How to Teach Writing, Spelling and Grammar
Learning to write is essential to success in school. Writing supports the development of thinking skills, including creativity, logic and reasoning.
Unlock the secrets to effective writing instruction with our comprehensive course: How to Teach Writing, Spelling and Grammar. This exciting program is designed to empower educators with the knowledge and strategies to transform their students into confident and skilled writers.
The course is presented by Dr Helen Walls (The Writing Teacher) and Dr Christine Braid. They expand on and illustrate the empirical research and practical advice from their latest book of the same name. The course includes five online video learning modules of between 15–40 minutes each (3.5 hours in total), and is self-paced so you can learn at your own speed and on your own schedule.
This course helps teachers:
- discover the core principles that underpin “The Simple View of Writing”
- understand the correlations between handwriting, spelling, and writing quality
- explore best practices for teaching vocabulary knowledge and sentence structure
- model sophisticated language use and knowledge-rich programs in vocabulary instruction
- get guidance on teaching handwriting, spelling, vocabulary, sentence structures, and composition
- learn how to integrate writing in other curriculum areas for engaging learning experiences.
Find out who this course is for, what it includes and how much it costs.
Unleash the full potential of your writing instruction
Take the next step in mastering writing instruction and revolutionise your teaching approach. Our course not only covers the essentials of teaching handwriting, spelling, vocabulary, sentence structures, and composition, but also provides insights into integrating writing with other curriculum areas. Making the learning experience more engaging and motivating for your students.
- Discover the importance of teaching handwriting to automaticity and orthographic mapping.
- Learn how spelling difficulties can lead to working memory overload and less sophisticated vocabulary use.
- Gain valuable insights from the Spelling Made Simple appendix in the course book.
- Understand the significance of vocabulary knowledge for writing quality and reading comprehension.
- Explore the use of picture books for explicit vocabulary teaching.
- Learn about different sentence structures and how to model sentence combining with coloured cards.
- Embrace formative assessment and feedback for effective learning in writing.
- Unpack key stages in the Scope and Sequence appendix of the course book.
- Discover the Fast Feedback system and its application for optimising learning outcomes.
- Receive expert advice for managing composition lessons.
- Observe two shared writing sessions (juniors and seniors) as models.
- Learn methods for supporting student writers during practice time.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to elevate your writing instruction and empower your students to become confident and skilled writers. Enrol in How to Teach Writing, Spelling and Grammar today!
How to Teach Writing Spelling and Grammar course content
Module One
Introducing The Simple View of Writing
Learn about “The Simple View of Writing” with Helen Walls and discover the core principles that underpin successful writing instruction.
Module Two
Teaching Transcription – Spelling and Handwriting
In this module, Helen will delve into the critical importance of teaching foundational technical skills – spelling and handwriting. You will understand the correlations between handwriting, spelling and writing quality, and explore how mastering these skills can enhance overall writing performance. Helen will share best practices for teaching these key skills and will reference the valuable insights found in the “Spelling Made Simple” appendix of the How to Teach Writing, Spelling and Grammar book.
Module Three
Teaching Translation – Vocabulary Knowledge and Sentence Structure
Unlock the power of vocabulary knowledge in writing quality and reading comprehension. Christine Braid will guide you through effective vocabulary instruction methods, including the use of sophisticated language models by teachers and knowledge-rich programs. Additionally, Christine will demonstrate how picture books can be used to explicitly teach vocabulary knowledge, while also explaining various sentence structures and modelling sentence combining using a coloured card system.
Module Four
Formative Assessment of Student Needs
Discover the importance of formative assessment and feedback for fostering effective writing skills in students. Helen will unpack key stages from the Scope and Sequence appendix of How to Teach Writing, Spelling and Grammar. These provide valuable insights for effective formative assessment practices. Learn about the Fast Feedback system and how it can be utilised to optimise learning outcomes.
Module Five
Key Structures for Teaching Composition and Nurturing Student Self-Regulation
In this session, Helen will provide valuable advice on managing the composition lesson and will showcase two shared writing sessions – one for juniors and one for seniors. Learn about methods for supporting student writers during their practice time and nurturing their self-regulation skills, ensuring they become independent and proficient writers.
All the How to Teach Writing Spelling and Grammar course details
Who is it for?
The How to Teach Writing, Spelling and Grammar course is specifically designed for primary school and training teachers to build, develop and refresh existing knowledge of writing instruction and revolutionising your teaching approach.
It can be used in multiple ways:
- As part of in-house professional learning for all educators in a team.
- In small groups.
- Individually.
What is included?
The How to Teach Writing, Spelling and Grammar course consists of:
- Five online professional development modules. Each module provides extensive video presentations equalling over 3 hours in total.
- One copy of the support book, How to Teach Writing, Spelling and Grammar by Helen Walls with Christine Braid.
- A certificate of completion will be awarded at the conclusion of the course.
Technology requirements for completing the course are: a digital device, speakers and internet access. All requirements are discussed further on our FAQ page.
Schools can purchase further copies of the support book – contact us to arrange.
What is the cost?
Purchase options include:
- Individual subscription – $250 plus GST
- Team subscription (up to 6 people) – $750 plus GST
Access to the online course is for 3 months from the date of purchase.
Options for further in-person sessions
For schools seeking personalised and tailored support, Helen Walls offers in-person sessions where teachers can share writing samples and receive guidance in choosing appropriate goals. She will be there to support your school every step of the way. Please contact Helen for more details.
Complement your learning with the course book
We are excited to include a resource that will be an invaluable companion on your learning journey. How to Teach Writing, Spelling and Grammar, authored by our esteemed instructors Helen Walls and Christine Braid, provides an in-depth exploration of the concepts covered in our course.
With the book by your side, you’ll be able to revisit and reinforce key concepts discussed in the modules. The book provides additional examples, case studies, and classroom scenarios, making it a go-to reference for enhancing your lesson planning, formative assessment strategies, and techniques for nurturing student self-regulation.
As you progress through the course, you’ll undoubtedly encounter questions or seek further clarification on certain topics. The book offers a comprehensive reference guide that you can turn to whenever you need clarification or additional context. We highly recommend having the book alongside you to enrich your learning experience and empower you to become an even more effective writing instructor.
Beyond completing the course, How to Teach Writing, Spelling and Grammar will continue to be a valuable resource throughout your teaching career. Its timeless principles and evidence-based strategies will remain relevant, providing you with ongoing support in refining your writing instruction and maximising the potential of your students.
Enrol in How to Teach Writing, Spelling and Grammar today!
Embrace this opportunity to deepen your expertise and inspire your students to become confident and proficient writers. Join us on this transformative journey and equip your students with the tools they need to become confident and competent writers.
Enrol in our How to Teach Writing, Spelling and Grammar professional development course and elevate your teaching to new heights!
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