Family Portrait Postcard from SP Bear

Some history
Helps remove
The mystery
And carves
The groove
For changes ...
Must improve
As we add
Generations
To longer lists
Of families
Who insist
On excellence.


A Brief and Recent History of Spelling Trends

• Until the 1850s in the United States, spelling and reading instruction were closely tied. Spelling was the road to reading. Throughout much of the 20th century, however, these subjects were separated for the most part.
• Early in the 20th century, researchers viewed the English spelling system through phonocentric lenses. They regarded it as irregular, asserting that its acquisition was best achieved through rote memorization. This belief led to another: Spelling instruction should emphasize the development of visual memory.
• Most empirical research on spelling instruction was conducted between the 1920s and the 1960s. It focused on the following:

1. Identifying appropriate words for instruction (based on frequency counts)
2. Tabulating and analyzing spelling errors across the grades in an effort to determine what makes particular words difficult to spell (student errors were analyzed in correspondence to sounds)
3. Attempting to identify effective instructional practices (the practice of presenting words in lists rather than in context prevailed; the optimum amount of time to spend on spelling instruction was 60-75 minutes weekly)

• Through the second half of the 20th century, comprehensive analyses of alphabetic, syllabic, and morphological aspects of English revealed the need to integrate spelling and morphology (meaning). And, in guiding the selection of spelling words, pattern occurrence became just as important as usage frequency.
• In the late 1960s and early 1970s, spelling was reconceptualized as a developmental process. Young children are capable of constructing knowledge about the relationships between sounds and letters without explicit instruction. Some researchers focused on children's invented spellings; others explored word knowledge manifested through spelling at later stages of literacy development, which led to a more systematic exploration of the role morphology plays in the spelling system.
• Most learners share a common developmental sequence of acquisition of orthographic knowledge. In the last quarter of the 20th century, Henderson and his students at the University of Virginia developed labels and descriptions for this sequence: preliterate, letter name or alphabetic, within-word pattern, syllable juncture, and derivational constancy. Progression through these phases reflects growth in sophistication of knowledge about letters and sounds, letter and syllable patterns, and how meaning is directly represented through spelling.
• As students encounter increasing numbers of words through their reading that reflect more advanced morphological processes, they reach the stage of derivational constancy. Their errors decrease, and they are ready to explore more systematically how spelling preserves the semantic relationships across related words.

Templeton, Shane, & Darrell Morris. "Historical and Contemporary Context of Spelling Research and Instruction." Reconceptualizing Spelling Development and Instruction. Retrieved on August 15, 2006, from http://www.readingonline.org/articles/handbook/templeton/index.html.

Developmental Spelling Postcard from SP Bear

Reading may be fundamental;
It and spelling, developmental.
Edmund Henderson, et al
Made this known decades ago.
His and others' studies show
Whole-class spelling is a foe.
Within one grade, children may
Many stages of spelling display
On any fine school-calendar day.
Thus, spelling practices to address?
Developmental assessments -- YES.
Differentiated instruction -- YES.
Student constructivism -- YES.

1. 
   Rote-learned, pkgd lists must GO;
   Five times copied corrections, NO!
   
   
   
   Three Layers of Information That Spelling Represents ...

1. Alphabetic Layer: Matches letters and sounds in a left-to-right progression.
2. Pattern Layer: Operates within syllables and between syllables. Illustrates the principle that how certain sounds are spelled depends on their position within a syllable.
3. Meaning Layer: Reflects the fact that word parts related in meaning are usually spelled consistently, despite pronunciation changes ~ crumb/crumble, column/columnist, Newton/Newtonian. The meaning layer often overrides the other layers of information. Spelling also preserves the semantic or morphological core across words that on first consideration may not appear related, but which indeed share a common etymology and various degrees of relatedness (for example, impugn and pugnacious).

The proficient reader/writer calls upon any or all of these types of information when puzzling over spelling. While English spelling corresponds more predictably than commonly assumed to its sound system (phonology), it also represents quite predictably the meaning (semantic) system in the language. This is because a spelling system (orthography) has to do more than simply record speech sounds; ultimately, the written representation of a language is for the eye rather than the ear.

The Relationship Between Word Knowledge in Spelling and Word Knowledge in Reading ...

• Spelling and reading processes both draw on and reflect a common underlying base of orthographic knowledge. Spelling is a good test of the quality of representation. Examining students' spelling can provide insights into perceptions engaged during word recognition.
• A reciprocal relationship exists between kindergarten and first graders' developing awareness of beginning sounds and the concept of a word in print (the realization that a word is a series of letters bound by spaces at both ends) when they are able to point to or "touch read" words in a line of text as they recite the text from memory. Encouraging children to write is critical at this level, as the exercise of letter-name knowledge through writing facilitates the development of phonemic awareness.
• A stable concept of word indicates that a child has a stable mental representation that frames and sequences sounds and letters within words. Children's awareness develops from beginning sounds to ending sounds to medial sounds, which are last to appear.
• A beginning conventional reader is also an alphabetic or letter-name speller. For example, while a beginning reader may initially read the word tape as tap, the feedback that tape is pronounced with a long a sound has the effect, over time, of causing the child to look for reasons why: In this case, the presence of a word-final e emerges as the reason. Together with similar information about other words, this developing awareness gradually leads to the reorganization of the child's lexicon so that long vowel sounds are distinguished from short vowel sounds in print by letters which themselves do not represent sounds. This phenomenon, emerging first at a tacit level, becomes a conscious search for explanation.

Implications for Instruction ...

• Systematic spelling instruction drives orthographic knowledge that is important to spelling and to word recognition and, indirectly, to comprehension. Spelling instruction ought to be reconceptualized from having as its main purpose the simple mastery of conventional spellings to emphasizing more broadly word study. What type of instruction is most beneficial? Given the investigations of the effects of examining words in the context of an active search for patterns, several general but strong recommendations follow:

1. Significant amounts of reading and writing are critical if students are to advance in spelling ability.
2. For all children in the early years of schooling, invented spelling should be encouraged. Once students begin to explore spelling on a regular basis, they should be encouraged to look for patterns; this reflects the importance of the visual comparison of words.
3. For most students, an inductive or exploratory approach is appropriate; for severely struggling spellers working at an appropriate developmental level, a more deductive, systematic, and direct approach often is preferred.
4. There should be an emphasis on the interrelatedness of spelling and phonics, morphology, and vocabulary as students move farther along in their development. This emphasis should include the explicit presentation and discussion of how morphology or meaning is represented in the spelling system. Students who make errors such as solem for solemn and defanite for definite have the cognitive sophistication to conceptualize how the orthographic representation remains constant, despite changes in sound, in such related words as solemnity and define.

• First, teachers need to assess student levels of spelling knowledge. Too often, students are presented with new information about words before they have consolidated what they know about familiar words. Appropriate known words in reading may be examined to support conceptual development for spelling patterns; then, this pattern knowledge can extend to unfamiliar words. Start with what students know; build on it.
• Individual students progress at different rates along the developmental continuum. Spelling instruction should accommodate individual differences.
• Whether teachers fashion their own word-study program based on professional resources or teach from a published program, they must understand both the spelling system and the learner's stages. We need to focus more attention on providing a solid knowledge base in the content and application of a word-study curriculum in preservice teacher education and at the inservice level.

Templeton, Shane, & Darrell Morris. "Reconceptualizing Spelling Development and Instruction." Reading Online. Retrieved on August 15, 2006, from http://www.readingonline.org/articles/handbook/templeton/index.html.

Word Study Postcard from SP Bear

Not "bird" study,
You silly old bear ...
It's "WORD" study,
The latest buzz
In spelling fare.
Instead of doing
Workbook pages,
Memorizing lists,
Student detectives
Gumshoe in stages ...
Sorting words,
Noting patterns,
Keeping journals,
Problem-solving ...
In-charge learners.
Scenes to savor follow:




Word Study Activities for Student-Centered Learning and Differentiated Instruction

1. WORD HUNTS ~ Teachers allow students to hunt for (and record) words they want or need to learn. Or, teachers direct students to hunt for (and record) words that illustrate a spelling pattern or strategy. The words come from students' reading, writing, and other curriculum. Word hunting is one way to individualize spelling instruction, to match learner with his developmental-spelling level. It encourages students to attend to word study ways that make learning words easier.
2. WORD SORTS ~ Word sorting is manipulative. Words are printed on individual cards or paper strips. Students sort them in columns or categories according to features the teacher asks them to examine. Words can be sorted in the following ways: closed (teacher-determined) or open (student-determined); single (one sort with one set of words) or multiple (multiple sorts with the same set of words); semantic (based on meaning rather than spelling) or orthographic (based on the relationship between pronunciation and letter pattern or meaning and spelling); blind (with decisions made after each word is said but before each word is seen) or visual; done in group, with partner, or solo. Peer sorting allows for discussion of underlying word relationships. When students sort words collaboratively, they explain their choices, support each other in those choices, or justify their reasoning for changing word positions to different columns. After accuracy of the sort is established in cooperative groups, students can sort on their own and then "speed sort" to ensure automatic control.
3. FLIP FOLDERS ~ The flip folder is a simple, effective device for independent spelling practice. Use an ordinary cardstock file folder to make one. Position it horizontally, with the wide, open end closest to your body and the fold farthest from your body. Cut the top half of the folder into three equal flaps, trimming from the wide, outside edge to the fold. Each flap should remain connected to the folder at the fold. Write "Look-Say-Cover-See" on the first flap. Print "Write-Check" on the second flap. Put "Rewrite" on the third flap. Position a piece of notebook paper horizontally and divide it into columns to match the three flaps. Ask the student to copy his spelling words into the first section, then slide the list into the folder. Tell him to follow the directions on each flap. The flip folder combines the advantages of a manipulative with the popular look-cover-see method of word study.
4. GAMES ~ Almost any board game is adaptable for spelling practice. Change the rules so the player must first spell one of his spelling words correctly before completing his move. Other players are responsible for checking the accuracy of opponents' spellings.
5. PEER TESTING ~ Students exchange word lists with partners, test each other on their lists, and correct their own tests to see what they have learned. Like games and flip folders, peer testing is effective because students must produce correct spellings without seeing the word list, a significantly more demanding and appropriate activity than simply copying spelling words a certain number of times. Students are placed in control of their own learning.
6. WORD JOURNALS or WORD STUDY NOTEBOOKS ~ Journal entries encourage the student to assume an active role in his spelling development. A spelling journal helps him keep track of words (organized in ABC order) he wants or needs to learn, including words he has not internalized, as well as words from his reading and writing. Journal entries can serve as sources for class spelling lists. These additions personalize weekly spelling lists and make study more meaningful. The word study notebook is conceptually more advanced than the word journal. Students enter words by patterns, such as ch words or vowel-consonant-silent-e words. new words and pages are added as new patterns are studied.
7. DIRECTED SPELLING THINKING ACTIVITY or DSTA ~ This is a lesson format that incorporates many of the activities described above into a process-oriented cycle of instruction. A short pretest on words with contrasting patterns is given. This pretest helps students predict how they think each word is spelled. As the pretest is corrected, the teacher guides class discussion about the logic and accuracy of students' spelling attempts. This dialogue engages students in spelling as a problem-solving, strategic activity. On the following day, the teacher models a word sort to help students discover relationships between contrasting word patterns. Over the next several days, students make connections to their own experiences and take control of their learning as they hunt for words with similar patterns, sort words with partners and on their own, and use a student-chosen, teacher-guided selection of practice activities whichinclude the flip folder, spelling games, and peer testing. A final test provides information for teacher and for self-evaluation, which serves as a guide for journal or notebook building.

Zutell, Jerry. "A Student-Active Learning Approach to Spelling Instruction." Retrieved on August 15, 2006, from http://www.zaner-bloser.com/html/SPsupport3.html.

Teacher Tales Postcard from SP Bear

Each one of us
Is different
In our ways of doing.
Each one of us
Has found out
A unique pursuing
For our teaching
Of this spelling.
There is value
In our telling
And sharing
With each other
Any ways of doing
That we all might
Go throughing.
By teacher, some cueing:

• First Grade ~ Open Court spelling is a daily ritual. We alternate between pencil-and-paper dictation and a word-building game, in which the children use letter cards to build words. The words have the spelling of the sound the children are learning. As the sound/spelling becomes more complex, the game is phased out, and we continue with daily spelling dictation. We start with a few words from the sound/spelling we are working on or from the stories read in class. I add four sight words to the dictation. Eventually, we add sentences. By the end of the year, I dictate nine words, three sentences, a challenge word, and a scrambled word. I write the dictation on the board, and the children proofread their work. They correct their misspelled words and record them in their spelling dictionaries. The emphasis in the first part of the program is on phonemic awareness. Once we reach Unit 7 (out of 10), the emphasis shifts to grammar and writing. At this point, generally in early February, we start weekly spelling tests. On Monday, I give students a list of ten words. They have the entire week to write ten sentences using their spelling words. On Friday, they take a test. I don't always follow Open Court's spelling word lists; I use them as guides. (For one thing, they have only six words on each list.) Often, I add words the children have trouble spelling. In first grade, inventive spelling is acceptable and encouraged. I don't want worries about correct spelling to inhibit first graders as they write. Inventive spelling, as students mature, leads to proper spelling in many cases. JE
• Second Grade ~ The Open Court Language Arts program stresses phonemic awareness. I also use the SRA Spelling program. Each week, students are assigned a fifteen-word list that they must learn. We have a quiz on Wednesday for practice, and a final test on Friday. Many of these lists include word families, groups of words with common features or patterns; for example, words with long e spelled ea, ee, or ie. The lists may also have challenge words, which are more difficult to spell. Second graders also learn thematic words, those used around the holidays or from such specific subject areas as science and social studies. Typically, students engage in activities with their spelling words: writing a sentence using each spelling word to demonstrate its meaning; writing spelling words in alphabetical order; drawing a shape around each spelling word; reading and writing stories with spelling words in them. Second graders learn to use the dictionary to locate correct spellings and definitions of words. Spelling plays an important part in all writing activities, and students are expected to use correct spelling as it applies to their grade level. Spelling lessons also enrich their vocabulary and grammar. RB
• Third Grade ~ In my class, I have kids do a lot with spelling. First, we have a Word Wall made up of 101 high-frequency, grade-specific words. We spell, clap syllables, and chant five words per week. Second, we use Open Court Spelling (OCS) lists, Grade 3 National Reading Vocabulary (NRV) lists, and Wordly Wise (WW) lists. The NRV list challenges my kids more than OCS and works well when we are finished with WW lists. There are 28 words on each NRV list, compared to 15 on each OCS list, so I do not use them at the same time; it overwhelms the students. As a whole class, we chant spelling words, discuss spelling patterns and "weird" spellings, such as "people." The NRV lists on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday highlight different spelling patterns or rules. Weekly assignments for spelling lists usually include the following: writing words in cursive three times each; writing words in alphabetical order; writing meaningful sentences for each word on the week's list. Often, I model on the board how to write spelling words throughout the week. Assessments include the following: verbal dictation (say the word, use it in a sentence, repeat the word); cloze activities (fill-in-the-blank with word from bank); crossword puzzles (cloze sentences often written by students). Though these assessments succeed usually, I have noticed that, despite going over so many words, some kids still struggle with spelling. Even with Word Wall words in plain sight, they fail to spell their words consistently correctly in their writing. This coming year, I plan to prepare them for the SATs with practice assessments, in which kids choose "Which word is misspelled?" or "Which word is spelled correctly?" from a list of four or five word choices. Also, I will emphasize spelling's importance with parents. Too many times, I have heard it excused. "My child is not a good speller. He never will be. I am not a good speller, and I turned out okay." I hope that in third grade and at SPES, we can find a solution to spelling deficiencies. TC
• Fourth Grade ~ Open Court provides weekly spelling words. Each lesson includes word knowledge activities, which remind students that they have strategies for figuring out unfamiliar words they may come across when they read. Each story in our literature anthology focuses on different sounds and spellings. There is greater focus, however, on reading comprehension and vocabulary acquisition than there is on spelling. CR-M
• Science ~ There is a need for proper writing in science class, but it should not be a major issue as far as grading is concerned. Spelling and grammar mistakes are circled or noted otherwise. The only time points are deducted from a grade is when students misspell highlighted vocabulary from a lesson. With short writing assignments, I usually return a paper for correcting if there are more than a few errors, as my main concern is with the student's scientific knowledge. When longer research papers are assigned, I include a language mechanics section on the rubric; language mechanics contribute to apporximately 10% of the student's grade. GS
• Art ~ Require students to correct misspellings. Provide proofreading assignments without the assistance of computerized spell-check programs. Give students opportunities to locate correctly spellled words among incorrectly spelled words. Mentor them, encouraging the study of all word choices and the application of spelling rules. Purchase software that simulates standardized-test format but uses classroom spelling words. Differentiate instruction; align spelling activities with learning styles: kinetic, auditory, visual, etc. (Use a recording device to capure spelling words followed by their spellings. Listen to the recording in preparation for Friday's test. Make up a song about a spelling word that is tough to remember. Write a spelling word, then make a creature out of it by drawing to reinforce its shape. Practice copying spelling words in wet sand, with shaving cream, etc.) GG
• Foreign Language (FL) ~ I correct both the English spelling and the FL spelling on homework and exams when students write the meanings of each lesson's vocabulary words. (Misspelled Spanish or French words must be written five times each.) We practice "dictados" or "dictees" as often as possible, then students correct their mistakes and write those words five times each. Latin etymologies, roots, and prefixes are highlighted during many lessons. I also love to work with cognates in the same way. I find that connecting words across languages helps students remember definitions and as a plus, spelling. When students ask me to spell a word for them, I have them sound it out first; if necessary, they look it up in their dictionaries or glossaries. Besides practicing phonics in FL, I sometimes point out English phonics and spelling challenges. I love to call to their attention the different pronunciations for the "ough" combination: as in cough, rough, bough, through, though. I use memory aids. Here's an example: since "q" is usually followed by "u" in English, French, and Spanish, I tell my students that "Q" is always scared, and "u" must always be with him. CA
• FL cont'd ~ In my Spanish classes, I place great emphasis on spelling. From first grade on, I expect students to write words correctly, including accents. They receive a word list weekly, usually excerpted from stories we read. I ask them to copy each word at least five times for homework to prepare for "dictado" at week's end. In the event that a word is misspelled during the test, the student is required to copy it correctly from the board and repeat it five times. Since I began teaching at SPES thirteen years ago, I have noticed a gradual but remarkable improvement in spelling, especially in such high frequency words as que, fue, cuando, etc. I believe that our students are exposed to really good Spanish literature, and as a result, their spelling is ten times better than it used to be. Still, we have a long way to go. GO
• Fifth Grade ~
• Sixth Grade ~

Web Sites Postcard from SP Bear
Articles on the 'Net
For spelling abound ...
Here are just a few
I've scribbled down,
And these handful
Will lead you to
A hundred more,
Netting info new.
If you are one
With questions many ...
Click on a link,
Shine like a penny
As you chase after
Spelling clues
And fish for more
Fresh spelling news.

• Reconceptualizing Spelling Development and Instruction by Shane Templeton and Darrell Morris @ http://www.readingonline.org/articles/handbook/templeton/index.html
• Spelling Articles for Teachers by J. Richard Gentry @ http://www.jrichardgentry.com/teachers2.php
• Four Spelling Research Articles Plus Spelling Connections Bibliography provided by Zaner Bloser @ http://www.zaner-bloser.com/html/SPsupport.html
• Short Articles on Spelling provided by Reading Rockets @ http://www.readingrockets.org/articles/c43
• The Reading-Spelling Connection by Steve Krashen @ http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/spelling-krashen.html
• Spelling: Logical, Learnable -- and Critical provided by American Speech-Language-Hearing Association @ http://www.asha.org/about/publications/leader-online/archives/2002/q1/020219d.htm
• Check out these organizations' Web sites:

1. International Reading Association @ http://www.reading.org/ (324 documents on SP)
2. National Council of Teachers of English @ http://www.ncte.org/ (528 documents on SP)
3. Read-Write-Think @ http://www.readwritethink.org/ (lessons, standards, Web resources, student materials on reading and language arts)
4. MarcoPolo Internet Content for the Classroom @ http://www.marco-polo-education.org/ (259 documents on SP)

Print Sources Postcard from SP Bear

Spelling, reading, and writing
(So closely linked)
Walk hand in hand
(Bound subjects, me thinked)
Like books and their pages.
To learn more about
Spelling rages and stages,
Peruse these sources
From word-wise sages.
The more you read,
The more you know.
The more you know,
The more you grow
As teacher; students, too.
Take the trip together.
Life-long learners do.

• Words Their Way (3rd ed.) by Donald R. Bear, Marcia Invernizzi, Shane R. Templeton, & Francine Johnston. Prentice Hall, 2003.
• Lessons from a Child: On the Teaching and Learning of Writing by Lucy Calkins. Heinemann, 1983.
• One to One: The Art of Conferring with Young Writers by Lucy Calkins, Amanda Hartman, & Zoe Ryder White. Heinemann, 2005.
• Essential Linguistics: What You Need to Know to Teach Reading, ESL, Spelling, Phonics, and Grammar by David & Yvonne Freeman. Heinemann, 2004.
• Breaking the Code: The New Science of Beginning Reading and Writing by J. Richard Gentry. Heinemann, 2006.
• The Science of Spelling: The Explicit Specifics That Make Great Readers and Writers (and Spellers!) by J. Richard Gentry. Heinemann, 2004.
• Teaching Kids to Spell by Jean Wallace Gillet & J. Richard Gentry. Heinemann, 1992.
• Valuing Language Study: Inquiry into Language for Elementary and Middle Schools by Yetta M. Goodman. National Council of Teachers of English, 2003.
• Teaching Spelling by Edmund H. Henderson. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
• The Violent E and Other Tricky Sounds: Learning to Spell from Kindergarten Through Grade 6 by Margaret Hughes & Dennis Searle. Stenhouse, 1997.
• The Wonder of Word Study: Lessons and Activities to Create Independent Readers, Writers, and Spellers by Lauren Berman Lucht. Heinemann, 2006.
• Children's Literacy: Contexts for Meaningful Learning by Shane Templeton. Houghton Mifflin, 1995.
• Reading and Learning to Read (6th ed.) by Jo Anne L. Vacca, Richard T. Vacca, Mary K. Gove, Linda C. Burkey, Lisa A. Lenhart, & Christine A. McKeon. Allyn & Bacon, 2005.