SCAS News

Spell-a-brate 2022 is almost upon us! 

Good spelling is a social expectation and contributes to clear communication of a written message. In Week 6, Primary School students will participate in a variety of in-class activities to promote students’ confidence in spelling. These activities will provide opportunities for our students to strengthen the knowledge they draw upon to be flexible and efficient spellers.

The ability to spell does not develop naturally and requires students to build and then draw on a range of knowledge about the English language. This knowledge includes:

• phonology – Students explore the relationship between letter/ letter combinations and the sounds they represent.
• orthography – Students learn common letter patterns and generalisations.
• morphology – Students explore the meaningful word parts, how they are connected and the impact they have on the meaning of words.
• etymology– knowledge of the origins of words and the influence this has on the way words are spelt.

Learning to spell takes time and repeated exposures. Through our English program we provide many explicit and contextual opportunities for our students to learn more about how words work and reflect on how the knowledge and strategies they are learning will support their successful spelling in writing. 

Spell-a-brate gives us a chance to raise awareness of the range of spelling strategies required to be a successful speller, and gives us a chance to showcase and revise these skills. There will be many activities running during the week at lunch times for students to participate in in the playground, quiet activities in the library and of course, the biennial Spelling Bee!