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Make Sense of Spelling
and Spell Well!
Presented by Cherry Carl
What Does Research Say?
• The spelling system of English makes sense . . .
most of the time!
(Words that are related in meaning are often
related in spelling as well, despite changes in
sound.)
Example: “define” and “definition”
What Does Research Say?
• Effective spelling instruction powerfully supports
the nature and development of the reading
process. An active search for pattern builds word
knowledge that serves both the encoding and
the decoding of words.
Example: doubling consonants in “tap” and “hop”
(tapped and hopped as opposed to taped and
hoped).
What Does Research Say?
• Spelling instruction in the middle grades
provides a bridge to vocabulary instruction.
Explain how to spell known words by connecting
to unknown that are similar in spelling and
meaning.
Example: “president” and “preside”
What Does Research Say?
• Spelling assessments have been developed that
pinpoint students’ level of spelling development.
• Teachers can identify the types of words and
patterns that are most appropriate for spelling
study.
Spelling Assessment Tools
• Bear, D. et al (2000). Words their way: Word
study for phonics, spelling, and vocabulary
development.
• Ganske, K (1999). The developmental spelling
analysis: A measure of orthographic knowledge.
• Masterson, J.J., et al (2002). SPELL: Spelling
performance evaluation for language and
literacy.
Research-Based Spelling Instruction
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Phonology-based spelling instruction
Phonics-based spelling instruction
Pattern and rule-based spelling instruction
Semantics and morphology-based instruction
Mental orthographic image-based spelling
instruction
Source: Learning by Design, Inc., 2004. Permission to reprint for
non-commercial use only.
Phonology-Based Instruction
• Foster awareness of sounds in words with the
understanding that letters are used to represent sounds
in words.
• Encourage students to sound out phonetically-spelled
words and write the letters as they say each sound.
• Introduce sounds in a sequence that reflects perceptual
and linguistic complexity.
Source: Learning by Design, Inc., 2004. Permission to reprint for
non-commercial use only.
Phonology-Based Instruction
• Control the complexity of other sounds and
letters in the words when introducing a new
spelling pattern.
• Ask students to create new words by adding,
omitting, changing one of the sounds in a word.
Source: Learning by Design, Inc., 2004. Permission to reprint for
non-commercial use only.
Phonics-Based Instruction
• Teach the different letters and letter
combinations that can represent a sound.
• Display the alphabet on the classroom wall;
establish key words for alphabetic letters.
• Encourage letter hunts for all the letters in a list
of words that have the same sound.
Source: Learning by Design, Inc., 2004. Permission to reprint for
non-commercial use only.
Phonics-Based Instruction
• Use word sorts to sort words according to
different spellings of the same sound.
• Ask the students to create and keep a list of
allowable spellings for each sound.
Source: Learning by Design, Inc., 2004. Permission to reprint for
non-commercial use only.
Pattern/Rule-Based Instruction
• Develop knowledge of patterns and rules for
combining letters to spell words.
• The most important rule is . . . Don’t teach the
rule! Create opportunities for students to
discover the pattern or rule and to use their own
words to describe the pattern or rule.
• Teach spelling patterns in a sequence that
reflects orthographic complexity.
Source: Learning by Design, Inc., 2004. Permission to reprint for
non-commercial use only.
Pattern/Rule-Based Instruction
• Contrast the correct spelling of a target pattern
with another familiar word (e.g., rate vs. rat);
guide students through explaining how and why
the words look different.
• Group weekly spelling words together according
to target pattern; add words to the list so that
each target pattern is represented by at least 3-4
words.
Source: Learning by Design, Inc., 2004. Permission to reprint for
non-commercial use only.
Semantics and Morphology-Based Instruction
• Use the meaning of words and parts of words to
spell.
• Discuss meaning of words and identify
relationships between and among words.
• Teach correct spelling of prefixes and suffixes
along with the meaning of these word parts.
Source: Learning by Design, Inc., 2004. Permission to reprint for
non-commercial use only.
Semantics and Morphology-Based Instruction
• Create opportunities for students to discover
rules for modifying words when adding affixes.
• Teach words that do not involve a modification to
the base word when adding an affix before
teaching words that involve a phonological
and/or orthographic change to the base word.
Source: Learning by Design, Inc., 2004. Permission to reprint for
non-commercial use only.
Mental Orthographic Image-Based Instruction
• Develop clear and complete mental images of
words in long-term memory.
• Always encourage students to print the word
rather than recite the word’s spelling.
• Discuss characteristics of the printed word;
visualize the word.
Source: Learning by Design, Inc., 2004. Permission to reprint for
non-commercial use only.
Mental Orthographic Image-Based Instruction
• Present intentional misspellings for correction by
students; encourage students to try the different
possible spellings to see which one “looks right.”
• Encourage students’ self-monitoring and
proofing of their own work.
• Allow students with poor penmanship to use a
word process for their writing work.
Source: Learning by Design, Inc., 2004. Permission to reprint for
non-commercial use only.
Spell Well Activities
Selected Spelling Activities
For Practice at School or at Home
Spell Well Activities
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Letter Tiles
Rhyme Time
Headlines
Color and Cut
Sand in the Hand
Tic-Tac-Toe
Code Words
Graph it!
Fun Food
Finger Paint
More Spell Well Activities
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Words of Clay
Practice Makes Perfect
Figure This
Let’s Talk
Word Art
Now Hear This!
Name That Pat
1-2-3
Flexible Practice
Gibberish
Even More Spell Well Activities
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Design It
Guess What!
Sky Writing
It’s a Match
Take a Stretch
Tongue Twisters
Puzzle Me This
Picture This
Bingo!
That’s An Order
Three Cheers for Spelling
More Spell Well Activities
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Match It
Categories
String a Word
Say That Again
Are You Listening?
Cloze the Gap
Find a Word
Crossword Magic
Jingle Spell
References and Resources
• Bear, D. et al (2000). Words their way: Word study for
phonics, spelling, and vocabulary development.
• Phenix, Jo (2004). The Spelling Teacher’s Book of Lists.
• Ganske, K. (2005). Word Journeys.
• Fountas and Pinnell (1998). Word Matters: Teaching
Phonics and Spelling in the Reading/Writing Classroom.
• Rasinski, et al (2000). Teaching Word Recognition,
Spelling, and Vocabulary: Strategies From The Reading
Teacher
• Anything by Donald Gentry or Diane Snowball!
Quotable Quotes
"My spelling is Wobbly. It's good spelling but it
Wobbles, and the letters get in the wrong
places." -- A. A. Milne