Education
Spelling Success HOW DO YOU HELP CHILDREN TO BECOME SUCCESSFUL SPELLERS?
Weekly lists of spelling words are a regular part of the homework routine in many schools. For those children who struggle to learn their words for the ‘test’ at the end of the week, this can become a stressful time in households. The effect on selfesteem can flow over into other areas of the curriculum. So why do some children find learning spelling a chore and how do we help them succeed? A question is raised that with the invention of spell check on devices, is it still important to be able to spell accurately? The simple answer is that being able to spell effectively is still important for varied reasons. The process of learning to spell is cognitively demanding, complex and significant to the academic success of students. Many people and children themselves often judge their ability and intellect by the way they spell.
ORAL LANGUAGE IS THE BUILDING BLOCK Success on spelling occurs long before children bring home a list of words to learn. There are several precursors to learning to spell in primary school. Developing the oral language skills are an important component in the process of learning to become a successful speller. Phonemic awareness is the ability to manipulate sounds and can be developed well before children learn to write. Children should be able to hear, identify and manipulate phonemes, the smallest units of sound that can differentiate meaning. Separating the spoken word “cat” into three distinct phonemes requires phonemic awareness. It is critical at an early age that children listen to and say rhymes and identify rhyming words. Syllabification is another important skill that assists children to hear and isolate sounds.
10
Your Local Families Magazine February / March 2018
WORD LEARNING AND PROMOTING ACTIVE SPELLING STRATEGIES There are two aspects to learning to spell effectively. Children need to be involved in word learning strategies and active learning strategies. Word study of spelling patterns and individual words alongside building the strategies for constructing words as they write are fundamental to developing spellers that are confident and successful. Historically there has been an over emphasis on teaching students how to learn a word by predominately using look/ say/ cover/ write/check method, which relies on a rote learning approach for isolated words. For many, this approach alone simply doesn’t work. Children need to think