20 Best Tips for Teaching Spelling

7/31/2019 20 Best Tips for Teaching Spelling

1/29


2/29

All righ s reserved. No por ion of his publica ion may be reproduced by any means,including duplica ing, pho ocopying, elec ronic, mechanical, recording, he World

Wide Web, e-mail, or o herwise, wi hou writen permission from he publisher.

Copyrigh 2007, 2010 by All Abou Learning Press

All Abou Learning Press2038 E. Anvil Lake RoadEagle River, WI 54521715.477.1976www.AllAbou LearningPress.com

ISBN 978-1-935197-13-3

Cover Design and Page Layou : David LaTulippe


3/29

Y ou are a bout to learn m y top tips for ta k ing the

strugg le out of spe l ling. E v er y one o these tips

is designed to accelerate y our students learning

and to help him or her retain more o w hat y ou

teach.

Some o these tips ma y surprise y ou, and y ou

w ill pro ba bl y f nd some ideas that y ou ha v e

ne v er considered as being related to the teaching

o spelling. Y ou ma y w ant to print out this

report, gra b a highlighter, and mak e notes in the

margins.

And please eel ree to contact me w ith an y

questions y ou ma y ha v e. Im here to help.

...t akin g t he st r u g g l e out o f s pel l in g


4/29


5/29

Spelling Is More than Just MemorizationBreak Words into SoundsRepresent Sounds with PhonogramsMultisensory Activities Are BestColor-coded Letter Tiles Accelerate LearningReliable Spelling Rules Save the Day Silent E Has Five Jobs Teach Syllable Types Tame the Rule Breakers Teach Word PartsMake Review a Priority Dictation Exercises Are Important Teach Proper Homophone UsageProvide Diverse Writing OpportunitiesKeep the Focus!Reading Builds Up Visual Memory Keep Lessons Short but FrequentMisspellings Can Be a Teaching Opportunity A Strong Foundation Is Key Use a Roadmap

Tip #1: Tip #2: Tip #3: Tip #4: Tip #5: Tip #6: Tip #7: Tip #8: Tip #9:

Tip #10: Tip #11: Tip #12: Tip #13: Tip #14: Tip #15: Tip #16: Tip #17: Tip #18: Tip #19: Tip #20:

C o n t e n t s


6/29


7/29

7

T i p # 1: S p e lling Is Mo re tha n J us t Me m o riza tion

Most spelling programs are a variation o the list-on-Monday, test-oapproach. This approach has the students look at the word, cover it up, anto remember the order o the letters. Such programs teach spelling as i wmade up o a random string o letters.

Memorizing long strings o letters doesnt work or many kids. The look, crepeat method ails them. The mammoth task o having to learn thousandthis wayand then remembering them past the spelling test on Fridayoverwhelming. Some children simply shut down and give up.

For new spellers, and or those who struggle with spelling, there is a muchInstead o memorizing the spelling o thousands o di erent words, they can72 phonograms and a hand ul o use ul spelling rules. This method is mmanageable or them.

Approximately 97% o the 17,000 most common words can be spelled usinphonograms and a small number o reliable spelling rules.


8/29

T i p # 2 : B r e a k W o r d s in t o S o u n d s

When we speak, we blend sounds together to make a word. For example, wthe wordham, we are blending the sounds /h//a//m/ together quickly.

When we spell, we can take those individual sounds apart. That processegmenting .

A quick way to know i your student can segment words is to ask, What you hear in the word pan?

I your student isnt able to easily identi y the three individual sounds (/p//n/),teach him how to segment words. This is an important skill that will make spell so much easier or your student. A ter the child learns to hear the individhe can represent each sound with the corresponding letter or letter combin

And that leads us to Tip #3...

8


9/29

T i p # 3 : Re p r e s e nt S o und s w i t hP ho nog r a m s

9

What is a phonogram?A phonogram is a letter or letter combination that represents a sound. There are 72 common phonograms. For example:

ck is a phonogram that says /k/ as inclock.s is a phonogram that says /s/ as insat or /z/ as in present .oy is a phonogram that says /oi/ as inoyster .

Why are phonograms important?Each sound in a word can be represented by a phonogram. Lets take the past .I you pronounce the word slowly to hear the individual sounds, you wildi erent sounds: /p////s//t/. For each sound, we write down a phonogras-t.

When students know the phonograms and which sounds they represent, spmuch easier. I they know that the sound o /j/ at the end o a word is spelledspelling the wordbridge becomes simple. They do not need to remember b-r-ias a string o letters. Instead, each sound is simply represented by a phono Memorizing words as strings o unrelated letters usually results in rustratio who are taught to spell using the phonograms, on the other hand, see sp

doable task.How do I teach the phonograms?I have ound that the quickest way to teach the phonograms is by using Introduce our phonograms at a time, adding more as the child masters theto-use ashcards are included in the All About Spelling program.

*

*

*


10/29

T i p # 4 : Mu lt is e n s o r y A c t iv it ie s A r e Be s t

10

Why are multisensory activities important?Children learn best when they can use all o their senses. When they cansee somethingas it is explained, andhear about it, and thendo it withhands-on activities, they armuch more likely to retain the new in ormation.

How do I use multisensory activities?Visual activities can include demonstrating spelling rules with color-coded With the letter tiles, you can demonstrate rules and patterns and how the various words. The child can see a conceptand it makes sense to him.

Another good visual activity is to use Word Banks. Word Banks are listall ollowing the same spelling rule or spelling pattern. Children are able tsimilarities between these words when they see them all grouped together

Auditory activities can include discussing new spelling rules and concepnew letter combination is introduced, such as au, children can learn it quicksaying the sound as they write it. Oral review is an important auditory activity as

Kinesthetic activities include hands-on activities such as manipulating letest out spelling rules, eeling the shape o the letters and letter combinatio write them and say them, and compiling personalized word lists.

Children learn more quickly when they are taught through their strongeslearning, and they learn evenmore when all three pathways are involved. Th All About Spelling program includes all o the materials you need or these immultisensory activities.

*

*


11/29

11

Tip # 5 : Color-codedLetter Tiles

Accelerate Learning

What are letter tiles?Letter tiles are square manipulatives that contain the 72 phonograms. Thper ect manipulative or teaching spelling.

Color-coding makes it easy or students to seethe role that each type o letter plays in a word. For example, consonant vowels are red, and phonograms representing the sound o /er/ (such as er,are purple.

Why are letter tiles important?Letter tiles are important because they turn anidea or concept into something youstudent can see and manipulate. Letter tiles demonstrate new concepts lessons and help the student practice spelling new words.

Spelling rules are a very abstract thing. They are hard to explain to a childi that child has some attention issues or auditory processing di culties. Wstart talking to most kids about how we use -dge or the sound o /j/ only a vowel, they tend to zone out. Its just too many words to process, and toosink in.

But i we demonstrate this same exact concept using letter tiles, it is su

much easier to understand. And the child needs to understand a concept iremember it long term.

How do I use letter tiles?I strongly suggest using the letter tiles on a magnetic dry erase board. Thisthe need to set up the tiles each day and keeps them rom getting lost. Andkids love magnets.

*

*

*

mit erb


12/29

12

Tip # 6: Reliable SpellingRules Save the Day

Soon a ter learning to spell, students gure out that there are o ten severaspellings or the same soundthe sound o /j/ can be spelled j, g, or dge, orand thats when knowing some rules will come in handy!

There are reliable rules and generalizations in English spelling that will hemake the correct choices in their own writing. For example, knowingregarding the use o c and k and knowing that the sound o /ch/ is usually sa ter a short vowel helps us write the wordkitchen. And knowing generalizations help us correctly spell words likeacceptable andautomatic .

Many people eel that English spelling is unreliable because they have bso-called rules that simply arent true. For example, the common saying vowels go walking, the rst does the talking is alse 60% o the time.

Students who are taught trustworthy spelling rules, on the other hand, seebehind spelling.

How do I teach the spelling rules? The best way to teach spelling rules is by demonstrating them with lettethen reviewing them with ashcards. Spelling rules should not be taught inA ter you present the rule, teach words that ollow it.

*


13/29

13

T i p # 7 : S ile n t E Ha sF iv e J o b s

What are the jobs of Silent E? You are probably amiliar with the most common job o Silent E, which ithe vowel be ore it long, as in the wordnote . But did you know that Silent E has more jobs as well?

Job #2:Make the c or g so t, as in the wordsdance andhinge .

Job#3:Keep u and v rom being the last letter in a word, as inhave andclue .

Similarly, Jobs #4and #5 explain the reason or Silent E in words likecastle andawe .

Why is it important to know the jobs of Silent E?Understanding the ve jobs o Silent E helps students see the patterns ospelling. Instead o seeing English as being random or ull o exceptions, ththat there are reliable patterns. This makes it easier to categorize words andtheir spellings.

How do I teach the jobs of Silent E? Teach the ve Jobs o Silent E one at a time. When children are learningConsonant-E words, discuss the rst job o Silent E. When they learn the English words dont end in u or v, explain how Silent E is added to the woror v isnt the last letter. When they are learning about words that end in Conlike pickle , thats when you can discuss how Silent E adds a vowel to a sy wouldnt otherwise have one.

In All About Spelling , we recognize the importance o helping children organideveloping minds. We provide them with a special Silent E Book in whicgroup words according to the jobs o Silent E.

*

*

*


14/29

14

Tip # 8 : Teach

Syllable Types

What are syllable types? There are six basic syllable types in English.

First, we teach Closed Syllables. A closed syllable ends in a consonant. Th

a short vowel sound, as in the wordbat .Next, we teach Open Syllables. An open syllable ends in a vowel. The vow vowel sound, as in the rst syllable o apron.

As the student masters each syllable type and the related spelling words, won until all six syllable types have been taught.

Why are the syllable types important? With the knowledge gained through labeling syllable types, students cspelling questions or themselves, such as:

Why do we double the p instepping but not inweeping ? Why do we need a double consonant inlittle but not inmaple ?

How do I teach syllable types?Syllable types are best taught when students can divide words into syllablthem using meaning ul symbols. I recommend doing this right on your dry when the student is using the letter tiles.

*

*

*

mom n te


15/29

15

T i p # 9 : T a m e t h e

R u le B re a k e r s

What are Rule Breakers?Rule breakers are those words that do not ollow the spelling rules. Have ain place to help students memorize these tricky words.

How do I teach the Rule Breakers?Here are some practical ideas or you:

Ask your student which part o the word doesnt ollow the rules. Hstudent circle that portion o the word to draw attention to it. In All About Spelling , we actually throw these words (bad guys) into Jail. This helps the coin the students mind.

Use tactile methods such as having the student write the word with hiscarpet or on the table to help cement the unusual pattern. Here are moretactile sur aces:http://www.all-about-spelling.com/tactile-ways-to-practice-spelling.html

Teach similar troublesome words together, such asone andonce , andwould , could ,andshould .

For words in which a sound is mufed, encourage the student to pronospelling. For example, when we say the wordcabin, it o ten sounds like cabun To pronounce or spelling, we would emphasize the last syllable: cab-I

*

*1.

2.

3.

4.


16/29

16

Tip # 10: TeachWord Parts

Thousands o words can be made with pre xes, su xes, and root words. Kthese word parts enables students to spell words such asneurologist , multitude , andchiropractic . For example, recognizing the Greek root graphgives students a clue as how to correctly spell words like geography, graphic , and graphite .

Its also important to know how to add pre xes and su xes to base words. Tsome simple rules that will help your child correctly orm longer words w All About Spelling presents these rules in an easy-to-remember way.


17/29

17

T i p # 1 1: Ma k e

Re v ie w a P r io r it y

Consistent review is the key to getting spelling acts and spelling words Teaching something once or twice does not mean our children have actualit. Mastery takes time and practice. However, achieving mastery doesntboring.

Have your students practice spelling concepts with the letter tiles and ashthrough dictation. Use a variety o techniques to ensure that your studentsknowledge they need to become success ul spellers. A ew minutes o reviecan go a long way.

Here are six strategies or spelling review that will help you get in ormatiostudents long-term memory:http://www.all-about-spelling.com/spelling-review.html

Review is built right into the All About Spelling lesson plans, helping your studeachieve mastery.


18/29

18

Tip # 12: Dictation

Exercises AreImportant

Dictation exercises are great practice and allow your students to use th words in context. Start out with short dictated phrases and then move on toand, eventually, paragraphs. In the dictation exercises, remember to includethat have already been taught.

I suggest ending every lesson with dictation exercises. This provides practice or students without the stress o generating new ideas. Dictation between spelling and writing that can increase writing skills and con denhelps increase childrens working memory as they practice holding more wminds at one time. A good working memory is important or all areas o l


19/29

19

Tip # 1 3 : Teach ProperHomophone Usage

What are homophones?Homophones are words that sound alike but are spelled di erently. Heres ao homophones being used incorrectly: Eye wood like ewe two meat my hoarse .

This is an extreme example, o course, but students are aced with the choithese sound-alike words every time they write. Do I usetheir or there ? What aboutled or lead ?

How do I teach homophones?I recommend teaching the word with the most common usage rst and intthe other homophone later. Remember to explain the meaning o the ho when teaching your student how to spell it. Include homophone pairs inexercises so that students can practice choosing the correct word or the se

Here are several articles on homophones, including worksheets, gamHomophone Machine to tickle your unny bone:http://www.all-about-homophones.com/articles

*

*


20/29

20

Tip# 1 4

:Provide Diverse

Writing Opportunities

To build your students spelling ability and con dence, it is important to many writing opportunities as possibleno matter what subject you ar There is an in nite number o ways to incorporate writing into every type ouse your imagination to create engaging cross-curricular writing activities

Examples include writing out math word problems, writing step-by-step ior a science experiment, writing a avorite lunch menu, writing out a sho

writing a story about a pet, writing a poem about a historical gure, writto pen pals, and creating a class newsletter or magazine. The possibilitiendless!


21/29

21

T i p # 1 5: K e e p t he Fo c us !

Spelling skills are used in real li e as o ten as math skills are, so it isimportant to stay ocused on spelling lessons. Thats easier said than dochild is struggling with spelling!

Here are some ideas to help you keep ocused on spelling:

Have a predictable schedule and stick with it.

Dont allow interruptions to the spelling lesson.

Eliminate background noise: turn o the radio, the television, and the rthe phone.

I you nd that spelling is getting pushed aside in avor o other subjecspelling as the rst subject o the day.

Chart your childs progress. At All About Spelling , we provide progress chartsthat students (and parents!) can see how ar theyve come.

Visualize how much easier your childs li e will be in the uture whento spell with ease.

**

**

*

*


22/29

22

Tip# 16 :

Reading BuildsUp Visual Memory

Read, read, read! Set aside time or reading books and magazines, word banstudents personal spelling lists.

The words or beginning spellers are airly regular, but intermediate studeaced with words that arent as straight orward. For example, a student ma/rn/ is spelledrane orrain. A student who reads on a regular basis can draw u visual memory o the word in order to spell it correctly.

Reading is so important that each level in the All About Spelling series has correspondinshort story collections. As children read and enjoy these beauti ully illustrthey orm a visual memory o how the words should look.


23/29

23

Tip# 1

7 :

Keep LessonsShort but Frequent

Short, requent lessons are much better than longer, sporadic lessons.

In a short lesson, your childs attention is less likely to wander, and youll can accomplish more. Keep the lessons upbeat and ast-paced and use teaand activities that engage the childs interest.

For most students, I recommend teen to twenty minutes per day, ve time You can adjust the length o the lesson up or down according to your indiviattention span and speci c needs.


24/29

24

T i p # 18 : Mis s p e lling s Ca n Be a Te a c hing

Op p o r t uni t y

When your student makes a spelling mistake, take a look at what caused tthere a spelling rule or concept that needs to be reviewed? Is the student pthe word correctly? Are letters being transposed? I you tackle the camisspelling, you will help your student grow in spelling ability more quick

Here are ideas or handling spelling errors in your childs writing:

Separate the task o writing rom the task o editing. Students have a loon at oncehandwriting, word spacing, grammar, punctuation, capispelling, plus trying to think up original ideas and how to present tlogical and interesting manner. Write on one day and edit the next dayI they dont nd all o their own spelling errors, you can either point tdirectly, or put a light X next to each line where there is an error. Thento read it one more time to see i they can nd the error.Once the student nds the spelling error, determine i it is a phonetic a rule error. I it is a phonetic error, have him pronounce the word exa wrote it. I it is a rule-based error, ask him i there is a rule that appl word he wrote. I the word can only be determined visually, ask i he kother letters or letter teams that can stand or the same sound.Make note o the misspelled words so you can be sure to review them spelling lesson.Only hold your students accountable or words and patterns they havstudied.Keep corrections light and positive; remember, this is hard work children!

*

**

***


25/29

25

T i p # 19 : A S t r o ng F o und a t io

n Is K e y

Very o ten, the reason children struggle with spelling is that they are misbasic yet important in ormation.

For example, most struggling students switch letters or leave out letters endo so because they dont know how to hear each sound in the word. Tspell words in nonstandard ways because they dont know the phonogramspelling rules. They cant identi y syllables or the reasons or adding Silen

Without these basic skills, spelling can be very di cult.

The solution is to help students build a strong oundation. Teach them clsimply, adding just one new skill at a time. Bring clarity, instead o con us

When working with older children, start at the beginning, brie y review ththey do know, and concentrate on the concepts they dont know. Help them quicklbuild that strong oundation, and then move on. Your child will be a mucspeller by doing this, and youll both be much less rustrated.

We designed the All About Spelling program to be relevant or all ages, whetherstudents are 6 or 66. The program can be used by children and adults to buoundation or literacy.


26/29


27/29

I hope you have ound this report help ul or both

you and your student.I you would like to take a look inside a programthat incorporates all o the tips and suggestionsin this report, I invite you to visit my website at www.AllAboutSpelling.com

...taking the struggle out o spelling


28/29

References

Farkus, R.D. (2003). E ects o traditional versus learning-styles instructional methods onmiddle school students. The Journal o Educational Research, 97, no. 1.

Gillingham, A. and Stillman, B. W. (1997).The Gillingham manual: Remedial training or students with specifc disability in reading, spelling, and penmanship(8th ed.).Cambridge: Educators Publishing Service. Hanna, P.R. and others (1966).Phoneme-grapheme correspondences as cues to spelli

improvement . Washington: U.S. O ce o Education Cooperative Research.Rippel, M. (2006). All About Spelling Level 1. Eagle River, WI: All About LearnPress.


29/29

Documents

20 Best Tips for Teaching Spelling