A good speller is someone who makes increasingly accurate decisions when spelling unfamiliar words.

What is Decision Spelling?

Decision Spelling is a dyslexia friendly way to teach children how to spell.

Whether the Decision Spelling approach is used with ‘whole classes’, or as a ‘targeted approach’ with small groups, workload for teachers and LSAs from Year 2 right up into KS3, will be reduced due to the planning and resources all being user-friendly and adaptable, and most importantly, children of all abilities, will soon be able to make reasoned decisions about how to spell ANY unfamiliar words.

Our National Curriculum gives us ‘what’ we must teach in terms of the spelling of phonemes, graphemes and patterns; Decision Spelling offers you ‘how’ to teach these. Through the extensive Decision Spelling planning directly linked to the National Curriculum, you will have a highly structured, systematic, fun and ‘dyslexia’ friendly approach to the teaching and learning of spelling.

Decision Spelling is a whole class and targeted approach

Whole Class Approach

Extensive planning and resources directly linked to the National Curriculum Appendix 1. Just select your spelling sequence, print and use with whole classes from Year 2 to Year 6.

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Targeted Approach

Usable with struggling spellers from Year 2 right up to KS3. Complete the provided ‘elicitation’ spelling assessments to ascertain at which phase group to start on with your targeted children. Then print and guide your children through each sequence.

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Ann Atherton, Deb Lynch, Becky Hughes

“The Devon SpLD (Dyslexia) Service is delighted to endorse the Decision Spelling programme designed and written by Advisory Teacher, Ossian Pleasance. It is intended to be used for all learners from Year 2 to Year 6. It follows the National Curriculum and because it employs a dyslexia-friendly approach, many of those pupils who struggle to spell accurately, have found it extremely helpful to embed the skills needed to spell confidently. The focus on etymology, vocabulary, and morphology in a multi-sensory way, captures the pupils' interest and encourages them to engage enthusiastically with an area of the curriculum that can be challenging for many.”

What else can Decision Spelling offer you and your school

Online Hub Meetings

Coming Soon

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In-school CPD Training

Arrange for me to come into your school, for half a day or a whole day, to offer bespoke training and CPD on the Decision Spelling approach.

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Example of the positive impact of Decision Spelling on ‘whole class’ attainment, across one academic year

Data Collected in September of an academic year from a range of children in Year 5 of all spelling abilities: showing an inconsistency in attainment

Data Collected in the June after an academic year of Decision Spelling being used with the same children: a clear ‘bell curve’ can be seen, demonstrating a much improved consistency of attainment

Hi, I’m Ossian, founder of Decision Spelling

I have been a primary school teacher for twenty years, and a dyslexia specialist teacher (AMBDA) for ten years. Over the course of my career, I have always had a real interest in all aspects of literacy teaching and learning, and have always sought to ensure that all children, of all abilities, can access and achieve in all areas of literacy.

Early in my career as a KS2 class teacher, I became increasingly frustrated at not being able to either pinpoint a child’s difficulties in their literacy learning, or, to be able offer targeted support. As a result, I begun to develop an approach to the teaching and learning that I could use as targeted support with struggling spellers, and soon, I realised that this approach needed to be broader, so that it could be used by teachers with whole classes. Decision Spelling was begun.

Currently, I am based at Ilfracombe Junior School, where I lead a wonderful team, and where I am endeavouring to ensure that all children have excellent universal literacy provision in place, and that any children who have specific literacy difficulties are promptly identified, and impactful targeted support is implemented. In addition to this role, I also work with the Devon SpLD (dyslexia) Service, alongside a team with vast experience and expertise.

"Decision Spelling has revolutionised our approach to teaching this area of the curriculum but also beyond, into other subjects. Knowledge-rich, with investigations that build on the impressive expertise children develop throughout, Decision Spelling has enabled teachers and children to have the right tools to face unfamiliar words and strategies to select judiciously. Our children deeply enjoy sessions on etymology and the real application of phonics, and our teachers finally feel they have something productive and meaningful to work with, in an area that has often been overlooked. I recommend DS without reservation."

Head of School
"Spelling is fun – the games are great!"

Year 6 Child
“Implementing the Decision Spelling Programme at our school has been invaluable for both the children and staff. It has provided a structured, progressive approach which enables teachers and TAs to feel confident delivering the spelling curriculum. The programme teaches the building blocks needed to spell, giving those children with literacy difficulties the confidence and lifelong strategies they need to be independent spellers — making increasingly accurate decisions!”

SENDco
The 'Decision Spelling'; programme has been a game changer for my practice, but more importantly for our school. The fundamentals of the pedagogy, coupled with the planning and resources, support the National Curriculum, but stretch far beyond vocabulary knowledge. The explicit teaching of etymology, morphology and links with the phonemic code, have created a classroom of curious learners. The structure within a sequence of guided practice, games and opportunities to practise independently and collaboratively, drives my teaching with rigour and meaning. As a 'Decision Spelling Champion'; in my setting, I cannot advocate this programme enough to the team; it's progressive and has created a culture of learners, who will never shy away from using ambitious vocabulary in all they write."

Year 6 Class Teacher and ‘Decision Spelling Champion’
"The Decision Spelling approach has given the teaching and learning of spelling a much higher profile in my class, and across the whole school. Children are now taking more time to make ‘decisions’ when spelling, rather than guessing, leading to higher attainment in assessments. Most importantly, when writing independently, children are using more ambitious vocabulary as they are feeling more courageous, and accurate, at being able to ‘have a go’."

Year 2 Class Teacher
"I feel like I’m learning more about spelling because we are doing spelling more. I learn lots through the games!"

Year 4 Child