Improving Spelling Instruction and Spelling Accuracy

This Critical Agendas workshop tackles one of the most persistent challenges in Australian education: teaching spelling effectively. The Australian Curriculum requires teachers to explicitly teach phonic knowledge and spelling skills through to Year 10, yet many teachers find this a difficult task without systematic training in how to do it well. Led by Shirley Houston, this practical, interactive seminar investigates the most effective approaches to spelling instruction, including how to cater for a wide range of abilities, which words to prioritise for teaching, how many rules to teach (and how to handle the 'rule-breakers'), strategies for students whose written work is particularly difficult to decipher, and ways to build genuine student interest in words and spelling. Participants will be actively involved in hands-on activities throughout the seminar and will leave with new understanding, strategies, and resources they can implement immediately. Shirley Houston brings 40 years of teaching experience, a Master's degree in Special Education, and deep expertise in specific learning difficulties as a long-standing board member of The Dyslexia-SPELD Foundation of Western Australia. Her background in working with students who have dyslexia and other literacy challenges means she understands spelling difficulties at a deeper level than most, and can offer strategies that work for the full range of learners in any classroom. For any teacher looking to strengthen their spelling instruction with practical, research-informed strategies, this workshop delivers exactly what's needed.