At Nashville State School we believe learning to spell is part of learning to write. Writing gives spelling its context; without writing spelling has no purpose and no audience. (First Steps Writing Resource Book, Second Edition, Dept. of Education and Training, Western Australia, 2005). The ability to spell accurately and automatically enables writers to effectively convey their message and be understood by an audience. So too, knowing what words mean, how they sound, how they look, how they change form, and where they come from supports the reading process. Our teachers acknowledge the interdependence that exists between reading, writing and spelling in order to maximise the potential for teaching and learning. It is only through an integrated, balanced and systematic approach that enhanced learning outcomes for spelling can be achieved.
At Nashville State School we endorse a whole school approach to the teaching of spelling where spelling procedures and strategies are explicitly taught across the school.
We believe that one of the best ways to teach spelling is to teach it within the context of writing. Nevertheless we use a comprehensive and systematic whole school approach. We explicitly teach spelling allowing students frequent opportunities to explore and analyse words and daily opportunities for writing. This provides students with an opportunity to practise and apply new spelling knowledge.