Learning & Teaching

Recently, St Joseph’s staff have undertaken training to engage in a whole-school approach to the teaching of spelling, called SMART Spelling. SMART Spelling is an evidence-based program currently implemented in many schools across Australia, developed by Michelle Hutchison as a systematic way to teach spelling. In a typical weekly sequence, teachers start by teaching the meaning of words to expand vocabulary and then break words into syllables, sounds and letter patterns (graphs, digraphs and trigraphs). SMART is an acronym for the sequence that teachers follow to teach words to students: Say, Meaning, Analyse, Remember, Teach.

Say the word 

Meaning: put it in context and discuss variations

Analyse it in terms of syllables, sounds and letters

Remember it by focusing on the parts of the word we need to remember

Teach it by spelling the word aloud using letter names and clustering.

Students are explicitly taught spelling patterns at a rate of one per week. Teachers choose a range of words (from simple to complex) from a suggested list in the SMART Spelling manual. Students are then guided to choose their own words from that list, to meet different needs. Personal words from the students' own writing are also a focus in SMART Spelling. These words are known as back of book words, or BOB words.  Teachers use the professional knowledge they gain through training in the course to give meaningful feedback to students about their spelling in writing, teaching at the point of need. Students are also given a variety of tasks to do to help them learn the words and the patterns of spelling, and are regularly tested in order to track their progress.

A typical week of SMART Spelling consists of:

Monday: Explicit lesson of 20 minutes, students select their own words (6 words minimum) 

Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday: Word study for around 10 minutes duration 

Friday: Test spelling words and dictation 

This approach will be implemented in Years 3-6, with students in the Junior Area commencing the program at the completion of the Little Learners Love Literacy. Teachers will be introducing the approach for the rest of this term as a ‘soft start’ to familiarise the children with the structure, with weekly spelling words and activities going home on Mondays from Term 3 to encourage daily spelling practise at school and home.

If you have any questions regarding the SMART Spelling Program, please contact Miss Kate or Miss Brittany.