Spelling is a tool for writing Virginia Outred and Jane Denny (CSO) From David Hornsby lecture

Learning….. from…. Meaningful to Abstract Known to Unknown Heart to head (affective domain to cognitive domain)

Recent Brain research shows… Brains detect patterns in learning Therefore it is more effective to teach spelling….. Pattern by pattern NOT word by word

How can we group words for patterns? Visual patterns Sound patterns Meaning patterns

Why can’t we teach spelling according to sounds only? English spelling is tied to meaning NOT sound E.g. sign comes from signal. Therefore the ‘g’ stays when we write sign even though we don’t say it. To take the g out would change the derivation of the word meaning. This is the strength in English spelling- it helps us to spell.

Language serves meaning not sound Our language is more tied to morphemic not phonemic. Example: 4 – four, quatre, quatro All over the world this word has the same meaning but a different sound.

5 Strategies for Solving words By Sound (phonemic strategies) Words we can sound out- using sound to letter knowledge By Look (visual strategies) Words we remember by seeing them and using them a lot By Meaning (morphemic strategies) Words where I know the units of meaning and can combine them By connections (linking strategies) Using existing knowledge about a word to figure out a new word By Inquiry (research strategies) Using reference materials to learn more about words (dictionaries, lists etc)

Example to, too, two To- high frequency word, use visual memory Too- sound pattern (zoo, moo) Two- morphemic knowledge linked to the meaning of 2. (twin, twice, twenty, between)

5 developmental stages of spelling Stagecharacteristics Pre communicativeWriting cannot be read by others Random strings of symbols No indication of letter-sound correspondence Semi- phoneticFirst attempts at letter-sound correspondence Initial consonants, one letter representing one word Sometimes one or two sounds in the word represented A letter name sometimes used /Some sounds evident PhoneticPaying attention to all sounds Writing can usually be read by others There may be a match between all essential sounds Letters used to represent dominant sounds heard Nasal consonants may be omitted (wet for went) Past tense represented in various ways (d,t,id) TransitionalVisual and morphemic strategies become more important More aware of common patterns. Can be correct letters but in wrong sequence. Vowels are heard in every syllable ConventionalNot everyone reaches this stage

Teaching Spelling We are teachers of spelling all day every day Help students to be word watchers in all KLA’s Explicit teaching is ‘short, sharp, shiny’ (3-5mins) as part of modelled writing or shared reading (whole class) Expert spellers have excellent visual memory, poor spellers don’t. Teach all 5 strategies K-6. Use language appropriate to the grade

Teaching Spelling Begin with authentic texts- reading and writing Reading and writing of connected texts always takes priority Do not begin with the rule. Rules are not the known. Explore the words and patterns, discover the rules.

Spelling Activities only help students to contextualise strategies they do not specifically teach spelling. A teacher is needed to make the connection between strategy and activity Strategies need to be taught either before, during or after the activity Can teach in group time- no more than 10 minutes (group according to developmental stage or need)

Group teaching of spelling Sometimes group semi-phonetic, phonetic and transitional chn on their own and sometimes together. Whole class – shared text. Explicit teaching 4-5 mins max. It must be a mini- lesson when its whole class 2 or 3 mins is best. Lots of very short mini lessons are valuable. For some chn it’s revision and practise. For some it’s new and for some it’s above them. THEY ARE ALL READY TO TAKE SOMETHING FROM THE SHARED SESSION. IT’S A PART OF WHAT WE DO. Groups focus much more specifically on what the groups need. Identify why you are using a particular sequence.

Assessing Spelling Writing samples Dictation- can be a place to assess words you have taught or a pattern that’s been looked at. Test scores don’t reveal developmental stage of the student

Testing spelling Pure access to books makes a difference to children’s scores on tests. Testing does not improve learning. Teaching improves learning.

If I don’t test how do I know what a child can spell? A child’s independent writing is the best indication of their spelling.

How can we “use “ parent helpers? Parents can write a child’s spelling on the spelling analysis sheet to assist teachers. The teachers then look at this in light of the area where most of the ticks occur.

What can I do once I know what kind of speller a child is? Semi-phonetic- chn need help to pay attention to every sound in a word. “Push and stretch”. Phonetic – more visual patterns, more meaning patterns and more gimmicks Transitional – More of the same as the phonetic

ATTITUDE MAKES A DIFFERENCE! It’s not the child’s fault.

Resources Hornsby and Wilson (2011) ‘Teaching Phonics in Context’ Pearson Education Gentry and Gillet (1993) ‘Teaching kids to Spell’ Peter Westwood (1999) ‘Spelling: Approaches to teaching and assessment’ ACER press Pinnell and Fountas Word Matters Teaching Spelling K-6 NSW Dept of Ed Curriculum Support Directorate 1998(download from Smart Data) Rowe and Lomas (1996)‘Systematic Spelling’