The Keys to Spelling Success: Part 3

(POST PART 3/3)

In Part 1 and Part 2 of this series, I discussed the first six keys to spelling success that I ensure to integrate into my instruction:

This post will be about the ways in which multi-sensory practice, new concept reading, dictation, and mnemonic devices play roles in supporting spelling knowledge and fluency.

MULTI-SENSORY PRACTICE

Multisensory learning doesn’t just mean writing in sand or shaving cream! While these activities can be fun and engaging for certain purposes, there are a wide range of activities that can be multisensory AND low prep for all grade levels and content matter.

Multi-sensory instruction is the delivery of information through different sensory modalities. A multimodal approach is highly beneficial for all learners in order to maximize successful instruction. In fact, it has been confirmed with neuro imaging studies that following instruction that is multisensory, there is increased activity in the brain’s information processing as opposed to receiving input that engages only one modality. (Willis).

These are the three different modalities students can engage in to receive multi-sensory practice.

• Visual. Visual practice is learning by seeing. Examples of visual instructional practice include using photographs, illustrations, charts & graphs, diagrams & maps, video, cues, and flashcards during instructional practice.

• Auditory. Auditory practice is learning by hearing. Examples of auditory instructional practice includes conversations, retelling, mnemonic devices, storytelling, singing & rhythms, rhymes, and read alouds.

• Kinesthetic & Tactile. Kinesthetic and tactile instruction is learning by doing. Instructional practice within this modality incorporates textures, writing, manipulatives, and movement.

NEW CONCEPT READING

When students are introduced to a new concept, it is important to practice reading that new concept at both the word and sentence levels. New concept reading is decodable for them and focuses only on the new spelling pattern(s) and previously taught ones. To free up cognitive desk space, decodable texts are imperative so students are not expending energy trying to figure out other spelling patterns in the sets.

DICTATION

In addition to reading new concepts in words and sentences, dictation at the word and sentence levels must also be an integrated part of acquiring and retaining new spelling patterns.

mnemonic devices

A mnemonic device is a method that helps to recall and retain information. It’s a memory tactic. While spelling should not be taught through rote memorization, sometimes a mnemonic device can prove helpful. Here are a few examples:

• The words HERE and HEAR are homophones. The second one can be easily remembered because the word EAR is in the word, and we HEAR with our EAR.

• The word COMFORT can be tricky because of the r-controlled vowel sound that sounds like /er/. What do I tell my students? I ask them to think about the most comfortable piece of furniture in their house besides their bed. They usually guess the couch! Then I ask, “What do lots of little kids like to build using the couch cushions?” Many times, they answer, “A fort!” The word FORT is in COMFORT.

• When remembering the spellings for could, would, and should, a fun way to remember them is to say the first sound its corresponding letters followed by “o u lucky duck!”

It is usually the silliest mnemonic devices that stick, and it’s a good start to getting students in the habit of thinking about these memory techniques to help them along the way in many academic areas.

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The Keys to Spelling Success: Part 1

(POST PART 1/3)

I’m often asked, “Why does it seem that my child can read well but struggles with spelling?” The short answer is that reading is a task that requires recognition, but spelling is one that requires production.

The best way for students to learn how to produce a written word is by teaching them about language so that words can be permanently stored in their long-term memories. Students learn best through knowledge of language, not rote memorization.

This means that we cannot supply students with lists we expect to be memorized. We must make learning about language an integral part of spelling instruction to maximize successful outcomes. Spelling instruction should be packed with many key components to grow strong spellers.

Here are three of the ten (the next six coming in upcoming posts) components I ensure to integrate into my spelling instruction.

1. Phoneme-grapheme correspondence

   This means making sure that students can match a grapheme (one or more letters) with the sound it makes. For example, the short e sound can be represented by the grapheme “e” as in echo or the grapheme “ea” as in bread. An important part of phonemic-grapheme correspondence within spelling is the ability to segment a word or syllable into individual sounds and knowing that each of those sounds is represented by a grapheme. I often use this portable sound wall as a reference to support and discuss phoneme-grapheme relationships. Remember, a phoneme is a sound and a grapheme is one or more letters that represents that phoneme. Some sounds have only one representation while others have many more.

2. Syllable types

   There are six syllable types: open, closed, magic E, r-controlled, vowel team / diphthong, and consonant + LE. Syllable types matter in spelling because students have to know that each syllable must have a written vowel. When segmenting the sounds of a word — or syllables of a multisyllabic word — it is helpful for students to think about the type of syllable they are writing to ensure the appropriate vowel placement. The word PURPLE is a prime example. If a student segments this word they have to think hard about the two syllable types in order to get the vowel placement accurately. In the first syllable, they will know it’s an r-controlled syllable type and the vowel will come before the R. For the second syllable, they recognize this as a c + le syllable type and know that the two syllables together spell PUR/PLE.

3. Rules and generalizations

   The English language certainly has its share of rules and generalizations; however, when we explicitly teach them in a systematic and simplified way, they can aid enormously in one’s spelling ability. Some of these rules include each syllable having a vowel, when to use CK vs. K for a final /k/ sound, when to drop a final E, when to double a consonant, and the many hats worn by the silent finale E.

Read Keys 4-6 here.

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The Three Types of Spelling Errors

Spelling errors are errors, right? Does the type REALLY matter? Actually, a student’s writing sample can serve as authentic data, acting as a compass to help guide us in the right direction of instruction. When we look at students’ spelling errors, we are looking at valuable pieces of information — information that has the power to inform our instruction to improve their spelling.

Let’s take a look at each of the three types of spelling errors and the information we can take away from them.

Phonological errors

Phonological errors are made when not all sounds are identified in the word the student is attempting to spell. The student is not accurately matching the correct sounds (phonemes) to the correct letters (graphemes).

In some cases, students may struggle to say the correct sounds. For example, a child may say /f/ for /th/, and words like bath or teeth become baf and teef.

In an attempt to spell much, students may confuse the CH and SH digraphs, and instead write mush.

Another example of a phonological error is writing set instead of sent or sip instead of skip, when students are not able to hear all of the sounds in the word.

When phonological errors occur, we need to focus more on phonemic and phonological awareness. We need to give segmenting and blending some more practice. We may also need to put our writers in front of mirrors to show how their mouths move when articulating each phoneme.

Orthographic errors

Orthographic errors are made when incorrect spelling patterns are used to map the sounds, but they are somewhat logical errors. They are not the result of misheard sounds. These errors may happen because the student hasn’t yet acquired the knowledge of specific spelling generalizations, or doesn’t have mastery of the specific phoneme-grapheme relationship for a specific sound they are trying to spell.

With these types of errors, a student may write klap for clap, not knowing that K and L are not blended together. (This is an example of why teaching blends can be helpful.) Other examples of orthographic errors include skool for school and kik for kick. Students who make these errors are able to hear and match each sound made with a grapheme (letter or letters), but may not have learned all of the spelling patterns for a particular sound and when to use which. Or maybe they have forgotten a specific generalization, such as when the /k/ sound immediately follows a short vowel in a single syllable word, the spelling is CK.

When orthographic errors occur, students benefit most from explicit instruction on spelling generalizations, and putting that knowledge into place with cumulative practice.

Morphological ERRORS

Morphological errors occur when the spelling error is with inflectional and derivational endings. These errors indicate the need to focus on how these endings connect with meaning.

An example of a morphological spelling error is spelling catz instead of cats. Students know they want to convey that there is more than one cat, but they hear /z/, and therefore spell the word with a Z.

In this scenario, students can be taught that the letter S is a plural suffix which can sound like either /s/ or /z/, but that when students are conveying that a noun is plural — more than one — it will always be S. To expand on this suffix, the different plural endings can be taught — S, ES, and IES.

The same is true for an error such as washt for washed. The past tense is intended here, but students may not have yet been explicitly taught that whether the ending sound is /id/, /d/, or /t/, it is always spelled ED.

Other examples of morphological spelling errors include helpfull for helpful and vacashun for vacation.

When morphological errors occur, students are ready for explicit instruction on the different suffixes.

When we use our students’ writing samples to inform our instruction, we are using authentic data to drive instruction. When we can break down the types of errors our students are making, we can address the gaps quicker.

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Considerations for Instruction of Consonant Blends

Before we decide to take up valuable instruction time to teach a skill or concept, it is critical to gauge its value. WHY am I teaching this and HOW will my students benefit from this? Today I’m discussing whether or not there is value in teaching consonant blends.

Is teaching blends necessary?

One school of thought is NO, it’s not. If you are teaching explicit phonics, and your students can segment and blend the phonemes in a word with automaticity when they look at the graphemes, they are already blending regardless of how those graphemes are classified. They do not need to know that, for example, the letters s + l are a blend in order to successfully sound out the words slime or slow. Makes sense, right?

And I agree.

HOWEVER, there are two reasons why explicit instruction of consonant blends (initial and final) do carry value. 

The first consideration:

The first benefit of teaching blends is for those struggling spellers who may spell a word like stand as sdand. In other words, students who write what they hear themselves sound out, even when our language never spells those letters next to each other. Other examples of similar spelling mistakes are:

jraw for draw

chrain for train

In this case, explicit instruction of blends can help prevent these types of spelling errors when students learn that certain letter combinations simply never go together.

The second consideration:

Another time to consider explicit instruction of blends is to support knowledge of accurate syllable division. For example, VCCCV (vowel-consonant-consonant-consonant-vowel) words like monster, conflict, and pumpkin all require division somewhere among the consonants. Having knowledge of blends that stay together helps immensely in understanding where the division will occur. 

So, is teaching blends absolutely necessary?

When it comes down to it, what’s the verdict? If students have the fluent ability to blend the phonemes represented by the graphemes in front of them to read words, have no spelling deficits, and can effortless divide VCCCV words properly, they will not require much instructional time spent on blends, and may just benefit from a quick reinforcement. Conversely, if students are struggling with spelling and syllable division, time spend on blends will be warranted. As always, explicit instruction is crucial.

Types of Consonant Blends

L-blends: bl, cl, fl, gl, pl, sl

R-blends: br, cr, dr, fr, gr, pr, tr,

S-blends: sc, sk, (sl), sm, sn, sp, st, sw

Final blends: ct, ft, ld, lf, lk, lp, lt, mp, nd, nk, nt, pt, rd, rk, sk, sp, st, xt

3-letter blends: scr, shr, spl, spr, squ, str, thr, nch

Other blends: dw, tw

I hope this information helps to drive meaningful instruction and sorts out any questions you may have had about the shoulds or ifs of consonant blends instruction.

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