Tricky words
Spell common exception words from memory that do not follow regular phonic patterns, including the days of the week
Suggested ages 5–8
Learning journey
Your child is learning to spell by connecting sounds to letters — building simple words, adding common endings like -ing and -ed, and memorising important words that don't follow regular spelling patterns.
Evidence of understanding
- Correctly spell high-frequency irregular words (e.g. 'said', 'the', 'was')
- Write all seven days of the week correctly
- Recall and write exception words in dictated sentences
Assessment prompt
Can Tricky words spell tricky everyday words like "said," "were," "come," and the days of the week from memory without needing to sound them out?
Standards alignment
Spell common exception words
The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document · Key Stage 1
Common exception words
The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document · Key Stage 1
Spell often misspelt words
The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document · Key Stage 2
Spell common exception words
The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document · Key stage 1
Spell days of the week
The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document · Key stage 1