Download Embedded Literacy/Numeracy - National Centre of Literacy and

SPELLING MATTERS
EXPLORING QUESTIONS COMMONLY ASKED ABOUT
SPELLING.
Webinar
8 December 2010
Kia ora koutou !
Webinar Objectives
By the end of this webinar I hope you will have:




a better understanding of the importance of spelling
an increased awareness of the reasons why English
spelling is complex
a more informed knowledge of spelling strategies
a taste for learning more!
Webinar Overview
1
2
3
4
• How important is spelling?
• Why is English spelling so complex?
• What do good spellers do?
• What spelling strategies can be taught?
How important is spelling?
The impact on the individual
Society’s values



Self-perception
People are often judged on their
spelling
Lack of confidence in spelling can
A well-written text can lose its
credibility if there are spelling
mistakes

a self-image as a poor speller

Fear of failure and humiliation

Writing anxiety
Spelling mistakes can create the
wrong impression about a person
lead to
How important is spelling?
What is the role of spelling in writing?



Good spelling makes writing so much easier!
Automaticity in spelling allows the writer to
focus on the creation of ideas and conveying
meaning
Accurate spelling enhances fluency in writing
How important is spelling?
What is the role of spelling in reading?



Good spelling reinforces success in reading:
mutually beneficial
Learning to decode and learning to spell are
inextricably linked: built on same foundation
“Decoding and spelling are the foundations of
literacy.” (Nicholson, 2005 )
How important is spelling?
Dual
Goal
The interplay
between decoding and spelling
Decoding: from
unknown to known
written
spoken
Spelling: from
known to unknown
(encoding)
spoken
written
Any questions or comments so far?
Why is English spelling so complex?


English spelling is complex, but it is not random
English spelling appears to be arbitrary and irregular, but in
fact “only 4% of English words are truly irregular.”
(Joshi, R.M., Treiman, R., Carreker, S., & Moats, L.C. ,2009)


No consistent mapping between letters and sounds,
e.g. go, some, do and hot
English spelling reflects the history of the English language.
The English language has the richest vocabulary of all
languages.
Why
English spelling
complex?
Adultis Learners
LearnsoBest
in a Meaningful
The layers of the English language
Context.
Greek
15-20%
Latin & French
60 %
Anglo-Saxon
20-25%
Question time
What do good spellers do?



They are word conscious, they recognise patterns
and notice word origins
They have a natural, intuitive awareness of
language systems and language structure
They have an implicit knowledge of spelling rules
and conventions
What do good spellers do?
phonology
morphology
orthography
semantics
What spelling strategies can be taught?
Letter-sound relationships
‘Unpacking’ words into
prefixes, roots and suffixes
Practising common letter
patterns and syllable patterns
Exploring word origins
Conclusion




Teach spelling in context
Teach systematically and explicitly rather than
randomly and incidentally
Balance skill instruction with plenty of practice in
reading and writing
Foster an interest in words, make your learners word
conscious and encourage them to look for patterns
Any questions, comments, concerns?
References





Henry, M.K. (2006). Unlocking literacy: Effective decoding & spelling
instruction. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.
Joshi, R.M., Treiman, R., Carreker, S., & Moats, L.C. (2009). How words cast
their spell. American Educator, 32(4), 6-16.
Moats, L.C. (2010). Speech to print: Language essentials for teachers.
Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.
Nicholson, T. (2005). At the cutting edge: The importance of phonemic
awareness in learning to read and spell. Wellington, New Zealand: New
Zealand Council for Educational Research.
Templeton, S. & Morris, D. (1999). Questions teachers ask about spelling.
Reading Research Quarterly, 34(1), 102-112. Retrieved from ProQuest
Education Journals database.
[email protected]