Transcript Canberra Grammar School

Literacy and Numeracy
Coaching Academy
Celebrating Teaching & Learning Day
by Kate Halcrow
Canberra Grammar School
With collaborating teacher, Penny Ryder
12 November
Venue: University of Canberra
Ann Harding Conference Centre
LNCA Coaching Course: Bringing Together All The Parts
“Progress is impossible without change” -George Bernard Shaw
The Elements of Change
Recognition: The need for change
Context: Our students’ needs
Collaborate: Self-reflection, planning,
assessing
Critique: Read, analyse, reflect
Complex: Discovering best practice
Connection: How does Spelling fit into the
big picture?
Our Context
Our Setting
Our Strengths
Our Challenges
Guiding Principles of our Spelling LNCA Journey
•
Starting simply
•
Learning through doing (Change Leaders principles)
•
Collegial exploration, sharing and talk about best practice
•
Being Open/ constantly modifying views as we go along
•
Data-informed and data-driven
•
Micro Skills- Big Picture
What does Best Practice in Spelling Look Like?
-
Emerging from Rich Literature
Authentic
Balanced (Etymological, Morphemic, Phonological, Visual)
Look for patterns (Orthographic)
Explicit and Sequential
Dr Misty Adoniou: University of Canberra
Research
“We’ve ditched the ubiquitous spelling test which doesn’t actually
teach spelling and have instead developed an exciting and
engaging word study program,” she explains. “This allows children
of all ages to become entranced by the ways in which English
words make their meanings, and language history helps explain
how they have come to be spelled the way they are.”
Questions? Is phonics best for young children?
Etymology to young children?
‘The Power of One’: Lyn Anderson and ‘Real Spellers’
approach
The shiny allure: commercial spelling programmes
Their place
The pitfalls
Building Professional Confidence
Focus Group: Year 3 (77 students)
Data sources:
• South Australian Spelling test (Feb and Nov)
• Dictation to test varied use of verbs (Feb and Nov)
• Naplan 2011-2015 (trend data)
• Student self-reflection questionnaire
• Survey of teachers
Naplan
Results 2011-15
(trend data)
South Australian
Spelling Test (Feb v
Nov)
Dicatation
(Feb v Nov)
Student Self Reflection
 On average and
above average in
most questions
(Spelling)
 Almost all students
improved. (Scored
above age standard)
 Most students
improved
 Students were more
articulate about
strategies by Nov
 Weakness:
Use of “precise and
challenging
vocabulary” (Writing)
 Weakness:
Few used clear
strategies (eg. syllable
counting, THRASS
chart). Almost entirely
memory/ visual T&E
 Weakness:
Morphemes. (Eg, All
but 1 student could
write ‘plan’, however,
57% couldn’t spell
‘planned’)
 Weakness:
 Spelling words
depending on single
phoneme dilemmas
(eg. ‘swan’)
 Strongest result this
year (Hawthorn
effect?)
 Most students could
spell the first 30
words
 One third could
spell ‘material’ and
‘different’
 Punctuation was
almost entirely
accurate (noticeably
poor in Feb)
 Most of the top
spellers articulated
more complex
methods for spelling
strategies (looking
for patterns, roots,
etc)
 Weakness:
 Weakness: (In Nov)
15% still couldn’t spell
“friend”
39% still couldn’t spell
“women”
64% still couldn’t spell
“beautiful”
 Weakness: (In Nov)
 Lowest spellers
were almost
entirely dependent
on ‘sounding out’
and none of these
referred to looking
for orthographic
patterns
Spelling complex and
compound words (eg.
rainbow)
While only 8 students
couldn’t spell ‘beg’, 31
students couldn’t apply
the morpheme to spell,
‘begged’
Most students could
only articulate one
strategy.
What our students want to learn
61% want to increase vocabulary
16% want new words for stories (writing)
9% like games
Why I like Spelling
(In their own words)…
“That you spell to write”- Andy
“I like words that are long. I don’t like words that are easy” –Michael
“You can write to your friends”- Dougal
“I like how I am challenged”- Oscar
“That you can communicate”- Alec
“The difficulty and the problem-solving” –Noah
“It means you can express yourself”- Isaac
“Finding new words for my stories”- Josh
What we’ve been doing and where we’re headed
What’s working:
 Quality Literature-based
 Integrated
 Assessment procedures that children aspire to
 Etymological studies (examples used: -ism/ -age/ angle)
 Dictation (flexible language but also an area for challenge/ experimentation)
 Being engaged interested teachers, learning alongside the students (which
etymology study does)
Challenges:
- Mixing it up, marrying THRASS carefully with new direction
- Shift away from focus on single phonemes to broader phonological,
orthographical and etymological approach for years 3-6
- Move away from spelling lists and towards literature-based emphasis
Dr Misty Adoniou: ALEA-funded Pilot Programme at Weetangera PS
Practical Ideas for the Classroom
• Word Target
• Etymonline
• Orthographic Studies
• Morpheme Building
• Root words
• Create your own words!
This presentation reports on the findings from “The AISACT Literacy and Numeracy Coaching Academy (2015)”,
delivered in partnership with Independent Schools Queensland (ISQ) and funded by the Students First Support
Fund.