If you can spell ‘clock’ then you can spell ‘flock’
· Syllables
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·
Visual Strategies
=‘How words look’=
Strategy
Example
Strategies to use to learn words visually
· Word shapes
· Common letter clusters
ear, ion, thr,
· Chunking Differs from syllables because it is looking at the word not listening to it.
gr / av / it / y
Breaking words into chunks, usually beginning each chunk with a vowel and gradually increasing the size of the chunks: grav / ity
· Double letters
ll, bb, ee
· Have-a-Go Books
Checking appearance of words: Does it look right?
·
Strategies to use to remember visual aspects of words
· Mnemonics
A piece of pie
· Focussing on meaning
synonyms, antonyms, abbreviations
· Study Say Cover Write Check
Use the active word study rather than the passive look. Teach how to study a word
·
Morphemic Strategies
‘How words change’
Strategy
Example
· Spelling rules
‘i’ before ‘e’ except after ‘c’
· Comparatives, superlatives
big, bigger, biggest
· Prefixes, suffixes and the rules for adding these to words
dis-, un-, -ing, -ist
· Compound words
snowflake, egg-shaped
· Contractions
you’ve, can’t
· Homophones
sun, son
· Word families
hunt, hunter, hunting, hunted
· Word webs
running, hoping, jumping
· Word sorts
Defining criteria to sort words ie number of syllables, type of words, categories
· Analogy
If you can spell ‘point then you can spell ‘appoint, appointed, disappoint
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·
·
Etymological strategies
‘Where words come from’
Strategy
Example
· Word webs
‘aero’: aeroplane, aerospace
· Derivation charts
photo: meaning: light
photograph
photocopy
· Mapping words
food words, music words
quiche – French
sonata - Italian
· Word connections
Words with similar spellings usually have similar meanings:
aquarium, aquatic, aqualung
Teaching strategies to develop
general spelling knowledge
· Word Back Spied Her (First Steps Spelling Resource Book)
Develops morphemic knowledge.
· What Comes Next? (First Steps Spelling Resource Book)
Reinforcing visual letter patterns in English
· Using Authoritative Sources
Dictionary practice,
spell checkers
· Tic Tac Toe (First Steps Spelling Resource Book)
Develops phonological knowledge
· Words to Learn Teaching Spelling K-6
Using the 4 forms of spelling knowledge to learn words
The Process
Spelling Planning – a suggested process for preparing to teach spelling
1. Select key text from unit/theme etc.
2. Identify key words from text that you want all children to be able to read and write in this unit.
3. Identify strategies to enable all students to read these words. Students need to be able to read the spelling words in and out of context.
4. List spelling words on Spelling Organiser.
5. Add suitable words from core lists in Teaching Spelling K-6 for the appropriate stage. Make sure to add linking words as well as nouns and verbs. Ensure that there are words from all forms of spelling knowledge.
6. Identify how you will approach each word. Which form of knowledge would be the most suitable to use to learn this word?
Phonological knowledge: identify phonological elements to be taught and plan specific lessons. Decide on phonological focus and fill in the appropriate box.
Visual Knowledge: how will you teach those words? Identify specific strategies for each word. A basic process would be: a) ‘chunk’ word (rather than identify syllables) Where possible chunk words before the vowel ie family = f/am/il/y (young students find it easier to hear the vowel and then the following consonants rather than hearing the vowel after the initial consonant). b) Identify difficult parts of the word (‘y’ saying ‘ee’ on the end of family)
Other visual strategies include using mnemonics, Study, say, cover, write, check.
Morphemic Knowledge: what opportunities does the topic/text present for teaching morphemic knowledge? Select words from the topic/text that exemplify a spelling generalisation. Add other suitable examples to the list of words. Plan how you will teach the generalisation/s, contractions, compound words or prefixes and suffixes.
Etymological Knowledge: what opportunities does the topic/text present for teaching etymological knowledge? Add other words that have the same base words ie marine: aquamarine, submarine, mariner or transport: export, portable.
7. How will you evaluate the learning? Work smart. Use opportunities within normal classroom activities to assess spelling rather than as add-on spelling tests. Use cloze, proofreading, dictation and writing samples rather than a spelling test out of context.
Weekly Sample
Week
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
1
Introduce words for the week. Sort into 4 forms. Write word list into book.
lounge, decide, write, exciting, letter possible, magazine, charge, photograph
Strategies
Phonological Strategies
=‘How words sound’=ă ĕ ĭ ŏ ŭ
Visual Strategies
=‘How words look’=Strategies to use to learn words visually
Differs from syllables because it is looking at the word not listening to it.
Breaking words into chunks, usually beginning each chunk with a vowel and gradually increasing the size of the chunks: grav / ity
Strategies to use to remember visual aspects of words
Morphemic Strategies
‘How words change’Etymological strategies
‘Where words come from’Strategy
photograph
photocopy
quiche – French
sonata - Italian
aquarium, aquatic, aqualung
Teaching strategies to develop
general spelling knowledge(First Steps Spelling Resource Book)
(First Steps Spelling Resource Book)
spell checkers
(First Steps Spelling Resource Book)
Teaching Spelling K-6
The Process
Spelling Planning – a suggested process for preparing to teach spelling1. Select key text from unit/theme etc.
2. Identify key words from text that you want all children to be able to read and write in this unit.
3. Identify strategies to enable all students to read these words. Students need to be able to read the spelling words in and out of context.
4. List spelling words on Spelling Organiser.
5. Add suitable words from core lists in Teaching Spelling K-6 for the appropriate stage. Make sure to add linking words as well as nouns and verbs. Ensure that there are words from all forms of spelling knowledge.
6. Identify how you will approach each word. Which form of knowledge would be the most suitable to use to learn this word?
Phonological knowledge: identify phonological elements to be taught and plan specific lessons. Decide on phonological focus and fill in the appropriate box.
Visual Knowledge: how will you teach those words? Identify specific strategies for each word. A basic process would be:
a) ‘chunk’ word (rather than identify syllables) Where possible chunk words before the vowel ie family = f/am/il/y (young students find it easier to hear the vowel and then the following consonants rather than hearing the vowel after the initial consonant).
b) Identify difficult parts of the word (‘y’ saying ‘ee’ on the end of family)
Other visual strategies include using mnemonics, Study, say, cover, write, check.
Morphemic Knowledge: what opportunities does the topic/text present for teaching morphemic knowledge? Select words from the topic/text that exemplify a spelling generalisation. Add other suitable examples to the list of words. Plan how you will teach the generalisation/s, contractions, compound words or prefixes and suffixes.
Etymological Knowledge: what opportunities does the topic/text present for teaching etymological knowledge? Add other words that have the same base words ie marine: aquamarine, submarine, mariner or transport: export, portable.
7. How will you evaluate the learning? Work smart. Use opportunities within normal classroom activities to assess spelling rather than as add-on spelling tests. Use cloze, proofreading, dictation and writing samples rather than a spelling test out of context.
Weekly Sample
Week
lounge, decide, write, exciting, letter possible, magazine, charge, photograph
Modelled: Word families
‘ou’ lounge, found, loud, sound, ground, outpossible, decide, exciting, lounge, letter, write magazine
Adding ‘ing’ to words ending in ‘e’: excite, charge, decide, write
Photo = light
Graph (graphos) meaning drawn or written
Make lists of ‘ou words
Make a chart
Independent:
Search texts for other words with ‘ou’
Chunking with students needing extra assistance
Independent:
Study, say cover write check
Practise adding ‘ing’
Independent:
Complete exercise adding ‘ing’ to words
Review words for week
Assessment: Proofreading exercise with week’s words
letter, camera, deliver, newspaper, computer, manager, customer, fast, charge, bored, finally, height
camera, deliver, newspaper, computer, manager, customer
fast, charge, bored, height, manager
final, wonderful, careful, Compound words: newspaper
final (finis – end)
finish
finale
infinite
Review ‘er’ sound and words
Independent:
Create word list of other ‘er’ words
Independent: Identifying difficult features of words
Independent: Word power. How many words can you write in 5 mins.
Independent:
Create a word sort
news, sale, editor, program, interview, whinge, office, message, design, deadline, something
Discuss phono. Knowledge in following words: news, sale, computer, editor, program
customer, interview, whinge, office, message, design
Compound words:
deadline
something
newspaper
Select one:
Work sample
Dictation
Cloze
Dictagloss
‘ew’ and practice writing ew chunk in news
Independent:
Create a dictation
‘ign’ words: sign, design, resign
Independent:
Identify chunks ie
c/ust/om/er
Cut before the vowel
Write words
dead+line = deadline
Independent:
Write words
dead+line = deadline
Find others
‘How am I going with spelling?’
‘What have a learnt?’
Cathy Welsford