Start of Year Spelling Assessment Guidance

The Start of Year Spelling Assessment Guidance, provided by KS2Gems, is a comprehensive tool designed for assessing Year 5 students' spelling proficiency at the beginning of the academic year. The guidance includes detailed instructions for administering, marking, and interpreting three distinct spelling tests, labelled A, B, and C. These tests are crafted to evaluate the students' understanding of statutory word lists and spelling domains relevant to Year 3/4 as outlined in The Spelling Programme. To ensure a thorough assessment, the guidance suggests conducting the tests within the initial weeks of the Autumn term, prior to commencing the Year 5 Spelling Programme. The tests are structured to identify gaps in the students' knowledge, thereby allowing teachers to tailor their instruction to address these areas.

Administering the test requires the teacher to provide clear instructions to the students, ensuring they understand the test format and the importance of working independently. The test is designed to take approximately 15 minutes, with a series of 20 spelling words read aloud by the teacher, each within a contextual sentence to aid comprehension. The marking criteria are straightforward: one mark is awarded for each correct spelling, with specific guidelines on how to handle multiple attempts, capitalisation, and punctuation. The tests are presented in a teacher version, which includes the sentences and target words for each spelling, along with a space for recording marks. This structured approach to spelling assessment is crucial in setting a solid foundation for the year's spelling curriculum.