Brendan Culligan, Coláiste Mhuire, Marino, Dublin, 9 Navan Education Centre, Thursday 21 st May, 2009.

Brendan Culligan,

Coláiste Mhuire,

Marino,

Dublin, 9

Navan Education Centre,

Thursday 21st May, 2009

• Examine the skills needed to become a competent speller

• Profile spelling in relation to other curricular areas

• Profile the ‘struggling’ speller

• Show how to create an IEP for the struggling speller

What it says on the Tin!

Reading, Phonics & Writing

• Media?

Is the standard improving????

Spelling & Reading

• Two different skills

• Spelling is much more demanding

• Progress in reading doesn’t mean progress in spellings

• Spelling variation is not acceptable

Phonics for spelling is very unreliableImportant but not sufficient‘Children who rely on sound for

spelling will be defeated’ (Henderson, 1990)(Henderson, 1990)

Spelling & Phonics

•Written•Visual•Associative•Hand / eye activity• ‘All-or-nothing’ activity

Spelling as a skill

Group AGroup A

brigdesowndturendfritendpeacetrafick

Group BGroup B

biareyswowdjhrtnittpilpecark

Is this good spelling?

How do you

How do you

measure progress?

measure progress?

We should not be concerned with the We should not be concerned with the numbernumber of spelling mistakes a child makes… of spelling mistakes a child makes…

We should be concerned with the We should be concerned with the typetype of of mistakes being mademistakes being made

• The function of spelling is to represent

meaning

• Its function is not to represent sound !

What is the function of Spelling?

SoundSound

VisionVision

MeaningMeaning

Etymology Etymology

What the child should use to spell

• Understand the process of spelling development

• Provide strategies

What the Teacher should do

Phonetic Stage

• They use phonics to invent spelling, i.e., they assign letters strictly on the basis of sound

• Show evidence of word separation• Great difficulty with vowels

• ‘wos’ ‘laf’ ‘thay’• No regard for letter strings/patterns

Visual perception of word not used

Huge divergence of inventions

Bizarre / random attempts

Sometimes no consistency

Note:

• For some children this stage will not be an

‘interim measure’

• The worst spellers are those‘hoo yous fonix too spel’

How to help at this stage

• Train them to look for visual patterns/strings

• Identify the critical features of words (troublesome word time)

Use meaning as a strategy

Develop word banks

Provide spelling strategy

Introduce proof reading

Transitional Stage

• Moving away from reliance on sound

• Develop visual strategies

• Still have difficulty judging if a word looks right (checking in word bank)

• Are aware what letter strings go together

• They begin to use visual analogy and meaning

• They become more responsible *

Transitional stage

Note:

It may take a long time to get through this stage

Those struggling will require assistance

Questions for ConsiderationQuestions for Consideration

Despite the spelling mistakes, is it an Despite the spelling mistakes, is it an effective piece of writing?effective piece of writing?

What are the child’s strengths?What are the child’s strengths?

Are there many spelling mistakes?Are there many spelling mistakes?

Questions for Consideration Questions for Consideration cont’dcont’d

Would you correct them all?Would you correct them all?

If no, which ones would you correct?If no, which ones would you correct?

What are the most pressing needs of What are the most pressing needs of the child?the child?

Spelling Spelling MisspellingMisspelling secondsecond sansan classclass casscass went went (x4) (x4) withwith our our rarrar schoolschool scloolsclool tour tour tarertarer rainingraining ranran morningmorning mienmien playedplayed parypary gamegame gasgas ofof aa soccersoccer sinsrsinsr rockrock roakroak climbingclimbing cailncailn canoeingcanoeing ciancian

Spelling Spelling Misspelling Misspelling lakelake lasglasg somesome sarmsarm swimmingswimming saimsaim boughtbought bothboth sweetssweets siassias shopshop sophsoph picnicpicnic picin (?)picin (?) lunchlunch lachlach greatgreat gatgat

(Address specific needs)(Address specific needs)Present correct version & compare**Present correct version & compare**List words that are correctList words that are correct Use analogies with known wordsUse analogies with known wordsBuild on letter strings (Stile prog.)Build on letter strings (Stile prog.)Provide a strategyProvide a strategyBegin/continue with cursive writingBegin/continue with cursive writing