Elizabeth Downs Spelling Audit
Purpose:
1. Collect baseline data on staff knowledge, understanding and current practice in
teaching spelling.
2. Identify future directions and improvement planning in spelling.
Why: NAPLAN data identified spelling as an area for school wide improvement.
Records of spelling chats
1. When do you teach spelling? (eg morning, 9:00 – 9:20)
 During literacy block, part of AL in all classes, either in the morning session or
between recess and lunch.
2. How long do you teach spelling for?
 Every day in all classes.
 In most classes 20 minutes.
 In one classroom 10-15 minutes.
 In one classroom about 30-40mins
3. What do you teach during spelling? (AL, blends, diagraphs)
 Pretest on words from AL text.
 In one class words that the students get incorrect become their list words. Whole
class teaching includes revision of previously taught words then chunking of 1 to
2 new words, syllables, onset and rhyme, ID of vowel, spelling patterns eg ‘ed’,
compound words. Then students can work individually on contract with 6
activities over a week or fortnight.
 In one class the teacher chooses words that the students will probably have
difficulty with and they are the spelling words for the class.
 In one class spelling words from the AL text are used with words from outside the
text to supplement student understanding. Spelling and handwriting are strongly
linked with neatness as important as correct spelling. Spelling is transferred into
dictation. 20 minutes is explicit instruction and 20 mins is using sources other than
AL to explore the words eg dictionaries, class wall thesaurus, activities and
games. 5 words a day for a fortnight – Friday test. Use of SSO support to target
lowest group.
 Suffixes, prefixes and grammar
4. What management structures do you use to during spelling? (eg groups, whole class,
independent, contracts/activities)
In all classes spelling is taught as a whole class where all students are exposed to
learning points. Some teaching is aimed at more capable students with the
hope that less able students will absorb concepts aswell.
5. How do you plan your spelling lessons? What resources do you use? (eg text books,
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sight words lists, SACSA)
 All teachers use the AL text to choose words.
 Mini whiteboards used to write words on for chucking exercises.
 Contracts for spelling activities.
 In one class dictionaries are used for students to look up definitions.
 In one class students write words for homework
 Laminated words on desk.
6. How do you assess spelling?
 Use the pretest again as a post test to assess student growth.
 Westwood at start of year to get spelling age. Not sure what to do with results
from there though.
 No use of sight words.
 Monster spelling test to know what sort of spellers they are.
 TORCH
7. How much do you know about the teaching of spelling in other classes of the same
year level? Across the school R-7?
 Teachers are not aware of what happens in other classes. They assume that
teachers are teaching spelling using AL.
 Think that the JP uses Jollyphonics, Letterland and sight words.
8. What do you think EDPS’s needs/future directions are in spelling to improve student
achievement? (agreements, expectations, practices, assessments)
 Don’t think that teaching spelling solely through AL is meeting the needs of
students so they can transfer their learning into other areas.
 Would like to supplement AL to teach in context of students’ world
 Whole school PD focus in 2010
 Spelling map from R-7 to outline skills and expectations of what is taught at
each year level, including letter combinations, blends – initial, final, when they
are taught by year level for the year.
 Whole school assessment which is manageable with moderation during team
tribe meetings rather than admin
 Deprivatise benchmarks
 Agreements around sight words and audits eg Westwood
 Update assessment schedule folder R-7
Student Literacy Assessment Folders – Spelling Audits Rec  Yr 7 (yr 4 – 7 if applicable)
 Letter ID – T1 wk 3 & T4 wk 1
 Bedrock Sight words - T1 wk 3 & T4 wk 1. Rec 50 words, yr 1 100 words, yr 2 200
words, yr 3 300-400 words, yr 4  7 300-400+ words if applicable
 Westwood Spelling Test – yr 2  7, T4 wk 1
Spelling resources at EDPS:
 Spelling From Beginnings to Independence – Every teacher has a copy in class
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First Steps Spelling, Developmental Continuum x 2 and resource book x 2 (1997)
Scholastic Spelling – Level 6 student workbook (blackline masters) (2000) x 2
Spelling – The Basic Not Boring Series, Yrs 5-8 (blackline masters)
Spell It Out – Success with Spelling (1994)
Disc – Box Superspell x 4
Kitehawk Learning Spelling Program x 5
Macquarie Spelling Guide
Moving on in Spelling: Strategies and Activities for the Integrated classroom.
Sight Word Manipulatives for Reading Success
Sight Word Flashcards
Vowel family picture cards
Spell Well 1 & 2
Spelling and Grammar
Spelling Matters book 5
Spelling Success
Thrass teachers’s manuals, assessment books and picture charts
Year 6/7 Spelling word lists and multiple choice tests