NSW Premier's Spelling Bee – spelling resources

A range of learning resources can be found in the Department of Education’s NSW Student learning library. These are accessible to teachers, parents and carers and students and can be used in the classroom or at home to develop confidence with spelling in Stage 1 students. 

The learning sequences for Year 2 English are particularly useful for future Premier's Spelling Bee participants. 

These links are provided to increase the information available. The NSW Department of Education has no control over linked websites and is not responsible for the views, opinions, standards, or information expressed on linked websites. The provision of a link does not imply that the NSW Department of Education endorses those websites or the people or companies who own them, and vice versa.

• ABC Education Spelling resources. From short, interactive games to fascinating articles and podcasts on all things spelling.
• ABC Spell Block Academy. Especially for younger children, kindergarten to year 3. Game and quizzes you can tailor to suit a particular stage or curriculum area.
• Arkadium Australia. Free online puzzles and word games, spelling and literacy-focused.
• Crossword and Anagram Solvers are tools for practising spelling and learning new vocabulary at home.
• Games Games. From simple to complex, games and puzzles from a UK website. Broad curriculum areas include many spelling games.
• Macquarie Dictionary podcasts for children. Our official wordlist supplier, the site has many articles and podcasts exploring language. Engaging information for the serious student of linguistics.
• Ozspeller. Gradeable oral spelling games, years 1 to 8.
• Premier's Sporting Challenge Spelling Fitness Circuit. This short video demonstrates an active spelling game from the Thinking while Moving series. There are further links to literacy-based physical games on the PSC pages.
• Spelfabet free games. There is a good selection of educational games, including entries from ABC and BBC—useful games and links - especially to BBC UK sites.
• Spell words well. Contains free games with gradeable and printable worksheets. The site can be student-driven and has useful information for parents and teachers.

These 10 spelling tips from Susan Butler, previous editor of the Macquarie Dictionary, will help teachers, contestants and their parents with some trickier spelling aspects. Macquarie Dictionary is the official word list supplier for the Premier's Spelling Bee.

• Ambiguous vowel
• Apostrophes
• Double letters
• Elided syllables
• Homophones
• The indeterminate vowel sound
• Other languages
• Silent letters
• Spelling rules
• Words ending in 'e'