A free standardised Welsh spelling test used to monitor children's progress in spelling has been launched

Recently, a standardised Welsh spelling test was launched by academics from Cardiff University.

The test is a resource that will help teachers to assess the pupils’ development with spelling accuracy and to monitor their progress over time.

The resource is designed for pupils receiving Welsh-medium education aged between 7 and 14 years old, and contains 2 tests, each one containing 45 words. The test was commissioned by the Central South Consortium.

It is hoped that teachers will use the resource at different times of the year in order to be able to monitor their pupils' spelling progress, as well as to compare the pupils' scores with the standardised scores. In all, 1920 pupils from 9 Welsh-medium schools took part in the process of standardising the test, which was held between September and December 2023, with each pupil in years 3 to 9.

Launched on the 16th October 2024, the project started back in November 2022 and follows a similar project launched in 2022 to monitor the reading progress of school children between years 1 and 11.

4 researchers from 3 Cardiff University schools were part of the project, namely Dr Jonathan Morris and Dr Dylan Foster Evans from the School of Welsh, Dr Rosanna Stenner from the School of Psychology, and Dr Geraint Palmer from the School of Mathematics.

Dr Jonathan Morris said: "There is a link between spelling, reading and writing skills, so this test will be an important resource for teachers in identifying children who might benefit from more help or specific intervention to improve their literacy skills."

Dr Rosanna Stenner said: "Since there are 2 different tests, it is possible to take the test later in the academic year in order to track progress. The 2 tests also allow the pupils' spelling skills to be put to the test before, and after, intervention, which is an essential aspect.

She added: "The project has given us an opportunity to contribute to the resources available in Welsh-medium schools, and we are grateful to the Central South Consortium for collaborating with us. I am pleased to announce that the test is also available for free, which ensures that it can be used in schools without any financial implications."

Given the resource is now freely available to schools across Wales, the researchers are hoping to further develop the 2 tests, so that even more schools across Wales can take part in the standardization process, and to collect feedback about the test and its use within schools.