Effective Spelling Strategies
by Marie Rippel
Most good spellers aren’t born; they are made.
Good spellers are simply those people who learn the most effective spelling strategies
and apply them on a routine basis. If your student masters effective spelling strategies,
she masters spelling altogether.
There are four categories of spelling strategies: phonetic, rule-based, visual and
morphemic. A successful and effective spelling program uses all four strategies
while helping your student become a better speller.
Phonetic Spelling Strategies
When a student listens for each sound in a word and then attempts to represent those
sounds with a letter or letter combination, he’s using a phonetic spelling
strategy. You teach this spelling strategy by teaching the basic phonograms alongside
the basic spelling rules.
Rule-Based Spelling Strategies
It isn’t efficient or effective to spell with phonograms only. The second
type of spelling strategy includes recognizing the rules and generalizations of
the language. For example, if the student knows that the “ch” sound
is spelled “tch” when it follows a short vowel, the student has a better
chance of spelling the word “kitchen” correctly.
Visual Spelling Strategies
Word banks that focus on a single concept, such as the “j” sound spelled
as “dge,” help the student remember words related to that concept. Visual
memory strategies also come into play when dealing with homophones. Extensive reading
and word games are two of the best ways to help a student develop visual spelling
strategies.
Morphemic Spelling Strategies
Morphemic strategies are based on the knowledge of how the meaning of a word influences
its spelling. A spelling program that teaches morphemic spelling strategies may
teach Greek and Latin roots, how to add prefixes and suffixes to base words, and
how to form compound words and abbreviations.
As spellers grow and mature, they become more competent at using these effective
spelling strategies. Eventually, the strategies become automatic, and the student
employs them on a subconscious level.
Other Spelling Strategies
Many spelling programs rely only on visual strategies, such as looking at a word
list or repetitive writing. Others rely only on phonetic strategies, which work
well at the beginning level but don’t hold out through the learning cycle.
It is best to provide a balanced approach to spelling strategies. In addition to
the four main spelling strategies, teach a number of other useful strategies, including:
- How to look up words in an electronic spell-checker or dictionary to verify spelling.
- How to be on the lookout for unfamiliar words and how to retain that spelling.
- How to identify which words are “troublemakers” and recognize the tricky
parts.
- Applying a limited number of mnemonic devices.
- How to build a personal resource list of words the student tends to misspell.
Biographical Information
Copyright, 2009. All rights reserved by author below. Content provided by The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC.
Marie Rippel is the author of the All About Spelling series. For more information
on how to teach your student the most effective spelling strategies, check out
All About Spelling.
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