This document provides guidance on teaching spelling to students. It recommends not teaching spelling yourself, but rather having students make their own connections. It also suggests teaching spelling patterns in order of complexity and finding patterns in words each week. Visualization strategies like tracing letters in the air can help students learn spelling, as can understanding word parts and meanings. Mastering a core vocabulary, spelling skills, and experience with words are essential components of spelling. Phonological awareness, orthography, and vocabulary are also important concepts for students. Special needs students may need a stronger focus on rules and skill-building, and visual strategies can help them recognize words.

1. Assessing and
Teaching
Spelling
Sheelagh Lucas

2.  The first rule…and
most important, do
not teach it yourself!
Students should
make their own
connections and
patterns. This is how
they will ensure they
know how to spell
the world and
create their own
learning method.
 Teach spelling
patterns in a
sequence that
reflects
orthographic
complexity.
Teaching Spelling
Skills-Rule Based
Instruction
To develop knowledge of
patterns and rules for
combining letters to spell
words correctly.

3. Rule Based
Instruction
The silent –gh, k-, -b
 Find a pattern, use
spelling words for
each week that
address this
pattern. Most
words should be
represented in with
this pattern.
FAT VS. FATE
 Use comparison
words that look
similar to another
familiar word. This is
how you can show
students why the
word looks different
and how they are
different.

4. Phonics Spelling Strategies
 Teach how letters and
their combinations
represent sounds.
 Making sure the
alphabet is prominently
displayed, encourage
letter hunts! (Everything
with the letter “M”)
 Ask the students to
create and keep a list
of allowable spellings
for each sound.

5.  Helps a student visualize
the words by writing the
word on a piece of paper.
 Telling the child to make a
picture of the word on a
screen in their head.
 Show them the word,
asking the student to look
at the word and tell you
what they see.
 Encourage them to make
certain parts stand out
(Bigger, Brighter)
 Picture in their favorite
colors.
 Break the word into smaller
letter groupings.
 Trace the letters in the air
 To test, ask the student
positions of letters, or how
to spell the word
backward.
 If they can do this, they are
ready to write the word.
They have effectively used
visual spelling strategies.
Visual
Spelling
Strategies

6. Morphemic Spelling Strategies
Protect
-ed, -ing, -tion
 Use word parts and
meaning to learn
 Discuss the meaning of
words and patterns
 Teach correct prefixes
and suffixes with new
meanings
 Discover new rules for
modifying words when
adding affixes.
 Teach base words that
do not need a
modification first.

7. Essential Components
of Spelling
Students must learn:
Mastery of Core Vocabulary
Spelling Skills
Experience with Words

8. Phonological
Awareness
What is this?
 Skills that develop
gradually and sequentially
 Awareness of sounds in
language
 Awareness of mymes
 Understanding that a
sentence can be broken
down
 Ability to talk about, reflect
and manipulate sounds
 Understanding the
relationship between
writing and the spoken
language.
Improving my skills!
 Detecting rhyme and
alliteration (use of similar
consonants)
 Identifying rhymes and words
that start/end with the same
sound
 Segmenting words into smaller
units, such as syllables and
sounds, by counting them
 Blending separated sounds into
words
 Understanding that words are
made up of sounds represented
by symbols or letters
 Manipulating sounds in words by
adding, deleting, or substituting

9.  The conventional
spelling and use
of a language
 The study of
spelling and
correct word
usage in a
language
 Closer to a
whole grammar
in language than
spelling. Knowledge of
Orthography

10. Vocabulary
What are all these words?
 Helps with expressive
language
 Helps with
understanding text
 Helps build spelling,
knowledge, and
comprehension
 Creates a more
complex speaking and
writing opportunity
 Allows for more creative
writing and speaking
 An important part of
reading!

11. Helping Kids with an LD
 Special needs students will need to focus more on
rules based as well as skill building. Their skills
learned from word hunting in a sentence will be of
help in building their vocabulary.
 Many children will mistake spellings (bare, bear)
use visual spelling to help *if you are bare the “e” is
hanging out on the end for all to see; if it is a bear,
the e is in the middle, already eaten up*
 Students may struggle with this, word banks may
help them. Recognizing the words visually may be
the more important skill, rather than recall.