20 words, shortest first. Level 1 has the most common words.
err
her
per
ever
here
mere
over
term
user
very
were
zero
after
alter
cover
enter
error
every
fewer
inner
The spelling pattern
Every word on this list contains er (her). Seeing the same letters in many words helps children spot the pattern and spell new words that follow it. Level 1 uses the shortest, most common words.
Ways to practise
Read the list aloud, then cover each word and write it from memory.
Use the fill-in sheet below: the pattern letters are blanked out.
Sort the words by length or by where the pattern appears (start, middle or end).
Where the pattern appears
At the start (2): err, error.
In the middle (7): here, mere, term, very, were, zero, every.
At the end (11): her, per, ever, over, user, after, alter, cover, enter, fewer, inner.
Sorting the words like this is a good first activity: children say each word, find the er (her) letters and decide which group it belongs to. It shows that the same letters keep the same sound wherever they appear in a word.
Running a spelling test with this list
Read each word aloud, use it in a short sentence, then read it once more. Children write the word without looking. Mark the test with the list above and practise any misspelled words again the next day. Five or ten words at a time is plenty for younger children.
Practice sheet: fill in the missing letters
__r
h__
p__
ev__
h__e
m__e
ov__
t__m
us__
v__y
w__e
z__o
aft__
alt__
cov__
ent__
__ror
ev__y
few__
inn__
Questions
How many words are on this list?
20 words, all containing er (her). The shortest has 3 letters and the longest, after, has 5.
What does level 1 mean?
Levels sort the er (her) words by how common and how long they are. Level 1 has the shortest, most frequent words; higher levels add longer and rarer ones.
What should come next?
When this list is secure, move on to level 2 of the same pattern.