This plan covers all 100 words on the Year 5 and 6 statutory spelling list in 30 school days, with 3 or 4 new words a day and a 10-minute routine. The National Curriculum has one combined Year 5/6 list, so there is no separate Year 6 set.
Each morning follows the same shape, so children can run it with little input from you:

1. Recap (2 min). Yesterday’s words are on the board. Children write three from memory on mini whiteboards, then self-check.
2. New words (1 min). Say each word, children say it back, then say it again the way it is spelt (for example, Wed-nes-day) and clap the syllables.
3. Routine (6 min). One activity from the menu below, named in the day’s row.
4. Close (1 min). Children point to the word they find trickiest today. Tally these on the board; the top three go into your next recap.
   Every fifth day (Days 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30) ends with a short check: dictate six words from that week’s days, mixing easy and tricky ones. Mark them together, and note the misses for re-teaching.
   You will need: mini whiteboards and pens, classroom dictionaries, and a few highlighters or coloured pencils.

Activity menu
Ten routines are used in rotation, so children learn the format once and then focus on the words. Each daily row names the routine and gives a specific prompt.
Routine
How it works
Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check
Look at the word, say it in syllables, cover it, write it from memory, then check letter by letter. Repeat twice, fixing any error in a different colour.

Tricky Bit
Children box or highlight the part of the word that could catch them out (a double letter, a silent letter, an odd vowel pair). They say why it is tricky in one sentence to a partner.

Mnemonic Maker
Children invent a memory trick for each word, such as a sentence, a hidden word or a rhyme. Share the best two aloud.

Word Family Hunt
Find other words from the same root, or add prefixes and suffixes (equip, equipped, equipment). Note any spelling change.

Sentence Challenge
Write one sentence that uses two or three of the day’s words correctly. It must make sense, and a partner checks the spelling.

Dictation Dash
You read a sentence containing the day’s words twice, slowly. Children write it, then check against the board.

Mistake Detective
Show a short passage with the day’s words misspelt (prepare it the night before). Children find, circle and correct each one.

Definition Dash
Children explain each word in their own words, then check against a dictionary. Add a synonym or an example.

Partner Quiz
One child reads the words aloud, the other writes them on a whiteboard, then they swap and mark each other’s work.

Shape and Chunk
Draw a box shape around each word, then split it into syllables or sound chunks using colour (for example, op-por-tu-ni-ty).