As they are so specific, these lessons are not intended for whole-class use. Ideally, they will work with small groups who are not yet proficient with a particular rule or pattern.
When used correctly and informed by data, the downloadable lessons on this site should help you tailor a spelling program that is differentiated and relevant to the needs of a wide range of learners.
| CVC Words: Lessons | Links to the Victorian Curriculum |
| CVC words with a (as in bad, map) CVC words with e (as in bed, ten) CVC words with i (as in dig, him) CVC words with o (as in dog, fox) CVC words with u (as in bus, nut) | Foundation Level: Blend sounds associated with letters when reading consonant-vowel-consonant words. (VCELA 147) |
| High Frequency and Commonly Misspelled Words | Links to the Victorian Curriculum |
| High Frequency Words | Foundation Level: Understand that spoken sounds and words can be written and know how to write some high-frequency words and other familiar words including their name (VCELA 157) |
| Mutisyllable words with unstressed vowels (as in definite and temperature) Commonly misspelled words – mixed (as in champagne and stationery) | Level 8: Understand how to apply learned knowledge consistently in order to spell accurately and to learn new words including nominalisations (VCELA417) |
| Compound Words | Links to the Victorian Curriculum |
| Compound Words | Level 2: Understand how to use digraphs, long vowels, blends, silent letters and syllabification to spell simple words including compound words (VCELA226) |
| Vowels and Vowel Sounds | Links to the Victorian Curriculum |
| -all/-ell (as in ball and bell) -ill (as in bill and mill) | Level 1: Recognise short vowels, common long vowels and consonant digraphs, and consonant blends (VCELA 181) |
| -ast (as in blast and cast) -ass (as in brass and glass) | Level 1: Recognise short vowels, common long vowels and consonant digraphs, and consonant blends (VCELA 181) |
| Modifying e rule: a-e words (as in made and shade) Modifying e rule: i-e words (as in crime and tide) Modifying e rule: o-e words (as in robe and chosen) Modifying e rule: u-e words (as in cube and duke) | Level 2: Recognise most letter–sound matches including silent letters, trigraphs, vowel digraphs and common long vowels, and understand that a sound can be represented by various letter combinations (VCELA218) |
| -old, -ild, -ind and -int words (as in bold, mild, find and pint) | Level 2: Recognise most letter–sound matches including silent letters, trigraphs, vowel digraphs and common long vowels, and understand that a sound can be represented by various letter combinations (VCELA218) |
| Vowel blend ee (as in see and feet) Vowel blend oo(as in food and spoon) Vowel blend oo (as in good and wood) | Level 2: Understand how to use digraphs, long vowels, blends, silent letters and syllabification to spell simple words including compound words (VCELA226) |
| -ay words (as in away and today) | Lesson 2: Understand how to use digraphs, long vowels, blends, silent letters and syllabification to spell simple words including compound words (VCELA226) |
| ai words (as in air and grain) ai words (as in affair and mountain) | Level 2: Recognise most letter–sound matches including silent letters, trigraphs, vowel digraphs and common long vowels, and understand that a sound can be represented by various letter combinations (VCELA218) Level 5: Recognise and write less familiar words that share common letter patterns but have different pronunciations (VCELA326) |
| ea words (as in beach and speak) ea that says /ee/ (as in eager and feature) ea that says /e/ (as in bread and measure) ear words (as in early and rehearse) | Level 2: Recognise most letter–sound matches including silent letters, trigraphs, vowel digraphs and common long vowels, and understand that a sound can be represented by various letter combinations (VCELA218) Level 5: Recognise and write less familiar words that share common letter patterns but have different pronunciations (VCELA326) |
| oa words (as in coast and boat) | Level 2: Recognise most letter–sound matches including silent letters, trigraphs, vowel digraphs and common long vowels, and understand that a sound can be represented by various letter combinations (VCELA218) |
| oi and oy words (as in boil and joy) oi and oy words (as in choice and voyage) | Level 2: Recognise most letter–sound matches including silent letters, trigraphs, vowel digraphs and common long vowels, and understand that a sound can be represented by various letter combinations (VCELA218) Level 5: Recognise and write less familiar words that share common letter patterns but have different pronunciations (VCELA326) |
| ow words (as in own and glow) ow words (as in brow and powder) | Level 2: Understand how to use digraphs, long vowels, blends, silent letters and syllabification to spell simple words including compound words (VCELA226) Level 4: Understand how to use phonic generalisations to identify and write words with more complex letter combinations (VCELA294) |
| ew words (as in blew and threw) | Level 2: Understand how to use digraphs, long vowels, blends, silent letters and syllabification to spell simple words including compound words (VCELA226) |
| -y (as in by and cry) -y words that say /i/ and /ee/ (as in apply and scurry) | Level 2: Understand how to use digraphs, long vowels, blends, silent letters and syllabification to spell simple words including compound words (VCELA226) |
| ou words (as in cloud and hour) | Level 4: Understand how to use phonic generalisations to identify and write words with more complex letter combinations (VCELA294) |
| aw words (as in claw and awkward) | Level 4: Understand how to use phonic generalisations to identify and write words with more complex letter combinations (VCELA294) |
| er words (as in paper and nerve) ar words (as in barge and shark) ir words (as in birthday and thirsty) or words (as in morning and sport) ur words (as in church and further) | Level 4: Understand how to use phonic generalisations to identify and write words with more complex letter combinations (VCELA294) |
| wa words (as in wad and swallow) | Level 5: Recognise and write less familiar words that share common letter patterns but have different pronunciations (VCELA326) |
| au words (as in sauce and author) | Level 5: Recognise and write less familiar words that share common letter patterns but have different pronunciations (VCELA326) |
| ie words (as in achieve and review) | Level 6: Understand how to use phonic knowledge and accumulated understandings about blending, letter–sound relationships, common and uncommon letter patterns and phonic generalisations to recognise and write increasingly complex words (VCELA353) |
| cei and sc words (as in ceiling and scissors) | Level 6: Understand how to use phonic knowledge and accumulated understandings about blending, letter–sound relationships, common and uncommon letter patterns and phonic generalisations to recognise and write increasingly complex words (VCELA353) |
| Consonants and Consonant Sounds | Links to the Victorian Curriculum |
| -ff (as in cliff and puff) -ss (as in bless and cross) bl- (as in black and bless) cl- (as in clap and clock) fl- (as in flag and flip) gl- (as in glad and glum) pl- (as in plan and plug) sl- (as in slim and slot) br- (as in brag and brick) cr- (as in crab and crisp) dr- (as in drag and drum) fr- (as in frill and frost) gr- and pr- (as in grab and pram) tr- (as in track and trot) sm- and sn- (as in small and snip) sp- (as in spam and spun) sw- and tw- (as in swam and twin) c- and sc- (as in crab and scuff) k- and sk- (as in kept and skip) st- (as in stack and stop) -st (as in best and just) -ft (as in left and soft) -lp and -lk (as in help and walk) -lt and -pt (as in halt and slept) -mp (as in camp and jump) nd (as in brand and wind) -ng (as in bang and hung) -ing (as in bring and wing) -nk (as in bank and wink) -nt (as in ant and hunt) | Level 1: Understand how to spell one and two syllable words with common letter patterns (VCELA 182) |
| s-r and thr words (as in shrimp and throttle) | Level 2: Recognise most letter–sound matches including silent letters, trigraphs, vowel digraphs and common long vowels, and understand that a sound can be represented by various letter combinations (VCELA218) |
| ch- and -ch words (as in chin and arch) sh- and -sh words (as in shaft and rush) th- and -th words (as in that and cloth) | Level 2: Understand how to use digraphs, long vowels, blends, silent letters and syllabification to spell simple words including compound words (VCELA226) |
| -ck (as in kick and muck) -ck words (as in back and shock) -ke words (as in cake and joke) -ck and -ke words (as in back and spoke) | Level 1: Understand how to spell one and two syllable words with common letter patterns (VCELA 182) Level 2: Understand how to use digraphs, long vowels, blends, silent letters and syllabification to spell simple words including compound words (VCELA226) |
| gh words (as in high and tonight) gh words (as in bought and slaughter) | Level 2: Understand how to use digraphs, long vowels, blends, silent letters and syllabification to spell simple words including compound words (VCELA226) Level 6: Understand how to use phonic knowledge and accumulated understandings about blending, letter–sound relationships, common and uncommon letter patterns and phonic generalisations to recognise and write increasingly complex words (VCELA353) |
| Silent k, b, h and t (as in knee, bomb, rhubarb and whistle) Silent w, g and l (as in wrap, gnarled and half) | Level 2: Understand how to use digraphs, long vowels, blends, silent letters and syllabification to spell simple words including compound words (VCELA226) |
| Double letter words (as in address and sudden) Double letter words + -le (as in bubble and paddle) | Level 3: Understand how to use letter–sound relationships and less common letter combinations to spell words (VCELA263) Level 4: Understand how to use spelling patterns and generalisations including syllabification, letter combinations including double letters, and morphemic knowledge to build word families (VCELA295) |
| Double letter words + -le (as in bubble and paddle) -le words with no double letter (as in bundle and fable) | Level 4: Understand how to use spelling patterns and generalisations including syllabification, letter combinations including double letters, and morphemic knowledge to build word families (VCELA295) |
| -tch words(as in catch and stretch) wh words (as in whale and everywhere) Soft g words (as in giant and emergency) | Level 5: Recognise and write less familiar words that share common letter patterns but have different pronunciations (VCELA326) |
| Soft c words (as in cinema and cygnet) Soft c and -ce words (as in palace and pencil) Soft c words (as in celebrate and specimen) cei and sc words (as in ceiling and scissors) | Level 5: Recognise and write less familiar words that share common letter patterns but have different pronunciations (VCELA326) Level 6: Understand how to use phonic knowledge and accumulated understandings about blending, letter–sound relationships, common and uncommon letter patterns and phonic generalisations to recognise and write increasingly complex words (VCELA353) |
| qu words (as in quality and squabble) cc, xc and cqu words (as in success, excellent and acquire) | Level 5: Recognise and write less familiar words that share common letter patterns but have different pronunciations (VCELA326) Level 7: Understand how to use spelling rules and word origins to learn new words and how to spell them (VCELA384) |
| ch that says /k/ (as in chaos and orchestra) -dge words (as in judge and ridge) | Level 6: Understand how to use phonic knowledge and accumulated understandings about blending, letter–sound relationships, common and uncommon letter patterns and phonic generalisations to recognise and write increasingly complex words (VCELA353) |
| ph that /f/ (as in alphabet and photograph) ph that says /f/ (as in arachnophobia and physiotherapy) | Level 6: Understand how to use phonic knowledge and accumulated understandings about blending, letter–sound relationships, common and uncommon letter patterns and phonic generalisations to recognise and write increasingly complex words (VCELA353) Level 7: Understand how to use spelling rules and word origins to learn new words and how to spell them (VCELA384) |
| ci and ti words (as in commercial and influential) cc, xc and cqu words (as in success, excellent and acquire) | Level 7: Understand how to use spelling rules and word origins to learn new words and how to spell them (VCELA384) |
| Commonly misspelled words – mixed (as in champagne and stationery) | Level 8: Understand how to apply learned knowledge consistently in order to spell accurately and to learn new words including nominalisations (VCELA417) |
| Prefixes and Suffixes | Links to the Victorian Curriculum |
Suffix -ing Suffix -ing (as in boiling and coaching) Suffix: -ing (as in disturbing and returning) Suffix: -ing base words ending in y (as in frying and supplying) Drop e, add suffix -ing (as in closing and smiling) Drop e, add suffix -ing (as in calculating and traipsing) Doubling medial consonant when adding suffix -ing (as in shopping and winning) Suffix: -ing – mixed (as in explaining and achieving) Suffix: -ing – mixed (as in arranging, excelling and exclaiming) -lled and -lling words (as in labelled and travelling) | Level 2: Learn some generalisations for adding suffixes to words (VCELA217) Level 3: Recognise most high-frequency words, know how to use common prefixes and suffixes, and know some homophones and generalisations for adding a suffix to a base word (VCELA250) Level 5: Understand how to use banks of known words, syllabification, spelling patterns, word origins, base words, prefixes and suffixes, to spell new words, including some uncommon plurals (VCELA312) Level 6: Understand how to use banks of known words, word origins, base words, prefixes, suffixes, spelling patterns and generalisations to spell new words, including technical words and words adopted from other languages (VCELA354) Level 8: Understand how to apply learned knowledge consistently in order to spell accurately and to learn new words including nominalisations (VCELA417) |
| Suffix -ed that says /t/, /d/ and /ed/ Suffix -d that says /d/, /t/ and /ed/ (as in amazed, baked and hated) Suffix -ed that says /d/, /t/ and /ed/ (as in enjoyed, cooked and pointed) Suffix: -d (as in disused and served) Suffix: -ed (as in assorted and discovered) Suffix: -ied (as in lied and married) Suffixes: -d and -ed (as in exploited and imagined) Doubling the medial consonant when adding suffix -ed (as in chatted and skipped) Suffixes: -d and -ed – mixed (as in digested and whistled) Suffixes: -d and -ed – mixed (as in accepted, disqualified and organised) -lled and -lling words (as in labelled and travelling) | Level 2: Learn some generalisations for adding suffixes to words (VCELA217) Level 3: Recognise most high-frequency words, know how to use common prefixes and suffixes, and know some homophones and generalisations for adding a suffix to a base word (VCELA250) Level 5: Understand how to use banks of known words, syllabification, spelling patterns, word origins, base words, prefixes and suffixes, to spell new words, including some uncommon plurals (VCELA312) Level 6: Understand how to use banks of known words, word origins, base words, prefixes, suffixes, spelling patterns and generalisations to spell new words, including technical words and words adopted from other languages (VCELA354) Level 8: Understand how to apply learned knowledge consistently in order to spell accurately and to learn new words including nominalisations (VCELA417) |
| Nouns adding -y to make adjectives (as in smelly and dusty) Drop e, add suffix -y (as in bony and sparkly) | Level 2: Learn some generalisations for adding suffixes to words (VCELA217) Level 5: Understand how to use banks of known words, syllabification, spelling patterns, word origins, base words, prefixes and suffixes, to spell new words, including some uncommon plurals (VCELA312) |
| Suffixes -er and -est (as in wiser, wisest) Suffix -er (as in farmer and prouder) Suffix -er for base words ending in e (as in baker and nicer) Suffix -est (as in fastest and wildest) Suffixes -er and -est for base words with double letters (as in thinner and hottest) Suffix: -ier (as in angrier and lovelier) Suffix: -iest(as in angriest and loveliest) | Level 3: Recognise most high-frequency words, know how to use common prefixes and suffixes, and know some homophones and generalisations for adding a suffix to a base word (VCELA250) Level 5: Understand how to use banks of known words, syllabification, spelling patterns, word origins, base words, prefixes and suffixes, to spell new words, including some uncommon plurals (VCELA312) |
| Prefix: al- and de- (as in almighty and decode) Prefix: re- and non- (as in refill and nonfiction) | Level 5: Understand how to use banks of known words, syllabification, spelling patterns, word origins, base words, prefixes and suffixes, to spell new words, including some uncommon plurals (VCELA312) |
| Suffix -ful (as in faithful and playful) Suffix -less (as in helpless and speechless) Suffixes: -ful and -less (as in beautiful and colourless) Suffix: -fully (as in beautifully and successfully) | Level 5: Understand how to use banks of known words, syllabification, spelling patterns, word origins, base words, prefixes and suffixes, to spell new words, including some uncommon plurals (VCELA312) Level 6: Understand how to use banks of known words, word origins, base words, prefixes, suffixes, spelling patterns and generalisations to spell new words, including technical words and words adopted from other languages (VCELA354) Level 7: Understand how to use spelling rules and word origins to learn new words and how to spell them (VCELA384) |
| Suffix -ness (as in foolishness and suddenness) Suffix: -iness (as in emptiness and happiness) | Level 5: Understand how to use banks of known words, syllabification, spelling patterns, word origins, base words, prefixes and suffixes, to spell new words, including some uncommon plurals (VCELA312) Level 6: Understand how to use banks of known words, word origins, base words, prefixes, suffixes, spelling patterns and generalisations to spell new words, including technical words and words adopted from other languages (VCELA354) |
| Suffix: -ly (as in blindly and slowly) Drop e, add suffix -ly (as in comfortably and miserably) Suffix: -ly – mixed (as in prematurely and hungrily) Suffix: -ly (as in conscientiously and insignificantly) Suffix: -ally (as in accidentally and mechanically) Suffix: -fully (as in beautifully and successfully) | Level 5: Understand how to use banks of known words, syllabification, spelling patterns, word origins, base words, prefixes and suffixes, to spell new words, including some uncommon plurals (VCELA312) Level 6: Understand how to use banks of known words, word origins, base words, prefixes, suffixes, spelling patterns and generalisations to spell new words, including technical words and words adopted from other languages (VCELA354) Level 7: Understand how to use spelling rules and word origins to learn new words and how to spell them (VCELA384) |
| Suffix: -ily (as in easily and prettily) Suffix: -ly – mixed (as in prematurely and hungrily) | Level 5: Understand how to use banks of known words, syllabification, spelling patterns, word origins, base words, prefixes and suffixes, to spell new words, including some uncommon plurals (VCELA312) Level 6: Understand how to use banks of known words, word origins, base words, prefixes, suffixes, spelling patterns and generalisations to spell new words, including technical words and words adopted from other languages (VCELA354) |
| Prefix: mis- and anti- (as in misbehave and antifreeze) Prefixes: anti-, mis- and co- (as in anticlockwise, misjudge and coincidence) | Level 5: Understand how to use banks of known words, syllabification, spelling patterns, word origins, base words, prefixes and suffixes, to spell new words, including some uncommon plurals (VCELA312) Level 7: Understand how to use spelling rules and word origins to learn new words and how to spell them (VCELA384) |
| Prefix: un- (as in unbeaten and unkind) Prefix: un- (as in unaccompanied and unmistakable) | Level 5: Understand how to use banks of known words, syllabification, spelling patterns, word origins, base words, prefixes and suffixes, to spell new words, including some uncommon plurals (VCELA312) Level 7: Understand how to use spelling rules and word origins to learn new words and how to spell them (VCELA384) |
| Prefix: dis- (as in disable and disagree) Prefix: dis- (as in disadvantage and disembark) | Level 5: Understand how to use banks of known words, syllabification, spelling patterns, word origins, base words, prefixes and suffixes, to spell new words, including some uncommon plurals (VCELA312) Level 7: Understand how to use spelling rules and word origins to learn new words and how to spell them (VCELA384) |
| Suffix: -ies (as in applies and worries) | Level 5: Understand how to use banks of known words, syllabification, spelling patterns, word origins, base words, prefixes and suffixes, to spell new words, including some uncommon plurals (VCELA312) |
| Prefix: ex- (as in explode and external) | Level 6: Understand how to use phonic knowledge and accumulated understandings about blending, letter–sound relationships, common and uncommon letter patterns and phonic generalisations to recognise and write increasingly complex words (VCELA353) |
| Suffix: -our and -iour (as in armour and behaviour) | Level 6: Understand how to use banks of known words, word origins, base words, prefixes, suffixes, spelling patterns and generalisations to spell new words, including technical words and words adopted from other languages (VCELA354) |
| Suffix: -tion (as in competition and reflection) Suffix: -sion(as in decision and supervision) Suffix: -ssion (as in admission and profession) | Level 6: Understand how to use banks of known words, word origins, base words, prefixes, suffixes, spelling patterns and generalisations to spell new words, including technical words and words adopted from other languages (VCELA354) |
| Suffix: -ous (as in carnivorous and nervous) Suffix: -ious (as in anxious and rebellious) | Level 6: Understand how to use banks of known words, word origins, base words, prefixes, suffixes, spelling patterns and generalisations to spell new words, including technical words and words adopted from other languages (VCELA354) Level 7: Understand how to use spelling rules and word origins to learn new words and how to spell them (VCELA384) |
| Suffix: -or (as in author and solicitor) Suffix: -ure (as in adventure and manufacture) Prefix: trans- (as in transaction and transplant) Prefix: bi- (as in bicentenary and bilingual) Prefix: aero- (as in aerodynamic and aerosol) Prefix: oct- (as in octogon and octopus) Prefix: aqua- (as in aquaplane and aquatic) Prefix: tele- (as in telecommunications and telepathy) Suffix: -ic (as in gigantic and heroic) Suffix: -ship (as in apprenticeship and membership) Suffix: -hood (as in brotherhood and neighbourhood) Suffix: -cide (as in coincide and pesiticide) | Level 6: Understand how to use banks of known words, word origins, base words, prefixes, suffixes, spelling patterns and generalisations to spell new words, including technical words and words adopted from other languages (VCELA354) |
| Prefix: im- (as in imbalance and improbable) Prefix: in- (as in inadequate and inexcusable) Prefixes: il- and ir- (as in illegal and irresponsible) Prefix: circum- (as in circumference and circumspect) Prefix: hypo- (as in hypochondriac and hypocrite) Prefix: hydr- (as in hydraulic and dehydrated) Prefix: audi- (as in audible and auditorium) Suffix: -ary (as in anniversary and revolutionary) Suffix: -able (as in employable and manageable) Suffix: -ible (as in credible and indestructible) Suffix: -al (as in comical and sensational) | Level 7: Understand how to use spelling rules and word origins to learn new words and how to spell them (VCELA384) |
| Suffix: -ment (as in achievement and replacement) | Level 8: Understand how to apply learned knowledge consistently in order to spell accurately and to learn new words including nominalisations (VCELA417) |
| Plurals | Links to the Victorian Curriculum |
| Plural -s that says /s/ and /z/ Plural -s Plurals: -s and -es (as in puppets and churches) Plurals, mixed (as in directions, knives, phoneys, echoes, photocopies and celebrities) Plurals – mixed (as in accidents, missionaries and successes) | Level 2: Learn some generalisations for adding suffixes to words (VCELA217) Level 3: Recognise most high-frequency words, know how to use common prefixes and suffixes, and know some homophones and generalisations for adding a suffix to a base word (VCELA250) Level 6: Understand how to use banks of known words, word origins, base words, prefixes, suffixes, spelling patterns and generalisations to spell new words, including technical words and words adopted from other languages (VCELA354) Level 8: Understand how to apply learned knowledge consistently in order to spell accurately and to learn new words including nominalisations (VCELA417) |
| Plural -es Plurals: -s and -es (as in puppets and churches) Plurals, mixed (as in directions, knives, phoneys, echoes, photocopies and celebrities) Plurals – mixed (as in accidents, missionaries and successes) | Level 3: Recognise most high-frequency words, know how to use common prefixes and suffixes, and know some homophones and generalisations for adding a suffix to a base word (VCELA250) Level 5: Understand how to use banks of known words, syllabification, spelling patterns, word origins, base words, prefixes and suffixes, to spell new words, including some uncommon plurals (VCELA312) Level 6: Understand how to use banks of known words, word origins, base words, prefixes, suffixes, spelling patterns and generalisations to spell new words, including technical words and words adopted from other languages (VCELA354) Level 8: Understand how to apply learned knowledge consistently in order to spell accurately and to learn new words including nominalisations (VCELA417) |
| Plural: -ies (as in armies and dictionaries) Plurals, mixed (as in directions, knives, phoneys, echoes, photocopies and celebrities) Plurals – mixed (as in accidents, missionaries and successes) | Level 5: Understand how to use banks of known words, syllabification, spelling patterns, word origins, base words, prefixes and suffixes, to spell new words, including some uncommon plurals (VCELA312) Level 6: Understand how to use banks of known words, word origins, base words, prefixes, suffixes, spelling patterns and generalisations to spell new words, including technical words and words adopted from other languages (VCELA354) Level 8: Understand how to apply learned knowledge consistently in order to spell accurately and to learn new words including nominalisations (VCELA417) |
| Plurals: -ffs and -ves (as in cliffs and scarves) Plurals: -os and -oes (as in kangaroos and potatoes) Plural: -ys (as in birthdays and keys) Plurals, mixed (as in directions, knives, phoneys, echoes, photocopies and celebrities) Plurals – mixed (as in accidents, missionaries and successes) | Level 5: Understand how to use banks of known words, syllabification, spelling patterns, word origins, base words, prefixes and suffixes, to spell new words, including some uncommon plurals (VCELA312) Level 6: Understand how to use banks of known words, word origins, base words, prefixes, suffixes, spelling patterns and generalisations to spell new words, including technical words and words adopted from other languages (VCELA354) Level 8: Understand how to apply learned knowledge consistently in order to spell accurately and to learn new words including nominalisations (VCELA417) |
Stone & Stave 