Searchlights for Spelling

Year 5 Pupils Book

Chris Buckton

Pie Corbett

Term 1

Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
Unit 4
Unit 5
Unit 6

Vowel endings o, a, i, u
Rules for plurals
More rules for plurals
Latin and Greek prefixes
Spelling strategies
Word root patterns

2
4
6
8
10
12

Term 2

Unit 7
Unit 8
Unit 9
Unit 10
Unit 11
Unit 12

Double consonants and ful

c, g and y spelling patterns
Common letter strings, different sounds
Homophones
Possessive pronouns and adjectives
Suffix shun

14
16
18
20
22
24

Term 3

Unit 13
Unit 14
Unit 15
Unit 16
Unit 17
Unit 18

Long words unstressed vowels

Words ending in e
Words ending in y
i before e
Suffixes and transformations
Prefixes and transformations

26
28
30
32
34
36

Additional Unit 1 Spelling strategies

Additional Unit 2 New words
Additional Unit 3 Words around the world
Useful words
Having problems spelling a word?
Your spelling log
Learning new words
A few helpful hints

38
40
42
44
46
46
47
48

Vowel endings o, a, i, u
Si<n<gu<l<a<r
bu<f _a<l<o

A Finish the chart.

Write an alliterative sentence
about some of the animals
on the list, for example:

k<o+a<l<a
pa<n<d<a
d<i<n<go
co@ r>gi
gn<u
go@ r@i<l<l<a

Pa<n<d<a<@[ a<r}e per@_ect#l<y pre} tt<y.

Pl<u<r>a<l
cu<ck<oo+ [
pa<n<d<a<@[

B All these words ending in o are connected with music.

Make each word plural. Check the spellings and meanings
in a dictionary.
alto

bongo
cello

piano
calypso

rondo

banjo
duo

concerto

piccolo

Use some of them to write a

story or poem about a virtuoso
(a top musician with great skill)
or a prima donna (a leading
female singer) or both!

C The answers to these clues are words with vowel endings that begin
with y or p and end with a vowel. Write down the words. If you
can, find out their origins. Which words can form a plural?

The abominable snowman.

A form of gentle exercise.
A musical instrument with a keyboard.
A large cat.

Make up a clue for each of these words. Use a dictionary

to help you. Try your quiz out on a friend.

Extra challenge

Dahlia and magnolia are both flower names.

Can you find any more plant names ending in a?

Rules for plurals

Write a list of the objects you can see. Then write the plural of
each word by adding s or es.
Use the plural words to write some sentences about the scene.

B Which words just add s?

Which words add es?
Which words change y to ies?
Which words dont fit the patterns?

st<r>a<w#ber@r@y
l<a<d<y

poc+ k<et
r>o@pe

m<o@u<@[e
ax

a<@[ h
m<o@n<k<ey

i<n<ch
go+o[e

Sort the words into four lists. Write the singular word and its plural
each time. Choose a word from each column and use them in a sentence.

Ad<d s

Ad<d e[

Ch<a<n<ge
y o i<e[

Ir@r}egu<l<a<r

C Turn these words into plurals. Check the spellings in a dictionary.

raspberry
chocolate

cherry
mouse

fish
game

jelly
lunch

balloon
torch

Then use the plural words to finish this story.

I w>a<@[ sa<r@vi<n<g. I o@pen<ed m<y sch<o+ol l<u<n<ch<bo@x a<n<d o m<y su<r@pr@i<@[e

I sa<w

My Mu<m l<o@v}e[ o pl<a<y

n<ext w}eek!

. Im sa<r@i<n<g sch<o+ol

???

Think about . . .
Here is one rule for making plurals.
Add s if the word ends with a, i, e or u; two vowels; a vowel + y.

What do you know about some words ending in o?

More rules for plurals

A Write sentences
to describe the
scene in the
picture. What
do you think
happens next?
Write the next
bit of the story,
using plural
nouns.

B Change these words into plurals.

ba<l<l<o+o@n
h<i<@[ @[

pl<a<n<et
sa<r
m<o+d<u<l<e

spa<ce

buzz
co@m<pa<@[ @[
r>a<d<i<o

a<@[t<r>o@n<a<u<t
pi<l<o@t

Then use them in a short story about space.

C When a noun changes from singular to plural, the verb has to

change as well.
Read the passage below. Then write it out, changing the nouns
from singular to plural. Change the verbs wherever you need to.
You may have to change some other words as well. Underline
all the words you have changed. The first phrase is done for you.

My aunt likes reading a magazine but my uncle prefers

reading a comic. My friend hates a long story with too
much description. I think a science fiction book is best. The
hero generally reaches his destination after an adventure
with an alien spacecraft or a crash on another planet.
My a<u<n<[ l<i<k<e r}ea<d<i<n<g m<a<gazi<n<e[ bu<t . . .
Continue this piece of writing using plural nouns and verbs.

???

Think about . . .

When you change a sentence from singular to plural,

you may need to:
change noun endings;
change verb endings;
change other words (for example, pronouns).

Look in your own writing or in your reading book for examples

of plural nouns and verbs.

Latin and Greek prefixes

A Match the words to their meanings. Then check them in

a dictionary.

translate
transform
transparent
transport

to change appearance or character

easy to see through
to move something from one place to another
to turn speech or writing
into another language

Write a sentence for each word.

B The answer to each trans-teaser is a

word beginning with the Latin prefix trans.

This
This
This
This

trans
trans
trans
trans

will change you completely!

can earn a footballer a lot of money.
will help a seedling to grow better.
can help you in a foreign country.

Now make up some trans-teasers of your own.

C Write these words and their meanings in two columns.

Check the meanings in a dictionary if you are not sure.

bi<pl<a<n<e

bi<cycl<e

bi<ped

ci<r>cu<m<_er}en<ce

ci<r>cu<m<@[ a
<n<ce

Use each word in a sentence.

Find some more examples to add to each list.
Look at the list of meanings.
Can you work out what circum and bi mean?

ci<r>cu<m
bi
w>o@ r>d m<ea<n<i<n<g w>o@ r>d m<ea<n<i<n<g

Extra challenge

There are several words that start with circ. Make a list. What
connection do they have with the prefix circum?

Spelling strategies

A Write out a top tips sheet for yourself. How can you remember
these words to learn?

friend
piece

parents
alive

asked
window

Use a range of strategies.

B Write out each

word and
underline the
hidden word.
Then make up a
sentence to help
you remember
the spelling.
The first one
has been done
for you.

_r@i<en<d

Im yo@u<r _r@i<en<d o t#h<e en<d.

br>o@t#h<er
sw>o@ r>d
i<@[l<a<n<d
h<ea<r>d
ch<i<l<d<r}en
m<i<@[a<k<e
el<ect<r@i<ci<t<y
w>o@ r@l<d

10

C Which words do these clues help you to remember?

Match each word to its clue. Write the complete sentence.

Do@nt r@i<d<e yo@u<r

w}ea<t#h<er.

i<n i<cy
ju<i<ce

Yo@u wi<l<l a<l<w>a<ys be

I l<i<k<e m<y
Nev}er

bi<cycl<e

.
wi<t#h i<ce.

Th<er}es a r>a<t i<n

Yo@u a<r}e o@u<r

ev}er@y

Ca<n yo@u ca<r@r@y t#h<e

w}ei<gh<t

sepa<r>a<t<e

a l<i<e.

yo@u<n<g

bel<i<ev}e
fa<v>o@u<r@i<t<e
m<o@n<ey

of ei<gh<t m<en?
per>[o@n.

Make up your own mnemonic

for the remaining two words.
Now practise Look Say Cover
Write Check.

???

Think about . . .

Look back through your writing for this term.

Which words do you most often spell incorrectly?
Write each one out and underline the tricky part.
Try to invent mnemonics for them based on hidden words.

11

Word root patterns

A Find three words with the root word act.

Write a sentence using all three words.
Find a word that begins with the prefix re and has the root word act.

B Find as many words as you can with the root word child.
Complete the word fan. Write a sentence for each word.

ch<i<l<d

12

C Work out a meaning link for these words. The first one is done for you.
scr@i<be

scr@i<pt

scr@i<pu<r}e

medic
obey
pass
exam

medicine
disobey
passage
examination

medical
disobedient
passenger
examiner

a<l<l l<i<n<k<ed o wr@i<i<n<g

Find some linked words for pack and light.

Extra challenge

Use your dictionary to find out whether the words in each pair
come from the same root.

election electron

unidentified unidirectional
13