10 Easy Spelling Rules to improve your spelling by 100's of

Are you a good speller? It is hard to help your child with spelling if you have a hard time with spelling yourself. At the same time, if you are a great speller, it can be difficult to understand why your child is not a great speller.

What you’ll find in this section is a listing of some spelling rules you and your child can learn, some links to free spelling sheets on the web and more.

1. Do you change the words you use when you write because, you might not spell the word correctly?
2. Would you be mortified if you sent correspondence out without spell checking it?
3. Could you live without a spellchecker?

If you answered YES to the first two questions, or NO to the last question, you your spelling has much room for improvement!

If you learn these 10 basic spelling rules, you can spell literally thousands of words!

1. E Ending Rule:
When a base word ends with an E and you add an ending that begins with a vowel, drop the E. Go to the Free Spelling Worksheet that teaches this spelling rule.

2. The CVC Rule:
When a word that is 4 letters or less ends CVC, and the next ending begins with a V, you must double the final vowel. CVC + V = CVCCV

3. The Vowel Changers:
When the letter Y or the letter W is at the end of a word, it acts like a vowel letter.

4. The Flighty Y Rule:
When a word ends Consonant and a Y (C+Y) and you ad an ending there must be an I in the word. Either the Y changes to I (C+Y+___ = C+I+___) or the ending has an I and it becomes (C+Y+I = C+Y+I).

5. Plural Rules:
To make a regular word plural, add a "S" If the word ends in the letter S, Z, X, SH, or CH, or a "C+Y" add an "ES"

6. The Disappearing E Rule:
When a word ends with a W, and you ad the ending EN, drop the E.

7. The Appearing AL Rule:
When a word ends with "IC" and you at the ending "LY" it must become "ICALLY"

8. Double the Fun Rule:
When the ending of a word is a short base CVC rule, follow the CVC doubling rule.

9. The ION Rule:
When a word ends in ION, another form of the word may end in OR.

10. The Exception Rule:
Every rule has an exception, so, don’t be surprised if you find a word that doesn’t follow these rules. . . but most of them do!

About the Author

 

Sacha Luria-Smith has been recognized for her teaching success on National Public Radio and Disney radio. She has also taught middle school in Oakland, CA. She is the author ofthe website http://www.home-school-reading.com.