I have a spelling secret, are you listening? But firstly, I am going to give you the background of what my secret will reveal at the end of this blog. Yes, it is something about spelling. I am passionate about spelling; I love teaching it, I love learning about it and I constantly find new […]
Today I spent time with some friends at a lego display at the Ipswich Art Gallery. It was an amazing display as you can see from the photos. Children loved it and so did the dads and mums who accompanied them. But the most important observation was that the children were relaxed and enjoyed […]
What are Elementary Spelling Words? Elementary spelling words are basic words that children need to learn early so that they can achieve success and build confidence. Many common elementary spelling words contain silent consonants, irregular vowels, or other tricky spellings. Students often need a little extra practice reading, writing and spelling these words. We will leave the […]
NAPLAN Spelling is one of the tests that is conducted in Australia’s National testing regime. It measures the ability of children in spelling in Years 3, 5 & 9. Some of the questions are repeated in consecutive years, obviously, to see the change in the spelling behaviours. Spelling is a rule based, alphabetic principled exercise that is […]
Teaching spelling with pre-schoolers lays a solid foundation for building knowledge and confidence that will have huge benefits now and in the future. I recently read an article that said spelling was one of the most tested subjects but the least taught. I would have to agree whole heartedly. In most cases, children are given a weekly […]
Learning to spell can be easily taught before children enter the formal school environment. The most basic of all foundational spelling skills is phonological awareness. Phonological awareness is the ability to manipulate identify and discriminate sounds. These skills are recognised as the greatest predictors of reading and writing success. We all know that children are receptive to learning at a […]
Spelling can be an exciting exercise if the activities are in line with the child’s development and level of skill. There are five steps that are needed by Grade Three to make certain that children are excited and interested in spelling and presenting their work without mistakes. In this article, I am only […]
Every classroom has a number of students that struggle in reading. Struggling readers are divided into three groups, those that have difficulty reading the words accurately, those that have problems understanding and those who have trouble with fluency. All are struggling readers to some degree or other. The most important point is to make certain […]
Attention is a BIG problem in today’s classrooms when teaching kids to read, write and spell. http://www.letterboxlearntoread.com/teaching-kids-read-spell-write-ready-naplan-testing Inattention shows up in children for many different reasons and is a complex problem. BUT there are ways to support these children. The Insider’s Guide to Improving Attention offers ways to support children bit by bit to […]
With National testing implemented in Australia there is an ever increasing interest in results. Economically the future of our country is at risk if the outcome of this testing is not investigated and successful intervention and extension harnessed to drive improved teaching and learning. The emphasis in this article is on reading and early […]
