The Primary Teacher's Guide to... series provides detailed subject knowledge for teachers to aid professional development. This title covers all the elements of primary spelling and vocabulary that teachers need to know by focusing on the key aspects of English language development, such as typical structures and conventions, historical influences, useful tools and methods for learning. Topics covered include: A brief history of the English language; Children and language; Dictionaries, thesauruses and technology; Understanding words; The rules of spelling; Teaching spelling; Developing strong vocabularies; Vocabulary in context.