Clever Speller is a unique story based learning approach to spelling featuring full length narrative picture book style stories full of words showing all the ways to spell a focus sound. Our resources develop the essential skills of phonemic awareness, (hearing sounds in words,) and phonics, (learning all the ways to spell them). Authentic context makes learning to spell meaningful, warm and memorable. Make sense of crazy English spelling and bring it to life with engaging stories!
Clever Speller is a unique story based learning approach to spelling featuring full length narrative picture book style stories full of words showing all the ways to spell a focus sound. Our resources develop the essential skills of phonemic awareness, (hearing sounds in words,) and phonics, (learning all the ways to spell them). Authentic context makes learning to spell meaningful, warm and memorable. Make sense of crazy English spelling and bring it to life with engaging stories!
44 Bookmark and poster making printable activities for a hands-on way to learn about synonyms and antonyms. Your middle primary students will enjoy making these memorable learning aids to help build vocabulary, bring writing to life and improve comprehension.
How to Use These Activities
Breaking up bookwork time with practical activities is a welcome change from worksheets
Complete the bookmarks as a lesson activity, or add synonyms over time to use as a ‘personal thesaurus’.
Make posters with examples of synonyms and antonyms for each core word to brighten up your classroom and provide learning prompts for daily use
What is included:
22 synonym bookmarks
22 synonym and antonym posters to make, 1 for each story word
2 copies of Long A Phonics Story, ‘Baby Jake’s Birthday’, 1 plain text, 1 with the Long A words in green text
Core word list of 22 words from the story
Synonym word list, 22 core words plus 4 synonyms for each story word
Antonym word list, 22 core words plus 4 antonyms for each story word
About Story Based Learning
Humans have been using stories to teach their youngsters about life since day dot. Everyone loves a story but it can quite hard to find them with any depth to explicitly teach spelling, which can make spelling rather boring! Our purpose written phonics picture book stories are full of words showing how sounds in words are spelled in many ways and bring spelling and grammar to life. Check out our store for a range of activities based on our original picture books and add life and colour to your spelling and grammar lessons
70 story based learning spelling activities to learn 9 ways the Long A sound in words can be spelled. No prep printable worksheets ready for your word work, literacy centres, morning routines, spelling program, ESL, revision or homework. Differentiated word lists cater to a range of ability from Kindergarten to Year 2. Your students will easily learn to hear sounds in words and know all the ways to spell them. Aligns to any curriculum.
These Activities Will Help Students to Develop Skills in:
Understanding that sounds are represented by various letter combinations
Using sound letter knowledge to read familiar and unfamiliar words
Using words in everyday writing to show comprehension and context
Applying letter sound knowledge to spell familiar and unfamiliar words
Making new words by changing the first letter or letters
Building vocabulary
Recognising rhyme
Recognising and understanding homophones
What is Included
61 Long A Word Family Activities
Finding Long A: find the list words in the story
Meaningful Words: write the meaning of the list words in the story context
Writing Long A: combine list words to create a short story or paragraph
More Long A Words: find more words with the same Long A grapheme
Rhyming Long A: highlight words with the same end sound
Onset: change the first letter or letters to make new words, answers included
5 Long A Activities
Homophones: write meanings and sentences for each pair of homophones
Find All the Words: underline all the words in the story with a Long A sound
Missing Letters: fill in the missing Long A letters for each word
Choose the Letters: fill in the missing Long A letters in a story context
Word Family Sorting: sorting words into 9 word families
3 Sight Words Activities
Sight Words Sorting: sorting sight words into word families and analysis
Sight Words Matching: cloze activity with sight words
Sight Words Practice: check lists sorted according to Long A word family
2 More Ways to Spell Long A
7 More Ways to Spell Long A: Vocabulary Challenge
16 Ways to Spell Long A: Words and Picture Chart
4 Teacher Resources
Long A Story: Baby Jake’s Birthday, 2 versions one with all black text and one with Long A words printed in green
Complete Word List, 103 Long A Words
Spelling Group Lists: 11 differentiated lists
’a’: 2 levels,
’a_e’: 4 levels, ’
ai’: 2 levels,
’ay’: 2 levels,
’Unusual Ways’: 1 level
Chart: 9 Ways to Spell Long A
Did you know there are at least 20 ways to spell the Long I sound in words! These 67 activities focus on 6 well known ways with extension activities for 14 unusual ways to spell Long I. The activities are based on the included purpose written phonics story ‘Diamonds in the Sky’, full of words showing different ways the Long I sound can be spelled in words.
** Recently edited to fix minor errors. Available to re-download **
No prep printable worksheets ready for your word work, literacy centres, morning routines, spelling program, ESL, revision or homework. Differentiated word lists based on the included phonics story cater to a range of ability from Kindergarten to Year 3. Your students will easily learn to hear sounds in words and know all the ways to spell them. Our story based learning approach provides context and meaning to engage students and make spelling time a happy time.
These Activities Will Help Students to Develop Skills in:
Understanding that sounds are represented by various letter combinations
Using sound letter knowledge to read familiar and unfamiliar words
Using words in everyday writing to show comprehension and context
Applying letter sound knowledge to spell familiar and unfamiliar words
Making new words by changing the first letter or letters
Building vocabulary
Recognising rhyme
Recognising and understanding homophones
What is Included
50 Long I Word Family Activities
Finding Long I: find the list words in the story
Meaningful Words: write the meaning of the list words in the story context
Writing Long I: combine list words to create a short story or paragraph
More Long I Words: find more words with the same Long E grapheme
Rhyming Long I: highlight words with the same end sound
Onset: change the first letter or letters to make new words, answers included
7 Long I Activities
Homophones and Homographs: write meanings and sentences for each pair
Find All the Words: underline all the words in the story with a Long I sound
Missing Letters: fill in the missing Long I letters for each word
Choose the Letters: fill in the missing Long I letters in a story context
Word Family Sorting: sorting words into word families
4 Sight Words Activities
Sight Words Sorting: sorting sight words into word families and analysis
Sight Words Matching: cloze activity with sight words
Sight Words Practice: check lists sorted according to Long I word family
More Ways to Spell Long I
14 More Ways to Spell Long I: Vocabulary Challenge
20 Ways to Spell Long I: Words and Picture Chart
4 Teacher Resources
Long I Story: Diamonds in the Sky, 2 versions one with all black text and one with Long I words printed in green
Story Word List, 93 Long I Words
Spelling Group Lists: 3 ‘i_e’, 2 ‘I’, 1 each of ‘y’, ‘sigh’, ‘ie’. and ‘y_e’ plus unusual ways
Chart: 11 Ways to Spell Long I
Did you know there are at least 15 ways to spell the Long O sound in words! These 69 activities focus on 4 well known ways, (o, oa, ow and o_e), with extension activities for 11 unusual ways to spell Long O, (au, eau, you, ew, oe, oh, ol, oo, ou, ough and owe). The activities are based on the included purpose written phonics story ‘Joanna Goanna’, full of words showing different ways the Long O sound can be spelled in words.
No prep printable worksheets ready for your word work, literacy centres, morning routines, spelling program, ESL, revision or homework. Differentiated word lists based on the included phonics story cater to a range of ability from Kindergarten to Year 3. Your students will easily learn to hear sounds in words and know all the ways to spell them. Our story based learning approach provides context and meaning to engage students and make spelling time a happy time.
These Activities Will Help Students to Develop Skills in:
Understanding that sounds are represented by various letter combinations
Using sound letter knowledge to read familiar and unfamiliar words
Using words in everyday writing to show comprehension and context
Applying letter sound knowledge to spell familiar and unfamiliar words
Making new words by changing the first letter or letters
Building vocabulary
Recognising rhyme
Recognising and understanding homophones
What is Included
50 Long I Word Family Activities
Finding Long O: find the list words in the story
Meaningful Words: write the meaning of the list words in the story context
Writing Long O: combine list words to create a short story or paragraph
More Long O Words: find more words with the same Long I grapheme
Rhyming Long O: highlight words with the same end sound
Onset: change the first letter or letters to make new words, answers included
7 Long O Activities
Homophones and Homographs: write meanings and sentences for each pair
Find All the Words: underline all the words in the story with a Long O sound
Missing Letters: fill in the missing Long O letters for each word
Choose the Letters: fill in the missing Long O letters in a story context
Word Family Sorting: sorting words into word families
4 Sight Words Activities
Sight Words Sorting: sorting sight words into word families and analysis
Sight Words Matching: cloze activity with sight words
Sight Words Practice: check lists sorted according to Long O word family
More Ways to Spell Long I
11 More Ways to Spell Long O: Vocabulary Challenge
15 Ways to Spell Long I: Words and Picture Chart
4 Teacher Resources
Long O Story: Joanna Goanna, 2 versions one with all black text and one with Long O words printed in green
Story Word List, 114 Long O Words
Spelling Group Lists: 11 differentiated lists
‘o’, ‘ow’ and ‘o_e’: 3 levels
‘oa’: 2 levels
11 Unusual Ways
Chart: 9 Ways to Spell Long O
About Clever Speller
Matching, Cut and Paste, and Flash Cards activities to learn 7 Long O word families. 3 styles of activities provide variety to engage and keep students interested in spelling while easily building Long O phonemic awareness and phonics skills.
In these activities students will learn 7 ways the Long O sound can be spelled: ew, o, oa, oe, ol, ow and o_e. All Long O letters are printed in alternative colour for easy decoding of the Long O sound. Simple to complex activities are included to cater for range of learning stages. Colour and black and white versions of each activity are included.
In this resource:
Cut and Paste: cut, paste and colour worksheets, 8 colour and 8 BW versions
Match Words and Picture: activities to draw a line to match the word and picture. Print as individual worksheets or laminate/place in a plastic sleeve for multiple use. 11 colour and 11 BW versions
Flash Cards: 46 cards with words and pictures provide concrete materials for practical hands on learning. Use for sorting into word families, matching words and pictures or games such as memory and pairs. Blank template included. Colour and BW versions
Phonics story ‘Joanna Goanna’ full of words showing 9 different ways the Long O sound can be spelled in words. Provides context for connected and meaningful spelling learning.
Each activity is contained as a separate PDF document in the zip file
Story Based Learning
All words and images are from the included Long O phonics story ‘Joanna Goanna’, an original purpose written traditional picture book style story full of words clearly showing 9 different ways the Long O sound can be spelled: ew, o, oa, oe, oh, ol, ough, ow and o_e.
Benefits of Story Based Learning
brings spelling to life
provides context for phonics to make sense
complements and reinforces any curriculum programme and method
consolidates word family and phonics knowledge
How to Use These Activities
read story to bring spelling to life and show how the long O sound can be spelled in many ways
practice and reinforce spelling and phonics lesson content
help your ESL students learn that sounds in words in the English language are spelled in many ways
literacy and rotation groups
individual student worksheet activities
laminate or place in plastic sleeve for multiple use
homework
Matching word and picture activities to easily learn many ways to spell the Long E sound in words. 9 Printable activities are based on the included original Long E phonics story ‘Three Free Wishes’. Focus sound letters are printed in green to help students decode the Long E sound in words.
Worksheets contain 8 Long E graphemes
ea, ee, eo, ey, i, ie, i_e, y
Phonics Story ‘Three Free Wishes’ contains 12 Long E graphemes, 8 included in the worksheets plus 4 extra:
ay, e, e_e and ei
How to Use
Use for spelling lessons, word-work, homework, practice, literacy centers
Print individual student worksheets or laminate for long lasting use.
Print in colour or black and white.
Clever Speller combines Phonics with Whole Language to help make sense of crazy English spelling and easily learn that sounds in words can be spelled in many ways.
Matching word and picture activities to easily learn many ways to spell the Long A sound in words. 6 Printable activities plus 2 copies of the phonics story are included. All words and pictured are from the original Long A phonics story ‘Baby Jake’s Birthday’. Focus sound letters are printed in green to help students decode the Long A sound in words.
Worksheets contain 7 Long E graphemes
a, ai, ay, a_e, ea, ei, eigh
Phonics Story ‘Three Free Wishes’ contains 9 Long E graphemes, 7 included in the worksheets plus 3 extra:
e_e and ey
How to Use
Use for spelling lessons, word-work, homework, practice, literacy centers
Print individual student worksheets or laminate for long lasting use.
Print in colour or black and white.
Clever Speller combines Phonics with Whole Language to help make sense of crazy English spelling and easily learn that sounds in words can be spelled in many ways.
Note: there are 2 versions of the stories and 2 of the worksheets to accommodate both US and UK/Australian spellings of the words favourite/favourite, labelling/labelling and neighbour/neighbour
Matching word and picture activities to easily learn many ways to spell the Long I sound in words. 6 Printable activities in colour and black and white plus 2 copies of the phonics story are included. All words and pictured are from the original Long I phonics story ‘Diamonds in the Sky’. Focus sound letters are printed in green to help students decode the Long I sound in words.
Worksheets contain 11 Long I graphemes
eigh, eye, i, ia, ie, ig, igh, i_e, uy, y, y_e
Phonics Story ‘Diamonds in the Sky’ contains 11 Long I graphemes
How to Use
Use for spelling lessons, word-work, homework, practice, literacy centers
Print individual student worksheets or laminate for long lasting use.
Print in colour or black and white.
Clever Speller combines Phonics with Whole Language to help make sense of crazy English spelling and easily learn that sounds in words can be spelled in many ways.