Spelling, punctuation and grammar, or SPAG as it’s abbreviated to, is at the crux of good English. Children need the skills to be able to communicate themselves effectively through their choice of words and construct well written sentences. If you’d like to help your child with theirs, here are some tips we’ve created with the help of a prep school in London.
Journal Writing
Journaling is a great way that you can get your child to write on a more frequent basis. They can write about whatever they like, such as how they’ve been feeling throughout the day and key things that have happened. This practice can help improve their writing skills as they will learn how to translate their thoughts and ideas into sentences, as well as basic writing skills.
Prioritise Reading
The quickest way children can improve their vocabulary is through reading. As they read, they simultaneously come across new words, pick up on their spellings and learn how they are used. This can help them in constructing better and more varied sentences. As a minimum, it’s recommended for children to spend 15-20 minutes reading a day for its various benefits.
School Spellings
Another thing you can do is support them with their English spellings. Each week children are set spellings to learn for their spellings test. To help your child fully grasp them, you can help them with revision and understanding how they are used correctly.
Worksheets
There are a multitude of resources online when it comes to helping children with their SPAG. There are pre-made worksheets parents can download and use to test children and help them improve.
With SPAG you will find that a lot of activities will involve correcting your child. To do so and still keep it fun, look for activities that let them be the teacher as it shifts critique and teaches them to spot mistakes in their own work.
