Essential Spelling: Subject Knowledge for Primary Schools, Part 2

10 out of 10 on Friday, and the same words spelt wrong in Monday's writing. Weekly tests check short-term memory, and for some children they mostly check how well they cope with panic.

This course, from a former primary headteacher and English specialist, shows you what to do instead. Start a spelling sequence with a question and let children investigate the pattern for themselves. Tell them where words come from, such as why a cow in a field becomes beef on a plate. Teach the rules most English words really do follow, and use the National Curriculum spelling appendix to spot gaps from earlier years.

You'll also get to know the spellers in your class, so the child who needs a mnemonic ("big elephants can't always understand small elephants") gets one, instead of another round of Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check.