Those who struggle with reading usually have great difficulty with spelling.

And even those who are excellent readers can have difficulty.

Why is that?

Spelling involves several processes

• It is a mirror process of reading: we blend the sounds when we read, and we should be segmenting the sounds to spell.

Many of us do not have any real strategies to apply.

• Most of us just write the word and see if it “looks” right.

Most important to understand is that “spelling problems, like reading

problems,originate with language learning

weaknesses.”

Louisa Cook Moats (IDA, 2008)

C – a, o, u K – i, e

cat kid

cob ken

cup kin

can keg

Decoding Strategy: The C and K Skill

Five Phonetic Skills

met

jump

me

smile

boat

X

X

*

**

XX

XX

X

Spelling should be taught in a structured, sequential way that is multi-sensory.

Mnemonic Device

• Memory aid

• Commonly verbal

• Special word, phrase, or poem

• Usually illogical

• Easier to remember personal and surprising chunks of information

Roy G. Biv

• Red• Orange• Yellow• Green• Blue• Indigo• Violet

Mnemonic Device for Spelling

Mnemonic Device:

One tea, two sugars

Mnemonic Device:

A rat in the house may eat Tom’s ice cream.

Mnemonic Device:

stationAry is pArked cArs stationEry is Envelopes and pEns

Spelling of:

potassium

Spelling of:

arithmetic

stationary/stationery

Use Alternatives to Rote Memorization

• Tips like these help students master words rather than simply memorizing them.

1. Learn words with the same pattern — could, would, should — together, and include others to help you remember the spelling (such as shoulder, to remember the l).

2. Think about how spelling and meaning go together, then link words with related meanings: two, twin, twice (remember the w).

3. Look for words-within-words: what, was, when. 4. Watch for the words their/there and where/were in your reading. Keep a

list of sentences using these words to compare how they're used. 5. Use memory aids such as "Here is in the words where and there." 6. Build word families starting with a base word (back: backs, backing,

backward, quarterback). 7. Focus on the part of misspelled words that may be causing a problem,

such as the ai in said. Link with other words you know with the same spelling pattern (such as rain, train, or pain).

The most effective way to teach spelling is to use small lists that have the same phonetic skill.

• oil destroy

• spoil typhoid

• void moisture

• moist employment

• boy point

Word Families

• Spoil; spoiling, spoiled or spoils

• Void: voiding, voided, or voids

Summary of Effective Spelling Instruction:

• Knowledge of sounds, letter-sound association, patterns, syllables, and meaningful parts; multisensory practice; systematic, cumulative study of patterns; memorizing a few “sight” words at a time; writing those words correctly many times; using the words in personal writing

Get Ready for the next Reading Horizons Huddle!

“The benefits of educational technology”

Tuesday, January 13th at 2:00pm MT

No Huddles in December!

Have a great Holiday!