Are you searching for professional development for teachers that genuinely makes a difference? Something that strengthens your practice and your students’ outcomes across all their subjects?
Perhaps it’s time to rethink how you approach writing instruction? Our professional learning is practical, research-informed and full of ideas you can use straight away. Discover why this self-paced course on structured literacy stands out and how it can help transform writing in your classroom and across your team.
What is the How to Teach Writing, Spelling and Grammar professional development course?
If you’ve ever wondered how to make writing instruction more structured, practical, and evidence based, while meeting all the latest curriculum objectives, How to Teach Writing, Spelling and Grammar is worth your time. It’s a five-module online professional development course created by Dr Helen Walls (The Writing Teacher) and Dr Christine Braid, designed to give structured literacy approaches in your school a boost.
Each self-paced module takes you step by step through the essentials of writing instruction – from handwriting and spelling through to vocabulary, sentence structure, composition and formative assessment. It’s research-informed, but firmly grounded in classroom realities, with ideas you can put into practice right away.
Who is this professional development for teachers for?
We recommend it to anyone teaching literacy in a primary to lower secondary setting – teachers, teacher aides, literacy leads, trainee teachers, SENCOs or reading intervention teams.
It’s also ideal for those supporting ESOL and EAL/D learners or early writers who need more scaffolding. Whether you’re teaching across Years 1–6 or leading professional learning within your school, the course gives you tools to help every learner grow in confidence and competence as a writer.
Who are the course leaders?
The course is led by its creators, Dr Helen Walls and Dr Christine Braid. Helen is a lead writer and ministerial advisor for the structure of writing in the latest New Zealand curriculum. And Christine is a literacy specialist and teacher educator of over 25 years. Combined, you get two expert mentors who really understand what it’s like in the classroom. Wall’s practical examples make complex theory easy to grasp, while Braid’s work on vocabulary and sentence structure will give you strategies you can apply immediately.
Together, they unpack The Simple View of Writing; the seminal, empirical model of writing development that explains how transcription (handwriting and spelling, and composition), idea generation, sentence structure and organisation, work together. It’s eye-opening to see just how much these foundational skills affect students’ fluency and confidence.
Why would you benefit from learning with Helen and Christine?
What stands out is the balance between research and practicality. Helen and Christine don’t just share theory – they show you what it looks like in action.
You’ll walk away with:
- Strategies you can use tomorrow. Such as how to model sentence combining, teach vocabulary through picture books, or give Fast Feedback that actually sticks.
- A clearer sense of purpose. Knowing why certain approaches work helps you teach with confidence.
- Shared language for your team. The course gives everyone a common framework for talking about writing instruction.
It’s the kind of professional learning development that builds consistency across classrooms instead of adding a disconnected layer to your practice.
How will this professional development for teachers benefit your students’ learning?
The biggest difference you’ll notice is how your students approach writing. They’ll not just get words on the page, but they will understand the why behind what they’re doing.
When you have the tools to teach spelling and handwriting more explicitly, they will be able to write more fluently. Their vocabulary use will be richer, and they’ll start to play with sentence structure in ways that make their writing far more expressive.
You will also see a noticeable shift in confidence. Students who might have avoided writing tasks will produce longer, more thoughtful work. When you teach writing as a set of skills that build on each other, it’s amazing how much progress a class can make.
How will it benefit my teaching?
If you’ve been teaching for a while, this course will feel like a reset button. It will re-ground your teaching in what matters most – explicit, structured literacy instruction; and help you cut through the noise of new trends or programs.
The modules on formative assessment and feedback, including the Fast Feedback system, will give you simple, effective ways to check student understanding without drowning in marking.
It can also be a great talking point for your literacy team. Use it to align your handwriting, spelling and composition goals, so you are all pulling in the same direction.
What is involved in completing this professional development for teachers?
There are five modules, each between 15–40 minutes long, so you can fit them in around teaching and life. You get 12 months of access, which makes it easy to revisit sections later or share insights with colleagues.
The modules cover:
- Introducing the Simple View of Writing
- Teaching Transcription – Handwriting and Spelling
- Teaching Translation – Vocabulary and Sentence Structure
- Formative Assessment of Student Needs
- Key Structures for Teaching Composition and Nurturing Self-Regulation.
It’s flexible, manageable, and best of all, completely relevant to what you do every day in your classroom.
What is included in the course?
Your 12-month subscription includes:
- all five video modules (3.5 hours total)
- a copy of the companion book How to Teach Writing, Spelling and Grammar by Dr Helen Walls and Dr Christine Braid
- a certificate of completion.
Use your companion book as a touchstone long after your course is complete. It’s full of classroom examples and scope and sequence outlines, as well as handy ideas for planning and intervention work.
Is the course expensive?
Not at all. The individual subscription is great value for the level of content and expertise you receive. Better still, there’s a team subscription option (for up to six people), which makes it affordable for whole-school professional development or literacy leadership groups.
So, what are you waiting for?
If you’re looking for professional development that’s genuinely worth your time – something that makes you rethink your approach, boosts your confidence, and directly improves your students’ learning – this might be just what you are looking for.
The How to Teach Writing, Spelling and Grammar course provides practical tools you can use straight away and a deeper understanding of why they work. Ideal for any teacher, literacy lead or support staff member who wants to strengthen their practice and see their students grow as confident, capable writers.
Why not take the next step? Enrol in the How to Teach Writing, Spelling and Grammar course and see the difference it can make in your classroom – and across your whole team.