Easy differentiation of spelling lists

Consistent, whole school Write2Spell2Read program allows quick access and easy differentiation of spelling words to a higher or lower level for average, extension and support students. Teachers are easily able to customise their weekly spelling lists to the different ability levels of their students, but at the same time provide consistency of teaching and learning.

The weekly spelling lists are phonetically developmentally sequential as students move from Year 1 to Year 6. Book 7 is also included in the Write2Spell2Read program for extension students. Teachers can also move easily between the different year levels on the Interactive Whiteboard Program.

As well as the weekly spelling lists found in Books 1 to 7, teachers can further customise spelling lists for individual student needs by referring to the comprehensive list of additional spelling lists found in the back of the Teacher’s Manual.

The easy differentiation of spelling lists allows Write2Spell2Read to be easily taught in multi level and multi-age classrooms.

Michelle Lang, Head of Curriculum 

“Write2Spell2Read is a really easy program to differentiate in the classroom. Because it goes from Prep to Year 6, students can have different spelling lists depending on their ability level. They can also be withdrawn for more of the Jumping, Air Tracking and liquid chalk pen writing, and they can do more intensive work if they require extra repetition and practice. Whereas the kids who’ve got it after the first couple of times repeating the letter combinations, can move on to spelling and dictation.”

 

Megan Argent, Year 3/4 Multi-age Teacher

“Because Write2Spell2Read is a school wide program, it really allows you to easily differentiate the students that need more support at a lower level and then the students that need extension at a higher level. It’s all in the one complete program, so it’s simple to access and differentiate for all my students.”

It is the ability to keep information in your mind for the length of time it takes to do an activity, remembering each step required to complete the task. It is not just storage of data but the ability to keep information active for long enough to do something with it. A good example is the act of writing a dictation. In this example a student has to remember word sequence in the sentence, handwriting (letter formation), spelling, grammar, and punctuation. A child with poor working memory, for example one who cannot connect sound with letter shape, is quickly left behind.

Working memory is greatly improved when children learn in a multisensory way as they do in Write2Spell2Read. This program based on Neuroscience research recognizes the importance of developing strong pathways or links between the motor (movement), auditory (sound), and visual (sight) areas of the brain. These links are sometimes called the glue that holds these 3 areas together, allowing the memory banks of each to be easily accessed and the relationship between their content to be understood.

It is very important that building block literacy skills become automatic with practice in order to free up working memory space for more complex skills such as reading comprehension, and fluency in writing, spelling and reading. Write2Spell’s success by design ensures that skills become automatic and working memory is strengthened. Write2Spell2Read’s way of teaching in the earliest years, saying the name of the letter, the sound it makes and simultaneously writing it in the correct way, is essential for good working memory. Similarly in the later years learning and writing all the letter combinations that spell a sound strengthens good working memory and gives spelling and reading success. Within the design of the Write2Spell2Read program are many working memory activities including the use of memory grids and blindfold work, activities that strengthen working memory.

Authored by Samantha Woods, an Occupational Therapist & Certified Neurodevelopmental Therapist with over 30 years’ experience working in consultation with Speech & Language Pathologists. Sam has specialist knowledge of how children learn and children’s learning difficulties.

Write2Spell2Read’s design uses scientific neuroscience research on the most effective ways to teach literacy to ensure that student’s learn to effectively read, write and spell.

To achieve good literacy skills researchers have proven the importance of establishing strong neural pathways or links, that create a triangle between 3 areas of the brain – auditory (hearing, speech & language), visual (sight) and motor (movement & touch). (Levine, 2002)

 Write2Spell2Read’s multisensory design ensures these 3 brain areas work together – combines letter sounds (auditory), 44 sound pictures (visual memory), with handwriting and large body movement (motor).

Automatic handwriting is critical to learning to read and spell

Most other programs do not combine the 3 brain areas, leaving handwriting to be taught in a separate class from spelling and reading.

Researchers have found that handwriting is a critical building block for learning literacy, as motor actions reinforce memory and learning (Levine, 2002). Writing letters that spell sounds at the same time as learning sounds, helps the brain learn to read, write and spell.

Dr. Karin Harman James (2012) found that handwriting is a crucial component in setting up the brain for reading acquisition.

As found in the 2010 Indiana University study using MRI brain imaging, a child must not, just see the letter he is learning, but at the same time write the letter to establish its shape in his mind, learn its name and the sound that it makes.

According to Sherrill (1986) up until the age of eight years, touch and movement have dominance, after which time there is a change of dominance to auditory and visual learning. Because of this research, Write2Spell2Read ensures that handwriting becomes automatic and is used to accelerate learning and memory.

Very important for learning to write, spell and read is motor planning – the brain’s plan of movement. When learning handwriting, students must feel the shape of the letter with their hand, in order for the brain to establish a movement plan that can be recalled each time the letter is written. Through repetition and practice, the writing of letters becomes automatic, to a point where no conscious thought is required. Similarly, knowledge of the letter combinations that spell sounds need to be practiced through writing so that automatic motor plans are established. Literacy success is not achieved if teachers overlook letter reversals or incorrect spelling – these will be established as incorrect motor plans in the brain.

Write2Spell2Read makes use of this knowledge – students develop automatic handwriting.

A strong working memory for literacy success

Program design strengthens Working Memory – more important than IQ, and essential for literacy success.

When motor, visual and auditory skills are automatic, a ‘ripple effect’ occurs. This allows the student’s working memory to focus on the more complex skills of vocabulary and comprehension, resulting in fluency in writing, spelling, and reading.

Improving visual memory for literacy success

To aid visual memory, Write2Spell2Read’s design includes organization by colour coding, 44 sound pictures, one picture for all letter combinations in sound families, and “traffic light” dots to guide writing direction.

Write2Spell2Read’s consistency of design through the whole school assists the student to store and remember this information in visual memory for future use.

Synthetic Phonics

Synthetic phonics approach, recognizing that children must be explicitly taught to write, spell, read and understand words using their individual sounds rather than by visual word recognition alone. Hempenstal’s 2005 study found that effective reading instruction includes teaching children to break apart and manipulate the sounds in words, as well as teaching them that these sounds are represented by letters of the alphabet which can then be blended together to form words. Professor Ken Rowe (2004) also supports this evidence, stating that the most effective way to teach literacy is with explicit phonics instruction linking the letters in our alphabet to the sounds they make.

Write2Spell2Read’s design assists the student to store and remember information in auditory memory for future use.

Multisensory design accelerates learning

Write2Spell2Read uses many senses at the same time to accelerate literacy learning. It uses three areas of the brain simultaneously, the motor, visual and auditory areas. Write2Spell2Read students learn by doing, looking, listening and saying, all at the same time. Combining the three brain areas means that each area reinforces the other to give a stronger learning outcome, and in so doing improves the student’s working memory allowing them to do complex tasks. Combining the three brain areas also aids successful outcomes for students, as all have individual learning preferences.

‘Doing’ encompasses all movement activities and handwriting

Write2Spell2Read uses jumping to focus attention and concentration, and “fire up the brain”. Large straight arm tracking movements and big “rainbow writing” in Practise Workbooks and on Wall Cards is used from prep to Year 3. In upper primary handwriting practice is continued to reinforce memory recall.

‘Looking’ encompasses all visual activities

Write2Spell2Read is visually organized using consistent, well designed graphics that link sounds with letters and words. For Beginners, the graphics chosen are objects that are the same shape as the letters and numbers they represent. For spelling, one sound graphic shows all letters and letter combinations that spell that sound. In lower primary, exaggerated “camera shot” looking embeds this information into visual memory. Traffic light dots on letters visually guide students with letter formation. Visual, motor and working memory are enhanced with the use of blindfolds which make students see the information in the ‘mind’s eye’ of the brain.

‘Listening and Saying’ encompasses all auditory activities

Write2Spell2Read is a synthetic phonics program linking sounds with letters and words. Write2Spell2Read uses rhymes and consistent language linked with the graphics throughout the program. When learning a new sound, students say together out loud the sound and the letter combinations that spell that sound, repeating until embedded in auditory memory. Students are encouraged to speak slowly out loud as they write in lower primary, and use internal talk in upper primary to accelerate skills becoming automatic.

Report detailing neuroscience research and evidence

Authored by Samantha Woods, an Occupational Therapist & Certified Neurodevelopmental Therapist with over 30 years’ experience working in consultation with Speech & Language Pathologists. Sam has specialist knowledge of how children learn and children’s learning difficulties.

Write2Spell2Read’s design uses scientific neuroscience research on the most effective ways to teach literacy to ensure that student’s learn to effectively read, write and spell.

The downloadable report below details the neuroscience evidence-based research embedded in Write2Spell2Read’s innovative design.

The report provides evidence of its effectiveness as a whole school literacy program for primary students of all ability levels.

Connects at the same time the 3 brain areas essential for learning literacy – auditory (hearing, speech & language), visual (sight) and motor (movement & touch). (Levine, 2002)

Multisensory with 3 brain areas working together – combines letter sounds (auditory), 44 sound pictures (visual memory), with handwriting and large body movement (motor).

Most other programs do not combine the 3 brain areas, leaving handwriting to be taught in a separate class from spelling and reading.

Researchers have found that handwriting is a critical building block for learning literacy, as motor actions reinforce memory and learning (Levine, 2002). Writing letters that spell sounds at the same time as learning sounds, helps the brain learn to read, write and spell.

Program design strengthens Working Memory – more important than IQ, and essential for literacy success.

Helps teachers by simply showing not only ‘what to teach’, but ‘how to teach’ – Teacher’s Manual and video demonstrations.

With the complex neuroscience research embedded into its design, Write2Spell2Read takes the hard work out of teaching literacy and presents a simple, easy program to implement.