Teaching students how to spell can be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be! Teachers can effectively help students become confident and successful spellers with explicit teaching of spelling skills.
Effective teaching of spelling
Spelling Mastery explicitly teaches spelling skills through a highly structured direct instruction method involving:
- carefully sequenced curriculum of knowledge and skills
- explicit teaching of that curriculum
- flexible ability grouping, with a placement test placing students according to ability (rather than age)
- mastery learning, where children progress to the next level only when they have mastered the knowledge and skills of each level.
About Spelling Mastery
Spelling Mastery is published in Australia by McGraw Hill Australia. The program has six levels suitable for primary classes, and remedial secondary students. The first step is to place each student at the level they are at. To do this, you simply give them a series of short placement tests, with 10 words in each. When they get five or more words wrong, you put them in that level. You then follow a scripted lesson for just 15-20 minutes per day. Then, as students learn to spell, they progress through the levels.
Free access to our Teach Spelling Mastery professional learning module
Good to Great Schools Australia has partnered with McGraw Hill to give greater support to educators delivering Spelling Mastery programs. Schools, teachers and teaching assistants can currently access our Teach Spelling Mastery professional learning module for free. This offer is open to all existing and new customers of McGraw Hill using the Spelling Mastery program. To take advantage of this offer, get in touch with Good to Great Schools Australia, at curriculum-products@goodtogreatschools.org.au.
About the Teach Spelling Mastery professional learning module
The Spelling Mastery professional learning module teaches the practical skills and knowledge that educators need in the classroom to teach spelling effectively. Using an explicit instructional design that supports knowledge retention and application, the module also mirrors the instructional design of the Spelling Mastery series. The module features detailed information about effective teaching practices and techniques used in Spelling Mastery. Videos of experienced teachers sharing their Spelling Mastery teaching insights and implementation tips are supplied.
Teachers and teaching assistants who have completed the Spelling Mastery training module have described the design of the training as ‘engaging with real-life videos’, ‘easy to understand and follow’, and say that the written and visual displays make it ‘easy to learn information’. The module is aligned to AITSL’s national teaching standards. Participants receive a certificate when they successfully complete the module. This can be used to demonstrate three hours of continuing professional development (CPD) for state or territory regulatory body requirements.
If you currently use Spelling Mastery and would like to take advantage of this offer contact curriculum-products@goodtogreatschools.org.au.
