🌞 Summer Spelling Boost: Simple Word Lists & Fun Ways to Practise Them

2 days ago
2 min read

As summer approaches, lots of parents ask how they can keep reading and spelling ticking over without turning the holidays into “schoolwork”. The good news is that a few minutes a day with the right words can make a real difference - especially for children with dyslexia.

High‑frequency words make up most of what children read and write, and many of them can’t easily be sounded out. Practising these little words can help build confidence, reading fluency and spelling accuracy.

⭐ Useful Word Lists for Summer Practice

Below are three sets of high‑frequency words that schools and tutors often use. They’re all free and easy for parents to access.

Dolch Sight Words

A classic list of 220 common words plus 95 nouns, grouped by level. These are perfect for younger readers or anyone who needs to strengthen the basics.

Dolch word lists

Fry High‑Frequency Words

A more modern list of the 1,000 most common words in English, arranged in groups of 100. The first 300 words alone cover most of what children read in everyday texts.

Fry’s sight words

UK Curriculum Word Lists

These are the lists schools use throughout KS1 and KS2:

Year 1/2 Common Exception Words
Year 3/4 Statutory Spelling List
Year 5/6 Statutory Spelling List

National Curriculum Spelling List (GOV.UK)

🎨 Fun, Low‑Pressure Ways to Practise Over Summer

The first step is for your child to be able to read the words you’ve chosen, once they are confident at this, then they can practice spelling the word. You don’t need to work through everything, even choosing 10-15 words your child often hesitates over can be enough for a summer boost.

The key is to keep it short, playful and fun.

Spray‑Gun Spelling

Write a few words in chalk on the patio or wall. Call one out - your child sprays the correct one with a water pistol.

Chalk Trails

Let your child write the words in big chalk letters on the pavement. They can decorate them, outline them, or turn them into pictures.

Paintbrush + Water Writing

Give them a bucket of water and a big paintbrush. They “paint” the words onto the ground, fence, or wall.

Word Hunt

Hide the words around the garden or house. They find them and read them aloud, or bring them back to you to spell.

Fridge‑Magnet Words

Keep a small set of magnetic letters on the fridge. Ask your child to build one or two of their target words while you’re making lunch.

Five‑Minute Flashcard Bursts

Short, sharp practice works best. Mix in easy wins with trickier words so it feels achievable.

Silly Sentence Challenges

Pick one tricky word and challenge your child to use it in a silly sentence. The sillier the better - it sticks.

Have fun!