Strategic Spelling

It is important to know and use strategies and as teachers articulate them correctly and effectively.

5 Main Spelling Strategies
Visual Patterns / Visual Strategies / þ  37 common rimes (-ack, -ail, -aim,-ould etc)
þ  Vowel + double consonants (-ell, -all)
Use mnemonics (gimmicks) an excellent tool – short and sharp is the key to success.
þ  If a child has poor visual memory = poor speller. These children are not helped by SACAWAC or Look, Cover, Write, Check method therefore focus on other strategies.
Sound Patterns / Phonemic Strategies / þ  Listen and hear the sound pattern/s of the words
þ  Count phonemes
þ  Clap syllables
þ  Nasal , continuants (Similar to the house way of teaching sounds)
þ  Onsets and Rimes
THRASS has some very good points – it teaches the basics of English language i.e. cued articulation, schwa, phonemes, graphemes, graphs, blends, digraphs, syllables, 20 vowel sounds and 42 consonant sounds etc and how to teach these.
BUT – warning that no one program covers all strategies
Meaning / Morphemic Strategies / þ  English language is tied to meaning independent of sound. See carrot e.g.
þ  Units of meaning increasing children’s understanding and knowledge. Help children to make the connections.
þ  Terra = earth
o  Terracotta
o  Terrariums
o  Mediterranean
þ  Same word different derivation: sign, signature, significant
Connections / Linking Strategies / þ  Word building patterns
þ  Extensions
þ  Base words
þ  Prefix, Suffixes, base words, compound words etc.
þ  Highly consistent and useful rules (Only use rules that are consistent)
þ  -ise and –ize are both correct. Use the one to suit purpose and audience.
Inquiry / Research Strategies / þ  Dictionaries
þ  Lists
þ  Charts
Spelling is not about teaching words. Always give the word in a sentence don’t look at sound in isolation. E.g.
Caret / Carrot / Karat / Carat
STOP grading children out of 10 (e.g. only)
-Analyse spelling to understand and get a true indication of a child’s spelling ability –
This analysis will guide your teaching.
SEMIPHONETIC / PHONETIC / TRANSITIONAL / CONVENTIONAL
þ  Letters used to represent sounds
þ  Letters for words
þ  Abbreviated 1, 2 or 3 letter for word
þ  May or may not be aware of word segmentation
Allowed = ald
Girls = giz
You = U
Am = M / þ  Middle ear isn’t developed until 7 years therefore children can’t hear the difference between /e/ and /i/
þ  Spell what they hear
þ  Often omit ‘m’ or ‘n’
þ  -ed endings often spelled in 3 different ways (-ed, -d, -t)
This = tas
Boys = baz
Drag = jrag
Eighty = ate / þ  Writes not only what English sounds like, but also what English looks like
þ  Vowels appear in every syllable
þ  Nasal sounds before consonants
þ  -vCe over used
þ  Move from phonological spelling to visual + morphemic spelling
This = theis
Want = wont
Eighty = eightee
Little = littel / þ  Accurate spelling
þ  Celebrate!

EXAMPLE ONLY:

Word / Child One / Analysis / Child Two / Analysis
Cat / Cat / Conventional / Cat / Conventional
Dog / Dog / Conventional / Dog / Conventional
Elephant / Luft / Semi phonetic / Elefant / Transitional
Giraffe / Jrf / Semi phonetic / Girarffe / Transitional
Use Personal Spelling Analysis Sheet (available if you would like one)
6 Key Characteristics of Writing
1. Recognise oral language / Use finger rhymes
Poetry
Rhymes and raps / Teach orally first then introduce print
2. Write, Write, Write / Modelled writing
Writing slows down graphophonic process / How many sentences did I write today?
How many words? How can we check?
How many capital letters? Why did I use them?
What words start with the letter ‘b’?
What words have the /ee/ sound? What are they?
3. Authentic reading texts
4. Connected learning
þ  writing
þ  spelling
þ  reading
5. The Arts
6. Significance of content
6 Rules of Shared Reading: Reading = Comprehending, Responding and Thinking!
Read rich authentic text / Sentence Level / Word Level / Onset-Rime / Letters / Comparison
Circular stories
Story ladders
Retell etc. / Sequencing
Matching
Beginnings and endings / Words from text then extend from children’s oral vocab / Separate blends
Keep digraphs together
F – l – at
C - at / C – a – t
S – a – t
F – l – a – t
Ch – a - t / Texts with different sound focus but same letter patterns e.g. cat, mat, sat compare to was, what, want