By second grade, children typically have knowledge of letter-sounds and a bank of sight words they can spell confidently. While it is common for them to also spell words phonetically, their approximations are becoming more accurate, given their knowledge of letter-sounds and spelling rules. During the second grade, children can continue increasing their knowledge of sight words and learn more complex spelling rules and word families.

While previous grades focused on shorter high-frequency words, such as “the” and “to,” many second-grade children will be ready to learn longer and more complex words. Words like “because” and “friend” can be introduced and added to the word wall. Like many shorter sight words, these words do not lend themselves to being spelled phonetically and instead, take practice to memorize. Children need opportunities to write the words and to also see them in print. The goal is to make the recall of sight words automatic, so that energy can be spent on other, more complex words.

Consider using sight words in the word wall, anchor charts, embedding them in word searches and puzzles, and including them on flashcards. Provide children with personal word walls or dictionaries to refer to when they are writing, or display a large word wall on a bulletin board.

Second-grade children can also learn to spell words that they are using in other subjects. For example, they may frequently read and say the words “adding” and “counting” when participating in math activities. In a science unit, they may be using words like “plants” and “growing.” Units of study in other subjects provide children with authentic opportunities to expand their spelling vocabulary.

An important part of learning to spell is knowing the many different spelling rules that govern the English language. Mini-lessons can be used to teach children more rules. For example, understanding the rule that “when two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking” will help them with spelling words like “boat,” “neat,” and “rain.” Consider creating an anchor chart with these types of examples, paired with pictures to help children remember the words.

In addition to understanding the single sound a letter can make, second-grade children also need to learn about the sounds letters make when they are paired together. For example, explicit teaching is needed to introduce the digraphs “sh,” “ch,” and “th.” Lessons around consonant blends, such as “tr,” “bl,” and “fr” are also important. Try having children brainstorm words that contain these letter combinations. Create an anchor chart they can refer to. Pairing a picture with each word will support their learning until they know the sounds independently.

Teach other spelling rules such as the role of the soft “c” and how “q” is always followed by a “u.” Take advantage of teachable moments, when children are trying to spell a word in their writing. Pause to teach them the spelling rule they need in order to write the word correctly.

In earlier grades, children learn simple word families such as “at” and “in.” During the second grade, they can begin expanding their knowledge of word families, which will help them to spell more words correctly. Consider teaching words that have a common spelling feature or pattern, but are more complex. Examples include “ight” and “eigh.”

Second-grade children can also begin learning sounds such as “tion,” which they may be spelling phonetically like “shun.” Mini-lessons can focus on more suffixes, as well as prefixes. For example, children can learn to add suffixes such as “er,” “est,” and “ful” to words. They can expand their spelling vocabulary by learning prefixes such as “un,” “dis,” and “re.”

Sometimes children experience difficulty with spelling words accurately. If they are struggling to remember letter-sounds and sight words, seeking advice from another professional can be helpful. A teacher or consultant who specializes in Special Education can offer advice and strategies to support a child who is not learning to spell at the expected rate. If the presence of underlying learning issues is suspected, a complete educational assessment can help identify a child’s strengths and needs, and offer the next steps for those who work with him/her.

There is a difference between spelling and pronunciation of words in English as almost every sound can be spelled in several ways. Check yourself by comparing with the list of the most common spelling mistakes in the USA. Only native English speakers took part in this study.

1) thier – their
2) alot – a lot
3) recieved – received
4) seperate – separate
5) untill – until
6) becuase – because
7) begining – beginning
8) diffrent – different
9) occured – occurred
10) beleive – believe
11) behaviour – behavior
12) wich – which
13) truely – truly
14) realy – really
15) definately – definitely

Misspelling is on the left in the list and correct spelling is on the right.

Other common spelling mistakes include: calender (calendar correctly); commitee (committee correctly); curiousity (curiosity correctly); embarassed (embarrassed correctly); fourty (forty correctly); foward (forward correctly); independant, independance (independent, independence correctly); knowlege (knowledge correctly); neccessary (necessary correctly); propoganda (propaganda correctly); miniscule (minuscule correctly).