Improving Spelling Instruction and Spelling Accuracy Term 3

The Australian Curriculum dictates that teachers explicitly teach phonic knowledge and spelling skills up to Year 10 but many teachers don’t find that an easy task. What is the most effective way in which to teach spelling? How do you cater for a wide range of abilities? What words should you teach? How many rules should you teach? How do you teach the ‘rule-breakers’? What can you do to help the student whose written work is really hard to decipher? How can you get all of your students interested in words and spelling? This very practical, interactive seminar aims to make spelling easier for teachers and students by investigating: Participants will be involved in lots of activities and leave the seminar with new understanding, strategies and resources. Shirley Houston is an independent educational consultant with 40 years of teaching experience. She has a Masters degree in Special Education and has taught students in years K-12 at government, Catholic and Independent schools, in Australia and in America. She has lectured at several universities in Western Australia and at the Central Institute of Technology. Shirley has an enduring passion for work with children and adults who have specific learning difficulties and is a long-standing Board member of The Dyslexia- SPELD Foundation of Western Australia. She runs teacher-training, advises companies on educational product development and tutors students with diverse needs. Just a big Thank you for giving us the opportunity to attend the Critical Agenda Workshop yesterday. David presented a great program, lots of handy strategies and he was very engaging and supportive. Highly recommended. I was very happy we did not have to do any Role play’s. I have come away from this session feeling very inspired and so much more positive. I now have many new ideas/techniques/strategies regarding how I can better manage a workload that often feels overwhelming. Some of these can be implemented immediately while others are more long-term plans. Thank you for making this workshop so practical. I just wish that all school admin staff had the opportunity to undertake this course. “It is the first P.L. in a long long time that I haven’t been checking in with my watch.” “Why Is This Young Person So Hard to Teach? Understanding the Diagnoses PDA, IED, ODD, CD and ASPD’ – Aphra Millis” Aphra was great, so honest, down to earth and personable. I really loved the fact that she could talk to the topic both on a personal and professional level. She certainly raised awareness of a number of conditions and diagnoses that we are starting to see more of. Highly recommend her. Laura Hawxwell Haileybury College Director – Individual Learning Needs Unleashing Brilliant Brains: Boys, ADHD & the Power of Connection – Tony Vallance This has been the best PD I have ever attended. As an ADHD’er myself (undiagnosed), the mother of an ADHD’er 21 yr old with some serious addictions and now teaching for the past few years in t