This September check-in provides a quick overview of the key things teachers should focus on at the beginning of the 2026–27 academic year. It also highlights some of the features now available within Spellings for Me that schools may not yet be making full use of.

Spellings for Me has developed considerably over recent years. Individualised spelling remains at the heart of the programme, but teachers and students also have access to morphology and etymology lessons, video lessons covering key phonetic concepts and spelling rules, printable resources, Performance Insights and additional assessment areas.

1. New to Spellings for Me? Start with the training webinar

If you are a new teacher or are unsure where to begin, we recommend watching the full teacher training webinar.

You can find the pre-recorded training webinar in the Knowledge Base, which is available through the Resources section of your teacher profile.

The Knowledge Base also contains guidance and videos covering the different areas of Spellings for Me. If you have a question that is not answered there, you can contact us for support.

2. Use your Getting Started checklist

Your Getting Started with Spellings for Me checklist is available on the right-hand side of your main teacher dashboard.

Please use the checklist at the beginning of the academic year. There are different instructions depending on whether your school is using:

Spellings for Me with copybooks;

the online-only programme; or

the existing Spellings for Me workbooks.

For schools using the new copybooks, the checklist breaks down what teachers should do in Weeks 1, 2, 3 and 4.

3. Revise the spelling strategies with your class

With the move from workbooks to copybooks in many schools, it is particularly important that students are explicitly taught or reminded of the Spellings for Me strategies.

Strategy booklets are provided for different ages/classes. Schools can print these for students or simply display them on the interactive whiteboard and work through them together.

Teachers should also go to:

Resources → Video Lessons for Students

and play/revise the relevant Spellings for Me strategy videos.

These videos help students understand what they should do with their individualised Learning Words and also introduce areas including morphology, etymology and phonology.

Even if a class has been using Spellings for Me for two or three years, revisiting the strategies at the beginning of the year is worthwhile. Printable strategy worksheets are also available within the teacher profile.

4. Aim for at least six individualised cycles

One of the most important messages from this check-in is to complete a minimum of six individualised cycles during the academic year.

The normal structure is:

4 weeks of individualised Learning Words → Week 5 testing/reset → begin the next 4-week cycle

During Week 5, students take their Learning Words Test and complete the testing required to generate their new individualised words for the next cycle.

Six four-week learning cycles equate to 24 learning weeks, leaving sufficient time within the school year for the testing/reset weeks and other interruptions.

The key is not to allow the gap between cycles to stretch to two or three weeks. At the end of each four-week cycle, teachers should unlock the Learning Words Test and then print the new Learning Words grids for the next cycle.

5. The two key teacher jobs at the end of each cycle

At the end of each four-week cycle, teachers need to complete two important tasks.

First, unlock the Learning Words Test. From the teacher dashboard, select the relevant students and choose Unlock Learning Words Test for Selected Users.

Second, print the new Learning Words grids. Once testing has been completed, go to Reports and print the students' new grids for the following four weeks.

There is also a Knowledge Base video explaining how to run Spellings for Me efficiently.

6. Set class and individual targets

Schools are encouraged to set clear targets for the number of words students master during the academic year.

The video highlights 200+ Mastered Words as a strong class target, with an example class from 2025–26 averaging more than 235 mastered words.

Teachers can make this motivating for students by setting class milestones—for example, celebrating when the class reaches 50, 100, 150 and ultimately 200 mastered words.

Targets can also be personalised.

Within Performance Insights → Charts, teachers can view students' results from previous academic years. This allows a teacher to say, for example, that a student mastered 91 words two years ago and 150 last year, and then set an appropriate target for the current year.

7. Monitor Learning Words Test percentages

Learning Words Test results are colour-coded:

Green: 70–100%
Yellow: 40–70%
Red: below 40%

Teachers should monitor these results rather than simply recording them.

If a student who normally achieves 70–90% suddenly drops—for example, from green into yellow—a quick conversation with the student may be enough to identify the issue and get them back on track.

Sharing results with students and, where appropriate, sending them home or asking parents/guardians to sign them can also help maintain focus on progress.

8. Keep learning going during the fifth week

The fifth week should not become a week without spelling.

While students are completing the tests needed to create their next individualised set of words, teachers can continue spelling work using the extensive Letter Strings resources available in the Printable section.

These can be differentiated across a class. For example, different groups may work from Grid A, B, C or D depending on their spelling level.

Teachers can also create relevant spelling grids using vocabulary such as local towns and villages, counties or other vocabulary appropriate to their class.

9. Use the Spelling Rules video lessons

Spellings for Me includes student video lessons covering key phonetic concepts and spelling rules.

These are available through:

Resources → Video Lessons for Students → Spelling Rules

Schools should aim to cover approximately one lesson per month.

If your school has not previously used these lessons, you can begin with the introductory content. For classes that have already covered some of the lessons, a scope and sequence is available to guide progression.

10. Make use of Morphology & Etymology

Spellings for Me also contains a complete Morphology & Etymology section, with five sets of lessons available through teacher and student profiles.

The lessons are prepared and ready to teach, making this an accessible way of introducing morphology and etymology without teachers having to create the lessons themselves.

For schools beginning this area, the check-in recommends introducing the programme from approximately Second Class/Year 2 and building it progressively through the school.

A dedicated How to Use Our Morphology & Etymology Section video is available in the Knowledge Base. This is particularly recommended for teachers who want to begin using this part of Spellings for Me.

11. Encourage students to use Practice Mode

Students have access to Practice Mode from the Learning Words section of their profile.

Although students only need to log in for testing during the fifth week, encouraging them to log in during the four-week learning cycle can provide valuable additional practice.

For example, a student might practise at home once a week and see their progress move from 20/48 words to 30/48 and then 40/48 as the cycle progresses.

The central principle is simple: students need to look at and practise the words they do not yet know.

Ideally, they should use the spelling strategies they have been taught, but the important thing is that they actively engage with their individual words. Practice can take many forms, including writing, drawing, using paint, shaving foam or other multisensory approaches.

12. Explore the additional assessment areas when needed

Teachers can log into and view a student's profile directly from their teacher dashboard.

Student profiles also contain additional testing options, including EAL tests and Key Vocabulary tests.

You do not need to introduce additional assessments simply for the sake of using them. However, when they are relevant to your students, short instructional videos explaining these sections are available in the Knowledge Base.

The key message for 2026–27

If you focus on one thing this year, make sure your classes complete at least six full individualised cycles.

Keep the four-week cycle moving, unlock the Learning Words Test promptly, print the new grids and begin the next cycle.

To get even more from the programme:

teach and regularly revisit the spelling strategies;

encourage students to practise their individual Learning Words;

monitor Learning Words Test percentages;

set class and individual Mastered Words targets;

use the monthly Spelling Rules lessons;

incorporate Morphology & Etymology; and

use the Knowledge Base whenever you need additional guidance.

We wish all of our schools, teachers and students a fantastic 2026–27 academic year.