MarcX Studio English
Year 3 and Year 4 spelling
Practicing Year 3 and Year 4 spelling words at home
Year 3 and Year 4 spelling usually arrives as a weekly list from the class teacher. Here is a routine for practicing that list at home, plus ways to work on the patterns behind the words.
Free to start: 2 word lists of up to 100 words each. Pro: US$2.99/month, US$19.99/year or US$29.99 once (UK £2.99/£19.99/£29.99; Australia A$4.99/A$29.99/A$49.99).
Snap Spell
How do I practice Year 3 spelling words at home?
Start from the list your child’s class sends home. Spread it over a few short sessions: look at the words and spot the patterns, practice a few each day by saying, writing and checking them, then finish with a mini-test the evening before the school test. Words that were missed go into the next session.
A five-day routine for the weekly list
Ten minutes a day is enough to cover a typical weekly list.
- 1 Day 1: read the list through together and mark the words that look tricky.
- 2 Day 2: practice the marked words with Look, Cover, Write, Check.
- 3 Day 3: practice the rest of the list the same way.
- 4 Day 4: run a mini-test. Read each word aloud, your child writes it, then check together.
- 5 Test day: a quick review of the words missed in the mini-test.
Patterns behind Year 3 and Year 4 words
The English national curriculum programme of study for Years 3 and 4 covers further prefixes and suffixes, further homophones, often-misspelt words, possessive apostrophes with plurals, and writing dictated sentences from memory. Grouping the weekly words by pattern makes them easier to remember.
Prefixes and suffixes
Group words that share a beginning or ending, such as un-, mis-, -ly or -ness, and talk about how the meaning changes.
Homophones
Practice pairs like brake and break together, with a short sentence for each so the meaning sticks.
Often-misspelt words
Say tricky words in syllables, such as Wed-nes-day, and mark the part that is easy to get wrong.
Dictated sentences
Years 3 and 4 also ask pupils to write simple dictated sentences from memory. Once single words feel secure, read a short sentence that includes two list words, have your child write it, and check the spelling and punctuation.
Use the school list in Snap Spell
Photograph the list your child brought home, check the words, and save it. Auto Dictation reads each word aloud, with a British accent if you choose one, while your child writes on paper. Solo Test lets your child type the words and scores them right away, and missed words come back through Tricky Words. When your child types answers in Solo Test, common British and American spellings (colour/color) both count as correct.
Questions about Year 3 and Year 4 spelling
Which Year 3 spelling list should we use?
Use the list your child’s class sends home each week. The English national curriculum’s Appendix 1 on GOV.UK also gives spelling guidance for Years 3 and 4, including often-misspelt words, which you can read alongside the weekly list.
How long should each session be?
Ten minutes is a comfortable length. Short daily sessions are easier to keep up than one long one.
Does Snap Spell accept British spelling?
Yes. Words are saved exactly as written on the list, and when your child types answers in Solo Test, common British and American spellings (colour/color) both count as correct.
Got this week’s list?
Download Snap Spell, photograph the list, and start the first session.
