Literacy in Early Childhood and Primary Education (3-8 years)
7. Where appropriate, encourage children to use joined (cursive) writing. This often increases the probability that the correct version of a word will be remembered since each letter is connected to the one before it, and the writer may build up a memory for how it feels to produce certain patterns of letters. This provides a source of information about a word’s spelling in addition to how the word looks on the page (Browne, 1993). Multi-sensory approaches are especially important in developing the spelling of children with learning difficulties. 8. Individualise spelling instruction by encouraging children to maintain spelling notebooks. These personal spelling sources can provide children with the opportunity to take responsibility for their own spelling needs. Lists can include frequently-used words, word families, words with the same spellings but different meanings, etc. 9. Encourage children to develop mnemonics. Children across all stages of spelling may find it helpful to develop memory aids to assist them with the recall of more difficult spelling words – e.g. I ate a piece of pie. In addition to these broad recommendations, specific actions for addressing children’s spelling development will arise from an analysis of the errors they make (in the context of their writing). In designing instruction that is at the appropriate level for each child, the teacher can consider the developmental level at which the child is currently functioning, and the skills required to reach the next level. The following are some strategies designed to support children’s development in the early stages of learning to spell.
Stage 1: Moving towards the pre-communicative stage At this stage of spelling development talking with and reading to children reveals the sounds and rhythms of language. It is also helpful 156