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 2

(POST PART 2/3)

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

This post will be about the ways in which homophones, morphology, and etymology play a role in supporting spelling knowledge and fluency.

homophones

Coming from the Greek words meaning “same” and “sound”, homophones are words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings. These are words like your/you’re; to/too/two; and it’s/its. Homophones can cause great confusion when it comes to spelling and have a valuable place in spelling instruction. Students can learn to differentiate between homophones with practicing writing them in context and studying how and why they are constructed. And sometimes, mnemonic devices can play a role in helping students keep them straight. When a student uses spell check, the computer may not always identify homophones when they are misused. The top nine homophones that I focus on first at the upper elementary level include:

1. Accept / Except

2. Hear / Here

3. It's / Its

4. Passed / Past

5. Than / Then

6. Their / There / They're

7. To / Too / Two

8. Who's / Whose

9. You're / Your

For some fun combining homophone practice while acknowledging seasons and holidays, check out these seasonal and holiday homophone worksheets.

Morphology

Morphology is the study of how words are formed. A morpheme is the smallest unit of meaning. It can be a root or base, a prefix, or suffix. The word distraction has three morphemes: dis + tract + ed. Practice with understanding the meaning of specific morphemes will greatly aid not only vocabulary but improved spelling.

Morphology instruction can begin as early as kindergarten and first grade when students learn about the plural S and identifying base words, and then moving on to more advanced prefixes and suffixes as students advance into second and third grade. By fourth grade, morphology should be heavily woven into the curriculum. You can find a free download here for introducing the prefixes uni-, bi-, and tri-.

Using building bricks like these in the image below is a hands-on way to engage students in visualizing how morphemes work. For more Greek and Latin root activities featured in the bottom right image , click here.

Etymology

Etymology is the study of a word’s origin. The etymology of a word can teach us about how the word has changed over time influencing both spelling and pronunciation. It can help us make meaning of certain words with spellings that stump us.

Let’s look at the word Wednesday. Has that D ever stumped you? Once upon a time, the days of the week were given by the Romans. Sunday and Monday were named for the sun and moon, and the other days were named for the planets which were also Roman gods: Tuesday - Mars; Wednesday - Mercury; Thursday - Jupiter; Friday - Venus; and Saturday - Saturn.

In Nordic countries, the days were then given names after their gods which closely resembled traits of each Roman god. In Norse mythology there was a well-known god named Odin, or Woden, and it was he who was most like Mercury. So today we we have Woden’s Day -- or what we know as Wednesday.

Next time the spelling of a word causes confusion, look into its etymology!

Read keys 7-10 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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Implementing Explicit Vocabulary Instruction

A strong vocabulary (along with ample background knowledge) is one of the best predictors of reading comprehension success. Honing both receptive and expressive vocabulary is important, and there are many ways to do this. But first, let’s discuss some vocabulary terminology.

Receptive vocabulary is the vocabulary understood through listening and reading, whereas expressive vocabulary is the vocabulary one uses to express oneself when speaking or writing. It is not unusual for a student to have strong receptive vocabulary but weak expressive. They may understand what is said to and asked of them, but when it comes to using rich vocabulary to express themselves, they struggle. They get their points across, but by using more Tier 1 vocabulary rather than fluency with Tier 2 vocabulary — and Tier 3 as necessary.  Building one’s expressive vocabulary is vital for helping students better articulate their thoughts and ideas, and boosting their confidence.

TIERED VOCABULARY

Tier 1 Vocabulary is familiar to most students. In other words, common knowledge. (Note: this may not be the case for EL students who may require additional Tier 1 vocab support.) These words are basic, high-frequency words. They are used in everyday conversations and typically require no direct instruction.  (Examples: blue, animal, happy).

Tier 2 Vocabulary is more academic. These words are high frequency words, but they are more sophisticated. They may be found across curriculum and in content texts. These words can become part of our everyday lexicon with direct instruction and increased exposure. They are critical for becoming a more descriptive speaker, knowledgeable listener, and proficient reader and writer.  (Examples: navigate, surface, exhilarating)

Tier 3 Vocabulary pertains to very specific academic domains. They are words that are generally not used in everyday conversation unless discussing a specific content area. (Examples: atom, photosynthesis, mitosis)

WAYS WE LEARN

Learning happens one of two ways: indirectly or directly. Indirect vocabulary exposure is vocabulary that students are exposed to in their environments. They become familiar with these words by overhearing those in their community use them, through daily conversations, or seeing them in print. Students may or may not become receptively and expressively proficient in vocabulary through indirect exposure; however, it is through direct instruction when students have a better chance of gaining proficiency in both receptive and expressive knowledge of words, particularly at the Tier 2 and 3 levels. Direct instruction of vocabulary relies on an intentional focus of explicitly teaching language. One of the best ways to facilitate this direct instruction is through structured word inquiry, a powerful and effective way to investigate words through etymology, morphology, and phonology. When a word is taken apart, and all aspects of the word are dissected, meaning — and spelling! — are better retained. .

STEPS TO ACQUIRE NEW VOCABULARY

When new or unfamiliar words are introduced to students, consider an explicit step-by-step process such as the one below to support students in building their vocabularies for long-term retention.

1. Say the word. Have students repeat the word. Say each sound / syllable in the word clearly.

2. Write the word so that students can see how it is spelled. Say the word again.

3. Ask if students have heard this word before. If so, how have they heard it used?

4. Ask students to write the word. Address any spelling patterns that seem relevant for discussion with your students. Point out morphemes and roots or bases.

5. If applicable, show a picture of or relating to this word.

6. Does this word have more than one meaning? If so, what are the different meanings or associations?

7. Give a student-friendly definition.

8. Use it in context more than once.

9. Ask students to use the word in a sentence. Ask them to read their sentences to a partner.

10. Allow time for students to illustrate the word.

When we take sequential steps to directly teach vocabulary, students start thinking more about the words they come across. They become better able to comprehend texts, and more proficient at articulating their thoughts and ideas by utilizing just the right words. They will present themselves as more interesting, descriptive and articulate.

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