September 2011 Dear Parents, Spelling is a foundational tool for effective written communication and therefore an important component

of our Language Arts curriculum. Learning to spell is not learning lists of words. Learning to spell is a process of working out the patterns and systems of the English language, then applying these understandings to new words as they are encountered. Spelling is a thinking process. Word Study lessons: The purpose of this letter is to explain this aspect of our Language Arts program so that you gain an insight into the Year 3 approach to spelling instruction. You may hear your child talk about our word study lessons. These lessons aim to develop spelling ability by: Looking at common letter patterns Visualizing words that do not have predictable sound-letter relationships Building word families Making generalizations about spelling Seeking information about the origin of words and their meanings

Our word study lessons have four main goals: 1. Students learn spelling strategies that will assist them when they are trying to spell unfamiliar words. Sounding it out is only one strategy. Other strategies include have-a-go, using references (such as word walls, print around the room, dictionaries, spell checks) and analogy (i.e. If I can spell ____, I can also spell ____) 2. Students learn how to memorize No Excuses words. We use a variety of strategies and tasks to aid memorization (eg. Look-Say-Make-Cover- Write-Check, rainbow writing, tracing). We will continue monitoring words students need to memorize. These spellings are selected from frequently used words that children need to be able to spell automatically in their writing. 3. Students learn common letter patterns used in spelling. These include short and long vowel sounds, digraphs (ch, sh, th, wh, ck, ph), consonant and vowel blends and prefixes and suffixes (eg. dis - , -ful). We frequently do Word Sorts where students look closely at letter groups within a group of words and sort the words into like groups. 4. Students will gradually develop a spelling consciousness. This means that as they become more aware of words and patterns, they will become more aware of correct spelling and therefore more observant of print errors in their environment. They will also develop an attitude to care about correct spelling in their own work. Proofreading for misspellings is an essential part of becoming a good speller and writer. Students are encouraged to take risks with spelling and have-a-go. Making mistakes or experimenting with words gives us opportunities to learn: students learn what is allowed and not allowed and possible alternative spellings (an important skill for checking spelling in a dictionary). When a student is drafting a piece of writing, spelling mistakes are often left uncorrected by the teacher. This is not because spelling is regarded as unimportant, but rather because spelling has not been allowed to become a barrier to writing. Word Study homework: Each week your child will have one Word Study Task Card or a Word Study activity. Please check that your child understands the task, encourage as much independence as possible from your child to complete the task, then check that the task has been completed as per instructions.

Other ways you can help: Remember not all words can be spelled by sounding out. Help and encourage your child to proofread his/her writing a short while after it is completed. Persuade your child to have-a-go before giving them the spelling of a word when asked. Encourage your child to consult a dictionary as the need arises. Online literacy programs will be added throughout the year. Check the Year 3 Blog under Resources in the future.

If you have any queries about the Word Study program or the homework, please contact your childs teacher. Kind regards, The Year 3 team