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printWhat does PLD recommend when catering for strong spellers and students achieving high scores in subsequent PLD Stages?
PLD recommends that teachers avoid accelerating students through the Stages. Instead, we recommend that teachers provide challenging tasks linked to existing concepts. Exploring how words are built and related (word study/morphology) helps strengthen spelling, reading and vocabulary.
Step 1: Consider How to Add a Challenge to the Existing Stage, Without Creating Another Group
PLD recommends stretching these students with challenge tasks that focus on meaning, morphology and oral/written language, rather than standard spelling tasks. An assortment of challenge tasks are provided with downloadable templates:
| Challenge tasks recommended for Year 1 & 2 |
Challenge tasks recommended for Year 3 & 4 |
Challenge tasks recommended for Year 5 & 6 |
|
| Download Here | Download Here | Download Here | |
| Tuesday Task | Alphabetical Order Challenge | Word Category Challenge | Commitment to the Complex |
| Wednesday Task | Cryptic Crossword Creation | Matrix Builder & Word Sums (Stages 1-3) | Matrix Builder & Word Sums (Stages 4-6) |
| Thursday Task | Riddle Writer | Paragraph Builder | Super Hero Builder |
| Friday Task | Dictation Challenge* | Dictation Challenge* | Dictation Challenge* |
| *Dictation Challenge: A digital recording (rather than teacher-led) presented at speed and in larger chunks of six to eight words to stretch auditory working memory. | |||
How do these tasks fit into your PLD structure without creating another group?
PLD recommends that high-achieving students stay within their existing group and continue following the teaching sequence: they remain part of core instruction, participate in whole-group learning, and work from the same weekly word list as their peers. The difference comes during independent practice time.
Where other students consolidate through standard list work, these students apply the same words to one of the challenge tasks outlined above.
Since the ultimate goal of spelling is to apply sophisticated language and vocabulary in self-generated writing, it is beneficial for strong spellers to slow down and engage in word study (morphology) rather than progress quickly through PLD’s stages.
Step 2: Consider the PLD Implementation Process
PLD recommends that teachers avoid accelerating students. Keep in mind that:
- Stages 1, 2 and 3 have four terms (36 weeks) of teaching outlined in the Teaching Sequence Manuals (even though only 16 concepts are contained within the placement test).
- Stages 4, 5 and 6 have five terms (45 weeks) of teaching outlined in the Teaching Sequence Manuals (even though only 16 concepts are contained within the placement test).
- The Teaching Sequence Overviews are accessible here.
- Note: When students are moved higher than their teaching sequence, this impacts the entire class, as inevitably an additional group is formed. PLD strongly recommends limiting classroom instruction to no more than three targeted teaching groups to ensure teaching remains focused, manageable, and effective.
The placement tests are designed to be relatively short and efficient to administer. Stages 2-6 only present 16 concepts (around a third of the concepts within a Stage). So even if students score highly on a placement test, there is still likely much more content to present.
When students are accelerated through the teaching sequence, often by Year 5, these students have completed the full PLD Teaching Sequence, but even though they may be achieving high scores in the spelling placement screens, it is highly unlikely they are consistently transferring with high accuracy to extended writing. There is also little benefit for students if they can spell the words but do not know what they mean. For this reason, avoid accelerating students through the PLD stages.
If you’d like support managing the range of abilities in your classroom, book a support session through the home page. Be sure to have your tracking sheets available, as they’ll help us provide guidance that’s tailored to your students’ needs. Our team is always happy to help you achieve the best possible literacy outcomes.
