Five Tips for Using Bullet Points

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Bullet points are a type of list used to draw attention to important information in a piece of writing. Bullet points are more visually attractive than a block of text and help draw the reader’s eye to the key points the writer is trying to make.

While there are no hard and fast rules about how to use bullet points, it’s important to choose a style that will communicate the necessary information in a simple and dynamic way. Using too many bullet points in a section of writing or being inconsistent within your list of points, for example, might end up make your writing more confusing to the reader – the opposite to your intended effect.

Here are five tips to help you make your bullet points as effective as possible:

  1. Introduce the list of bullet points with a colon.

    Spellzone allows its subscribers full access to the following:
     
    • two spelling courses and a personalised learning pathway
    • over 500,000 word lists
    • spelling activities and games
    • worksheets
       
  2. Is the text that follows the bullet point a full sentence? If it isn’t, you don’t need a capital letter or full stop.

    Spellzone allows its subscribers full access to the following:
     
    • two spelling courses and a personalised learning pathway
    • over 500,000 word lists
    • spelling activities and games
    • worksheet

If the text that follows the bullet point is a full sentence, make sure you use a capital letter.
You can choose whether or not you want to use a full stop, but make sure you are consistent throughout the list.

At Spellzone we use a variety of methods to help students improve their spelling:

    • We use a spelling ability test create a personalised learning pathway depending on each student’s strengths and weaknesses.
    • We have two different courses to accommodate different spelling levels.
    • We use word lists and two different types of tests to help students retain spellings.
    • We also have a variety of games that allow students to work on their spelling while having fun.
       
  2. Start each bullet point with the same type of word. Action words are particularly effective (but make sure you keep your verb tense consistent).

    Good spelling practice involves:
     
    • reading widely
    • noting down new words
    • keeping track of your progress
    • using Spellzone to test yourself
       
  3. Keep each point short and snappy for maximum effect.
     
  4. Keep you formatting consistent - use the same font, margins, and spacing for each point.

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13 Nov 2018
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"Thank goodness for Spellzone during this remote learning phase. The site is easy for students to navigate independently and they're really enjoying the activities and spelling games. You get an awful lot for your money with Spellzone. Really reassuring is the very prompt response with helpdesk queries. I've very rarely needed the helpdesk, but when I have, the issue has been addressed and sorted within a very short time."

Sarah Taggart, Oasis Academy Lord's Hill