Five Spelling Resolutions for 2015
Happy New Year everyone!
Who else is terrible at keeping their New Year’s resolutions?
Over the years we’ve found that smaller, more specific goals are easier to achieve than broader or vaguer ones. Here are five goals you could set yourself instead of a more general “In 2015, I will improve my spelling”.
- “In 2015, I will start a spelling log.”
You can keep a spelling log anywhere – in a specific notebook, on the back of an old receipt, or even in a memo or note app on your phone. Don’t forget that different people find different words more difficult to spell, so it is important to take note of which words you find particularly hard. Whenever you come across a word that you don’t recognise the spelling of, note it down in your spelling log. While at first it might seem like you are listing a lot of words, the amount you find yourself listing will decrease as you find yourself recognising word patterns. Spelling logs are particularly useful to look over in those quieter moments, like on the bus, or in a waiting room.
- “In 2015, I will test myself on at least one Spellzone word list a week.”
If you’re feeling ambitious, why not set yourself the goal of testing yourself on two or even three word lists over the course of the week? Don’t forget that we share a word list on Facebook and Twitter every Thursday – why not join in by looking over the words during the week and then testing yourself the following Wednesday before the next word list is shared?
- “In 2015, I will complete at least one Spellzone unit a week.”
Again, if you’re feeling ambitious feel free to set yourself the goal of completing more than one unit per week. Why not work on the same unit as your friends, family, or class each week so that you can discuss what you’re working on or any difficulties you may be having?
- “In 2015, I will read ____ books.”
Reading helps you recognise and memorise word patterns, so the more words you
encounter, the better. Make sure you set a goal number of books that is slightly higher than the number you would typically read over the course of a year. Or perhaps, if it’s easier, why not set yourself the goal of reading a book a week or a book a month? It doesn’t even have to be books. As long as you’re reading, it will help. What about setting yourself the goal of reading the back of one food packet each day, perhaps with breakfast or lunch? Or one Wikipedia article a week?
- “In 2015, I will share my spelling goals and achievements on social media.”
We find that if other people know what we’re working towards, we’re more likely to achieve. Perhaps this is because we don’t want our friends and family to see us giving up, and no doubt because their encouragement helps us to keep trying. This year we’re using the hashtag #Spellzone2015 to share our spelling triumphs (as well as our doubts) so that we can support each other. Why not set up a Twitter account for yourself or your class and join our community?
We’d love to hear about your 2015 spelling goals – whether you’re setting them as an individual, family, or school. Let us know how you’re getting on in the comments, or on Facebook or Twitter. Don’t forget to use #Spellzone2015.
Have a great week!
02 Jan 2015
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