Spelling Strand Year 2 – Summer Term – Overview and Rationale

Spelling Strand Year 2 – Summer term – overview and rationale

Explore the full teaching sequence for the Year 2 spelling scheme Summer term overview and rationale, designed to complement our Spectacular SPaG scheme. Based on the DfE spelling appendix for Year 2, this overview sets out the structure, progression and teaching approach across the Summer term spelling strand.

This document provides a clear week-by-week breakdown of spelling focuses and example word lists. Each half term includes five weeks of structured spelling teaching, followed by a sixth week for consolidation and review. This built-in review point allows teachers to assess understanding, revisit misconceptions and reinforce key spelling patterns before moving on.

Summer term spelling focuses support pupils in recognising common spelling patterns and applying suffixes and sounds accurately. Weekly focuses include:

• Suffixes including -ment, -ness, -ful, -less and -ly (e.g. happiness, careful, hopeless, quickly)
• Word endings such as le and el (e.g. table, apple, tunnel, squirrel)
• Word endings including al and il (e.g. animal, capital, fossil, pencil)
• Spelling patterns linked to sounds such as the ‘er’ sound spelt ‘or’ and ‘or’ sound spelt ‘ar’ after w (e.g. word, worm, warm, warning)
• Common exception words and spelling patterns including ‘or’ sound spelt ‘a’ and ‘u’ sound spelt ‘o’ (e.g. all, walk, other, mother, could, should, would)
• ‘zh’ sound and -tion endings (e.g. television, treasure, station, fiction)
• Homophones (e.g. there/their/they’re, here/hear, blue/blew, see/sea, one/won)

The scheme follows a consistent spelling routine, including introducing spellings through lesson presentations, exploring word meanings, and practising using Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check sheets. Weekly dictation tasks provide opportunities for pupils to apply their spelling knowledge within full sentences.

Trace and write spelling sheets are available in precursive and cursive fonts, allowing teachers to select the most suitable style for their pupils. Weekly spelling tests support ongoing assessment, helping track progress and identify areas where further support may be needed.

Written by experienced teachers, this resource provides clear guidance on progression, teaching structure and assessment across the Summer term. Use alongside the wider SPaG scheme for consistent coverage of spelling, punctuation and grammar across KS1.