Corrective Spelling Through Morphographs
Category: Language/Spelling
Grade Level: Grades 4 to 12
1. What is the purpose of Corrective Spelling through Morphographs?
Corrective Spelling through Morphographs is a method is designed to teach spelling skills, including a systematic procedure for the analysis of words.
2. With whom can it be used?
This method has been used successfully with students in elementary and secondary school provided that they have mastered basic sound-symbol correspondence for consonant sounds and have a basic sight vocabulary. It is designed for students who have significant difficulty with spelling and who have not mastered spelling rules. Due to its direct instruction format, it is well-suited for children with attention problems.
3. What is the program format?
This program is published by the Englemann-Becker Corporation and is distributed in Canada through S.R.A. It includes:
¨ a presentation book of lessons
¨ student workbooks with spelling exercise sheets, progress charts and a contract for the student to sign.
4. What teaching procedures should be used with Morphographic Spelling?
This is a highly structured program, with 140 fully scripted lessons. It takes approximately twenty minutes per day for one school year to complete.
¨ At the outset, a placement test is administered and all students who meet criteria are started at lesson #1, after they are introduced to the program and have signed the contract.
¨ The students are introduced to morphographs through verbal and written practice (word and spelling introduction).
¨ Students are introduced to the spelling and meaning of affixes (affix introduction).
¨ Word building exercises are started.
¨ Morphographic analysis is introduced.
¨ Rule exercises are taught and reinforced daily.
¨ Spelling reviews, games and tests are employed.
¨ Non-word bases are discussed.
5. In what types of settings should Morphographic Spelling be used?
This program can be used with a whole class or adapted to small groups. It may also be used individually with students.
6. To what extent has research shown Morphographic Spelling to be useful?
While there are few studies of this program, the results seem quite positive. One study concluded that Corrective Spelling Through Morphographs provided more rapid spelling improvement than the Nelson program with Grade 6 students.
References
1. Dixon, R.E. & Englemann, S. (1979). Corrective Spelling Through Morphographs, Teacher’s Book. (Revised). Toronto: Science Research Associates (Canada) Ltd.
2. Earl, L.M., Wood, I., & Stennett, R.G. (1980). Morphographic spelling: A pilot study of its effectiveness with grade six students. Special Education in Canada, 55, 23-24.
3. Gersten, R., Woodward, J., & Darch, C. (1986). Direct instruction: A research-based approach to curriculum design and teaching. Exceptional Children, 52, 17-31.
4. Hesse, K. D., Robinson, J. W., Rankin, R. (1983). Retention and transfer from a morphemically based direct instruction spelling program in junior high. Journal of Educational Research, 76, 276-279.
5. Robinson, I.W., & Hesse, K.D.A. (1981). A morphemically based spelling program's effect on spelling skills and spelling performance of seventh grade students. Journal of Educational Research, 75, 56-62.