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Year 1 Spelling Rules: A Garden Adventure with Bea

Year 1 Spelling Rules: A Garden Adventure with Bea

Learn Year 1 spelling rules, from ff, ll, ss, zz and ck to –s, –es, –ing, –ed and un–, by building words with Bea the bee in a sunny garden.

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What you'll learn

  • Why short words like bell and buzz end in double letters
  • When the k sound at the end is spelt ck
  • How an extra beat tells you to add –es, not –s
  • Adding –ing, –ed and –er without changing the root word
  • Using –er to compare two things and –est for the most
  • How the prefix un– means not or undoes something

Chapter by chapter

  1. Double letters: ff, ll, ss and zz Free to try

    Year 1 english · 1

  2. The ck sound at the end: back, duck and sock

    Year 1 english · 1

  3. Plurals: adding –s or –es for more than one

    Year 1 english · 2

  4. Doing words with –s and –es: jumps and catches

    Year 1 english · 2

  5. Adding –ing, –ed and –er: helping, helped, helper

    Year 1 english · 3

  6. Adding –er and –est: quicker and quickest

    Year 1 english · 3

  7. The prefix un–: unhappy and unlock

    Year 1 english · 4

  8. Spelling Star challenge (10 questions)

What the chapters cover in the national curriculum in England:

  1. Year 1 english: Apply simple spelling rules and guidance, as listed in English appendix 1
  2. Year 1 english: Add prefixes and suffixes: using the spelling rule for adding –s or –es as the plural marker for nouns and the third person singular marker for verbs
  3. Year 1 english: Add prefixes and suffixes: using –ing, –ed, –er and –est where no change is needed in the spelling of root words
  4. Year 1 english: Add prefixes and suffixes: using the prefix un–

About this adventure

Year 1 Spelling Rules is an interactive game that teaches children aged 5–7 the spelling rules in the national curriculum for England: ff, ll, ss, zz and ck, plurals with –s and –es, adding –ing, –ed, –er and –est, and the prefix un–.

Bea the bee narrates every step aloud. Children add letters and endings to words, sort words into jars, clap syllables to hear when –es is needed, and spell words with letter tiles. They meet the key terms simply: a root word is the word we start with, a suffix is added at the end, and a prefix goes at the start.

Each chapter opens with a short animated introduction, has a quick check at the end, and grows a flower in the garden. A final ten-question challenge mixes every rule together.

Questions and answers

When do you add es instead of s to a word?

You add –es when the new word has an extra beat you can hear, like fox and foxes or dish and dishes. If there is no extra beat, as in cats or dogs, you just add –s.

What is the ff, ll, ss, zz rule in spelling?

In short words, the f, l, s and z sounds straight after a short vowel are usually spelt with a double letter, as in off, bell, kiss and buzz. A few rule breakers, such as if, pal, us, bus and yes, use one letter.

Why is jumped spelt with ed when it sounds like t?

The –ed ending is always written e-d, even though it can sound like t (jumped), d (buzzed) or an extra beat (hunted). Children often write 'jumpt', so the game shows all three sounds side by side.

What age is this Year 1 spelling game for?

It is made for children aged 5 to 7, matching Year 1 English in England, and works well for Year 2 children revising these rules. Every instruction is read aloud, so early readers can play on their own.

What does the game include and how long does it take?

There are seven short chapters, each with an animated introduction, hands-on activities and a quick check, plus a ten-question Spelling Star challenge. Playing everything takes about 45 minutes, and children can start from any chapter.

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