Dear Parents and Carers,

Why is spelling important?
We have spell-checkers on our computers, so why is it important that our children learn to spell? Is it important our kids learn the spelling rules we learned at school? Remember? "When two vowels go out walking, the first one does the walking."

Spelling is a complex skill and an important part of writing. Good spelling is also a social expectation and contributes to clear communication of a written message. Spelling requires students to draw on a range of knowledge about the English language. This knowledge includes:

• phonological knowledge - knowledge of the sound structure of language
• orthographical knowledge - knowledge of the system of written symbols used to represent spoken language
• morphemic knowledge - knowledge of the smallest parts of words that carry meaning
• etymological knowledge - knowledge of the origins of words

Teaching spelling at St Benedict’s
One of our key goals for the teaching spelling is to support students to develop the knowledges required (see above) as well as flexible and efficient strategies that they can draw upon when learning to spell unfamiliar words. While most students will develop some strategies for themselves, these are often not sufficient to meet all their spelling needs.

Our role as teachers is to extend the repertoire of strategies students have at their disposal. Some of these other strategies might include: “look, say, cover, write, check’, spelling by analogy (for example, knowing how to spell ball facilitates the spelling of fall, call, tall) or using mnemonics (memory aids, for example, the principal is my pal) and other resources such as dictionaries and spell checkers.

Across the different stages of primary school, K-2, 3-4 and 5-6, teaching emphases will change according to the students’ stages of spelling development and spelling needs. In the early years, K-2, there is generally a focus on teaching phonic knowledge and visual strategies as this is what young writers try to use as they invent spelling at this stage. As students move through the middle and upper levels of primary school, the focus changes to the teaching and exploration of morphemic and etymological knowledge. This said, attention can be given to all the types of knowledge and the teaching of high frequency words, at each stage, depending on students’ needs.

Helping with Spelling at Home
There are many things you can do to at home to help your child with their spelling, but one of the most beneficial things is to instill in them a love of words. Talk to them about different words that you come across in your day to day lives. Help them find WOW words in their reading and writing, and explore those words further by discussing their spelling and origin. Explain to them the importance of words and the importance of knowing how to spell. By doing these simple things you are encouraging them to focus on words and their spelling.

God bless.

Rachel Smith
Principal