Download 1 Spelling Errors in Writing Grade 7 Lesson Title: Spelling Errors in

Spelling Errors in Writing
Grade 7
Lesson Title:
Spelling Errors in Writing
Lesson Overview:
The purpose of this lesson is to teach students to edit their writing for spelling errors.
Materials Needed:
PowerPoint: Spelling Errors in Writing, Handout: Spelling Errors, Student writing samples
Instructional Focus:
 Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
 Spell correctly.
Explicit Instruction (steps):
1. Introduce lesson to students.
It is important as a writer to make sure that readers can understand your writing. One way to do this is to make
sure you spell words correctly. Today, you are going to learn how to correct spelling mistakes in your writing by
rereading and fixing mistakes as you find them. When fixing spelling errors, you are in the editing phase of the
writing process.
Modeled Instruction (steps):
1. Model through the “think aloud” process on how to look for misspelled words in writing.
When looking for spelling errors in your writing, you will want to read the essay out loud to yourself. Reading your
writing out loud, in chunks, when looking for errors will help you find words you may otherwise have skimmed over.
While reading aloud, ask yourself the following questions:
 Are all of the words spelled correctly?
 Do any of the words look funny?
2. Distribute student handout.
3. Introduce the “Spelling Error Checklist” (page 2 of handout; slide 6 of PowerPoint). This will be used as a
guide for the remainder of the lesson. Remind them to use available resources if they need to find out how
to correctly spell a word.
Let’s take a look at the first two paragraphs to a narrative essay entitled “A Word from Autumn,” about a change in
the weather. As I read it out loud, I am going to think about whether or not the words are spelled correctly and if
any of them look funny.
4. Read passage aloud (section 1 of student handout; slide 4 of PowerPoint).
5. Using a document camera, overhead, or smart board, fix errors as you come to them in your think aloud.
Model crossing out the misspelled word and writing the correctly spelled word above it, or in the margin,
with an arrow from the misspelled word to the word in the margin.
As I read the essay, I came across a few words I think are spelled incorrectly. The first word is reddening. The root
word is red, and when you add the suffix “en” or “ing” to a consonant (in this case the “d”) you have to double up on
the consonant. So, in order for the word to be spelled correctly, it should be reddening, with two “ds.”
6. Have students note the word in the chart below the text, including their reasoning for changing the spelling.
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The next word that I think is spelled incorrectly is “droght”, because when I was reading it out loud, sounding it out
in my head, it did not sound the way I thought it should. It is missing the “u”, because it is not pronounced “droght”
with the short “o” sound, but drought with the “ou” sound. The last word I marked when reading aloud was
“upheaval.” Again, it sounds funny because of the short “e” sound in hevel. It needs to be a long “e” sound, and in
order to do that you have to add another vowel after the “e.” I am not sure which vowel, “a” or” o” to use, so I am
going to look the word up in the dictionary.
7. Model using the dictionary.
There it is, upheaval. There is an “a” after the “e” to make the long “e” sound.
Guided Instruction (steps):
1. Students will practice fixing spelling errors in the next section of the handout. Depending on the group of
students, you may want to have one student read the text to the class, or students can read the text with a
partner.
2. Remind students to think about whether any of the words are spelled incorrectly or if any of them look
funny while they follow along as the selected student reads aloud. Then, have students turn and talk with
a partner to decide what words looked funny and/or if there are any words they know are spelled
incorrectly. Have students record misspelled words on the chart. Remind students to refer to the Spelling
Error Checklist as a reference.
3. Monitor student discussions, noting students who correctly found the misspelled words.
4. Regroup and call on students to correct the misspelled words for the class. Choose students who you know
have correctly identified and fixed the misspelled words. Remind students to follow along and make sure
they have the correct answers on their handouts.
Independent Practice (steps):
1. Direct students to take out a piece of their writing to check for spelling errors. This piece of writing may be
specific to the last task they completed or one from another assignment of your choosing.
2. Remind students to think about whether any of the words are spelled incorrectly or if any of them look
funny while they are reading their work. Students should fill in the chart on page 2 of the handout as they
identify and correct misspelled words. Also, remind students to refer to the Spelling Error Checklist as a
reference.
3. Monitor students while working independently. Note any students who may need support or are missing
words.
4. When students have finished editing their writing for spelling errors, have them switch papers with another
student and repeat the process.
Rubric:
Spelling Error Checklist
Complete
Task
Read writing aloud to self or partner.
While listening, think about:
-Do any of the words look funny?
-Are any of the words spelled incorrectly?
Identify misspelled words
Use resources to find correct spelling of words
Cross out misspelled words, replacing with correct
words
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Copyright © 2014 by Write Score LLC