Program Focus
Cognilab Spelling builds fluency in spelling through Direct Instruction and Precision Teaching, drawing on Spelling Mastery and Spelling Through Morphographs. Phonemic, whole-word, and morphemic strategies are taught explicitly, practised in timed sprints, and charted daily. Working memory protocols are embedded throughout to ensure spelling becomes automatic rather than effortful.
Ideal for students:
- from Pre-kindergarten to Year 12
- who spell phonetically beyond the early years
- whose spelling errors persist despite weekly word lists
- who can spell words in isolation but not in connected writing
- who struggle to retain words taught the week before
- who lag behind peers on school spelling tasks or NAPLAN
Component Skills Taught
Phonemic spelling (sound to letter correspondences), whole-word spelling of high-frequency irregular words, and morphographic spelling (bases, prefixes, suffixes, and the rules for joining them). Learners are taught to analyse unfamiliar words into known parts rather than guess, and to apply spelling rules consistently across writing tasks.
The curriculum follows the Spelling Mastery sequence in the early levels and transitions to Spelling Through Morphographs for older or more advanced learners, where roughly 750 morphographs combine to produce tens of thousands of words.
Working Memory Protocols
Spelling places heavy load on working memory, holding sounds, letter sequences, and rules in mind simultaneously. Cognilab embeds protocols that reduce this load: chunking words into morphographs, oral rehearsal before writing, dictation at increasing lengths, and delayed recall tasks that move spellings into long-term memory. Fluency practice on component skills frees working memory for composition, so learners can spell accurately while writing extended text.
Outcome Focus
Learners spell accurately and automatically in connected writing, apply rules to unfamiliar words, and retain taught spellings over time. Spelling stops competing with composition, and writing becomes faster, cleaner, and less effortful.
Our Learning Coaches
Our Coaches are trained individually in the Cognilab Method until they reach established proficiency, producing the dynamic, rewarding sessions that transform students’ academic and cognitive abilities.
Parent Reviews
The individualized, data-driven attention is what sets Cognilab apart. They didn’t just give us a generic plan; they tracked Ben’s specific skills every single session. We always know exactly where he stands, and they tailor the next steps immediately based on his results. The progress is undeniable, and Ben always leaves with a smile, ready for his next session.
– Elenor F.
