Years 1–9Spelling

The Spelling challenge: fifteen questions picked for your child's year

Written by A Dagdelen · Reviewed

Spelling is easy to leave until a teacher mentions it. The Spelling challenge gives your child fifteen questions at a time, taken from English lessons about spelling and chosen to match their year, so the practice is the right level without you having to find it.

Photo: Anders Bengs on Unsplash

  • 15questions in a challenge
  • Matchedto your child's year group
  • Choose or fixpick the right spelling, or correct a mistake
  • Englishneeds the English lessons for that year on the site

How it works

  1. The questions come from spelling lessons. They are taken from the quizzes of English lessons whose subject is spelling, so they follow the rules and patterns children are taught, such as endings, prefixes and tricky words.
  2. They are matched to the year. Years 1 and 2 use the Year 2 spelling lessons, Years 3 and 4 use Years 3 and 4, and older children use the Year 5 and 6 ones. The lessons do not go beyond Year 6, so older children get the nearest set.
  3. There are two kinds of question. Some ask your child to choose the right spelling. Others show a sentence with a mistake and ask them to correct it, which is the harder skill and the one that matters in writing.
  4. It is one challenge, not a test. The result is for you and your child to see where the patterns are not yet secure. It does not feed into anything at school.
  5. It fits alongside reading. Children who read for pleasure often spell better. The challenge is a short, structured extra, not a replacement.

How to use it at home

Little and often

One fifteen-question challenge a few times a week is plenty. Spelling sticks through repetition, not long sessions.

Talk about the rule

When something is wrong, ask why: what is the pattern, and what other words follow it? That is worth more than the right answer.

Write it out

After the challenge, have your child write three words they got wrong in a sentence of their own.

Keep a list

A running list of the words that keep going wrong is the best spelling list you will ever make.

Practise and explore on Quizo School

Questions parents ask

Is the Spelling challenge free?

It is part of the Family plan. New families get the Family plan free for 14 days, with no card needed.

Will it match the school's spelling lists?

Schools use their own lists, so it will not match word for word. It follows the same rules and patterns, so it supports what your child is being taught.

Why does it not show for some children?

It needs the English lessons for the year to be available on the site. If English is not available for your child's year yet, the challenge is hidden.

What about children who are learning English?

It can help with patterns, though the questions are written for children who already read English comfortably. The word bank and our EAL guide may be a better start.

Try the Spelling challenge

New families get the Family plan free for 14 days, with no card needed. Make a profile and the first challenge is ready.

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