the next couple of weeks.

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Words with the /k/ sound

spelt ch
Resources p 29
e.g. scheme, chorus, chemist, echo, character
Revisit – Play Find My Family to say word and find group.

Teach – these words are Greek in origin.

Practise – write definition, children match correct word

to definition.

Apply – play Word Hunt as a table, keep tally with page

number to prove.

Assess – tell the children that you will be giving them a

reward for every time they use and spell the words correctly

over the next couple of weeks.

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Term 2

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Term 2

Words with the /ʃ/ sound

spelt ch
Resources p 32

e.g. chef, machine, chalet, brochure

Revisit – Snowball all the words they can remember with

the /ʃ/ sound spelt ch.

Teach – these words are mostly French in origin.

Practise – look, say, cover, write, check words.

Apply – write word and draw image to help remember word

and spelling.

Assess – tell the children that you will be giving them a

reward for every time they use and spell the words correctly

over the next couple of weeks.

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Words ending with the /g/

sound spelt –gue and the /k/
sound spelt –que
Resources p 34

e.g. league, fatigue, tongue, antique, unique

Revisit – play Kim’s Game matching word to definition correctly.

Teach – these words are French in origin.

Practise – sort into /g/ and /k/groups.

Apply – tell partner how to spell the words and use in

verbal sentences.

Assess – tell the children that you will be giving them a

reward for every time they use and spell the words correctly

over the next couple of weeks.

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Words with the /s/ sound

spelt sc
Resources p 35

e.g. science, scene, discipline,

fascinate, crescent
Revisit – team point for every word they can think of with
/s/ sound spelt.

Teach – these words are Latin in origin and probably

pronounced the s and k sound in Ancient Rome.

Practise – look, say, cover, write, check words.

Apply – write in sentences to show understanding in context.

Assess – tell the children that you will be giving them a

reward for every time they use and spell the words correctly
over the next couple of weeks.

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Term 3

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Term 3

Words with the /eɪ/ sound

spelt ei, eigh, or ey
Resources p 38

e.g. sleigh, neigh, neighbour, vein, weight,

eight, they, obey, prey, whey
Revisit – Snowball all the words they can think of with the
/ei/ sound.

Teach – look at where the sound is in word and discuss

which is most likely spelling if at end or middle of word.
(ei in middle, eigh and ey at/towards end of word-exception
neighbour as it is a compound word).

Practise – sort into the correct groups.

Apply – use a selection of the words to make up a

mystery story.

Assess – tell the children that you will be giving them a

reward for every time they use and spell the words correctly
over the next couple of weeks.

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Possessive apostrophe with

plural words
Resources p 40

e.g. girls’, boys’, babies’, children’s,

men’s, mice’s
Revisit – play Human Apostrophe to get the children to place

it in the correct place.

Teach – the apostrophe is placed after the plural form of the

word; -s is not added if the plural already ends in –s, but is

added if plural doesn’t end in –s (e.g. children, mice).

Practise – look, say, cover, write, check words.

Apply – write in sentences to show understanding in context.

Assess – tell the children that you will be giving them a

reward for every time they use and spell the words correctly

over the next couple of weeks.

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Homophones or
near-homophones
Resources p 42

e.g. accept/except, affect/effect, ball/bawl,

berry/bury, brake/break, fair/fare, grate/great,
groan/grown, here/hear, heel/heal/he’ll,
knot/not, mail/male, main/mane, meat/meet,
medal/meddle, missed/mist, peace/piece,
plain/plane, rain/reign/rein, scene/seen,
weather/whether, whose/who’s
Revisit – play Which One’s Right? with a selection of the words.

Teach – these words are best remembered in context.

Practise – make up rhyming pairs to show the different use

for each spelling of the word and to help remember words.

Apply – play Word Hunt as a table, keep tally with page

number to prove.

Assess – tell the children that you will be giving them a

reward for every time they use and spell the words correctly
over the next couple of weeks.
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Pupil Resources
For the Spelling Toolkit

Term 1

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The Suffix –ion (add t)

e.g. invention, injection, inspection, rejection,
action, hesitation, completion, elation
1. Write root word with t or te ending, then re-write

with –tion.

Root word + tion

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What patterns do you see?

2. Choose at least 4 of the words to show you can use them

in sentences accurately.

1.

2.

3.

4.

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The Suffix –ion (+ss)

e.g. expression, discussion, confession,
permission, admission, submission
1. Write each root word with –ss or -mit ending,

then re-write with –ssion

Root word + ssion

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What patterns do you see?

2. Make up a silly story using the words.

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The Suffix –ion (+s)

e.g. expansion, extension,
comprehension, tension
1. Write each root word with –d or –se ending,

then re-write with –sion.

Root word + sion

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What patterns do you see?

2. Make up a mnemonic to help you remember how to spell

one of the words e.g. expansion.

every

x-ray

puts

new

sign

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in

overcoming

pain

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The Suffix –ian (+c)

e.g. musician, electrician, magician, politician,
mathematician
1. Look, say, cover, write, check these words.

musician

electrician

magician

politician

mathematician

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2. Use the words correctly in context in sentences.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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Words with the /k/ sound

spelt ch
e.g. scheme, chorus, chemist, echo, character
1. Match the correct word to its definition.

A person’s good
reputation

chorus
Make plans, especially A shop where medicinal
in a devious way or with drugs are dispensed and
intent to do something
illegal or wrong scheme sold, and in which toiletries
and other medical goods
can be purchased

echo

A sound that is bounced A part of a song

off the walls of tunnels in which is repeated
a repeated fashion character after each verse

chemist

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2. Play word hunt as a table, keep tally with page number or

post-it to prove where you found the words.

word Tally + pages

scheme

chorus

chemist

echo

character

Discuss your findings.

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Term 2

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Words with the ‘sh’ sound

spelt ch
e.g. chef, machine, chalet, brochure
1. Look, say, cover, write, check words.

chef

machine

chalet

brochure

2. Write each word and draw an image to help you

remember the word and its spelling.

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1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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Words ending with gue

and que
e.g. league, antique, fatigue, tongue, unique
1. Sort the words into groups.

2. Tell a partner how to spell the words and make up verbal

sentences together.

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Words with the /s/ sound

spelt sc
e.g. science, scene, discipline, fascinate,
crescent
1. Look, say, cover, write, check words.

science

scene

discipline

fascinate

crescent

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2. Use the words correctly in context in sentences.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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Term 3

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Term 3

Words spelt ei, eigh, or ey

e.g. sleigh, whey, vein, neigh, , weight, they,
eight, obey, prey, neighbour
1. Sort the words into 3 groups.

ei eigh ey

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2. Use a selection of the words to make up a mystery story.

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Possessive apostrophe
with plural words
e.g. girls’, boys’, babies’, children’s, men’s,
mice’s
1. Look, say, cover, write, check words.

girls’

boys’

babies’

children’s

men’s

mice’s

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2. Use the words correctly in context in sentences.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

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Homophones or
near-homophones
accept/except, affect/effect, ball/bawl,
berry/bury, brake/break, fair/fare,
grate/great, groan/grown, here/hear,
heel/heal/he’ll, knot/not, mail/male,
main/mane, meat/meet, medal/meddle,
missed/mist, peace/piece, plain/plane,
rain/reign/rein, scene/seen,
weather/whether, whose/who’s
1. Make up rhyming pairs to show the different use for each

spelling of words given to you to help remember words.

1.

2.

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3.

4.

5.

2. Work in pairs on your table to choose 5 sets of words each and

find as many examples of the words that you can in 5 minutes.

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Appendix

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Year 3 and 4 Statutory Word List

accident(ally) famous particular
actual(ly) favourite peculiar
address February perhaps
answer forward(s) popular
appear fruit position
arrive grammar possess(ion)
believe group possible
bicycle guard potatoes
breath guide pressure
breathe heard probably
build heart promise
busy/business favourite purpose
calendar height quarter
caught history question
centre imagine recent
century increase regular
certain important reign
circle interest remember
complete island sentence
consider knowledge separate
continue learn special
decide length straight
describe library strange
different material strength
difficult medicine suppose
disappear mention surprise
early minute therefore
earth natural though/although
eight/eighth naughty thought
enough notice through
exercise occasion(ally) various
experience often weight
experiment opposite woman/women
extreme ordinary
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The blue highlighted words could be used as part of

children’s vocabulary and then explicitly focused on to
ensure coverage by end of Year 4 in line with NC
requirements.

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Year 3 Term 1

word read spell apply

myth
mythology
mythical
gym
gymnasium
gymnastics
Egypt
Egyptian
Egyptology
pyramid
mystery
mysterious
symbol
cymbals
forgotten
beginning
beginner
thinning
thinner
preferred
preferring
deferred
deferring
inferred
inferring
gardening
gardener
limiting
limited

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word read spell apply

limitation
visited
visiting
visitation

Term 2
word read spell apply
young
touch
double
trouble
country
disappoint
disagree
disappear
disobey
misbehave
mislead
misspell
inactive
incorrect
inappropriate
inside
illegal
illegible
immature
immortal
impossible
impatient

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word read spell apply

imperfect
irregular
irresponsible
redo
refresh
return
reappear
redecorate
interact
intercity
international
interrelated
subdivide
subheading
submarine
submerge
supermarket
superman
superstar
antiseptic
anticlockwise
antisocial
autobiography
autograph
adoration
sensation
preparation
admiration

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Term 3

word read spell apply

sadly
completely
usually
finally
comically
happily
angrily
easily
gently
simply
humbly
nobly
wrinkly
comically
terrifically
horrifically
basically
frantically
dramatically
truly
duly
wholly
division
invasion
confusion
decision
collision
television
revision
supervision

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word read spell apply

poisonous
dangerous
mountainous
famous
various
humorous
glamorous
vigorous
courageous
outrageous
serious
obvious
curious
spontaneous
hideous
courteous

Year 4 Term 1
word read spell
invention
injection
inspection
rejection
action
hesitation
completion
elation

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word read spell apply

expression
discussion
confession
permission
admission
submission
expansion
extension
tension
comprehension
musician
electrician
magician
politician
mathematician
scheme
chorus
chemist
echo
character

Term 2

word read spell

chef
machine
chalet
brochure

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word read spell apply

league
fatigue
tongue
antique
unique
science
scene
discipline
fascinate
crescent

Term 3

word read spell apply

sleigh
whey
prey
obey
they
eight
weight
vein
neighbour
neigh
girls’
boys’
babies’
children’s
men’s
mice’s
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word read spell apply

accept/except
affect/effect
ball/bawl
berry/bury
brake/break
fair/fare
grate/great
groan/grown
here/hear
heel/heal/he’ll
knot/not
mail/male
main/mane
meat/meet
medal/meddle
missed/mist
peace/piece
plain/plane
rain/reign/rein
scene/seen
weather/whether
whose/who’s

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For more information please contact:

School Improvement Liverpool

E-mail: SIL@liverpool.gov.uk
Telephone: 0151 233 3901