This document provides tips and strategies for teaching spelling to students. It discusses 17 spelling tips, including representing sounds with phonograms, using multisensory activities, using color-coded letter tiles, teaching reliable spelling rules, and making review a priority. The overall goal is to take the struggle out of spelling by teaching spelling as a phonetic code rather than just memorization of random letter sequences.

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Copyright © 2007, 2010 by All About Learning Press
All About Learning Press
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Eagle River, WI 54521
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www.AllAboutLearningPress.com
ISBN 978-1-935197-13-3
Cover Design and Page Layout: David LaTulippe

3. You are about to learn my top tips for taking the
struggle out of spelling. Every one of these tips
is designed to accelerate your student’s learning
and to help him or her retain more of what you
teach.
Some of these tips may surprise you, and you
will probably find some ideas that you have
never considered as being related to the teaching
of spelling. You may want to print out this
report, grab a highlighter, and make notes in the
margins.
And please—feel free to contact me with any
questions you may have. I’m here to help.
...taking the struggle out of spelling

5. Contents
Tip #1: Spelling Is More than Just Memorization
Tip #2: Break Words into Sounds
Tip #3: Represent Sounds with Phonograms
Tip #4: Multisensory Activities Are Best
Tip #5: Color-coded Letter Tiles Accelerate Learning
Tip #6: Reliable Spelling Rules Save the Day
Tip #7: Silent E Has Five Jobs
Tip #8: Teach Syllable Types
Tip #9: Tame the Rule Breakers
Tip #10: Teach Word Parts
Tip #11: Make Review a Priority
Tip #12: Dictation Exercises Are Important
Tip #13: Teach Proper Homophone Usage
Tip #14: Provide Diverse Writing Opportunities
Tip #15: Keep the Focus!
Tip #16: Reading Builds Up Visual Memory
Tip #17: Keep Lessons Short but Frequent
Tip #18: Misspellings Can Be a Teaching Opportunity
Tip #19: A Strong Foundation Is Key
Tip #20: Use a Roadmap

7. Tip #1: Spelling Is More
than Just Memorization
Most spelling programs are a variation of the “list-on-Monday, test-on-Friday”
approach. This approach has the students look at the word, cover it up, and then try
to remember the order of the letters. Such programs teach spelling as if words were
made up of a random string of letters.
Memorizing long strings of letters doesn’t work for many kids. The “look, cover, write,
repeat” method fails them. The mammoth task of having to learn thousands of words
this way—and then remembering them past the spelling test on Friday—becomes
overwhelming. Some children simply shut down and give up.
For new spellers, and for those who struggle with spelling, there is a much better way!
Instead of memorizing the spelling of thousands of different words, they can learn just
72 phonograms and a handful of useful spelling rules. This method is much more
manageable for them.
Approximately 97% of the 17,000 most common words can be spelled using just these
phonograms and a small number of reliable spelling rules.
7

8. Tip #2: Break Words
into Sounds
When we speak, we blend sounds together to make a word. For example, when we say
the word ham, we are blending the sounds /h/–/a/–/m/ together quickly.
˘
When we spell, we can take those individual sounds apart. That process is called
segmenting.
A quick way to know if your student can segment words is to ask, “What sounds do
you hear in the word pan?”
If your student isn’t able to easily identify the three individual sounds (/p/–/a /–/n/),
˘
teach him how to segment words. This is an important skill that will make learning to
spell so much easier for your student. After the child learns to hear the individual sounds,
he can represent each sound with the corresponding letter or letter combination.
And that leads us to Tip #3...
8

9. Tip #3: Rep
res ent
Sounds wit
h
Phonogram
s
* What is a phonogram?
A phonogram is a letter or letter combination that represents a sound.
There are 72 common phonograms. For example:
ck is a phonogram that says /k/ as in clock.
s is a phonogram that says /s/ as in sat or /z/ as in present.
oy is a phonogram that says /oi/ as in oyster.
* Why are phonograms important?
Each sound in a word can be represented by a phonogram. Let’s take the word past.
If you pronounce the word slowly to hear the individual sounds, you will hear four
different sounds: /p/–/ă/–/s/–/t/. For each sound, we write down a phonogram: p-a-
s-t.
When students know the phonograms and which sounds they represent, spelling is so
much easier. If they know that the sound of /j/ at the end of a word is spelled with dge,
spelling the word bridge becomes simple. They do not need to remember b-r-i-d-g-e
as a string of letters. Instead, each sound is simply represented by a phonogram.
Memorizing words as strings of unrelated letters usually results in frustration. Children
who are taught to spell using the phonograms, on the other hand, see spelling as a
doable task.
* How do I teach the phonograms?
I have found that the quickest way to teach the phonograms is by using flashcards.
Introduce four phonograms at a time, adding more as the child masters them. Ready-
to-use flashcards are included in the All About Spelling program.
9

10. Tip #4: Multisensory
Activities Are Best
* Why are multisensory activities important?
Children learn best when they can use all of their senses. When they can see something
as it is explained, and hear about it, and then do it with hands-on activities, they are
much more likely to retain the new information.
* How do I use multisensory activities?
Visual activities can include demonstrating spelling rules with color-coded letter tiles.
With the letter tiles, you can demonstrate rules and patterns and how they apply to
various words. The child can see a concept—and it makes sense to him.
Another good visual activity is to use Word Banks. Word Banks are lists of words
all following the same spelling rule or spelling pattern. Children are able to grasp the
similarities between these words when they see them all grouped together.
Auditory activities can include discussing new spelling rules and concepts. When a
new letter combination is introduced, such as au, children can learn it quickly by saying
the sound as they write it. Oral review is an important auditory activity as well.
Kinesthetic activities include hands-on activities such as manipulating letter tiles to
test out spelling rules, feeling the shape of the letters and letter combinations as they
write them and say them, and compiling personalized word lists.
Children learn more quickly when they are taught through their strongest mode of
learning, and they learn even more when all three pathways are involved. The All
About Spelling program includes all of the materials you need for these important
multisensory activities.
10

11. Tip #5: Color-coded
Letter Tiles
Accelerate Learning
* What are letter tiles?
Letter tiles are square manipulatives that contain the 72 phonograms. They are the
perfect manipulative for teaching spelling.
t i m b er
Color-coding makes it easy for students to see
the role that each type of letter plays in a word. For example, consonants are blue,
vowels are red, and phonograms representing the sound of /er/ (such as er, ir, and ur)
are purple.
* Why are letter tiles important?
Letter tiles are important because they turn an idea or concept into something your
student can see and manipulate. Letter tiles demonstrate new concepts in spelling
lessons and help the student practice spelling new words.
Spelling rules are a very abstract thing. They are hard to explain to a child, especially
if that child has some attention issues or auditory processing difficulties. When you
start talking to most kids about how we use -dge for the sound of /j/ only after a short
vowel, they tend to zone out. It’s just too many words to process, and too abstract to
sink in.
But if we demonstrate this same exact concept using letter tiles, it is suddenly so
much easier to understand. And the child needs to understand a concept in order to
remember it long term.
* How do I use letter tiles?
I strongly suggest using the letter tiles on a magnetic dry erase board. This eliminates
the need to set up the tiles each day and keeps them from getting lost. And best of all,
kids love magnets.
11

12. Tip #6: Reliable Spelling
Rules Save the Day
Soon after learning to spell, students figure out that there are often several possible
spellings for the same sound—the sound of /j/ can be spelled j, g, or dge, for example—
and that’s when knowing some rules will come in handy!
There are reliable rules and generalizations in English spelling that will help students
make the correct choices in their own writing. For example, knowing the rules
regarding the use of c and k and knowing that the sound of /ch/ is usually spelled tch
after a short vowel helps us write the word kitchen. And knowing generalizations can
help us correctly spell words like acceptable and automatic.
Many people feel that English spelling is unreliable because they have been taught
so-called “rules” that simply aren’t true. For example, the common saying “when two
vowels go walking, the first does the talking” is false 60% of the time.
Students who are taught trustworthy spelling rules, on the other hand, see the logic
behind spelling.
* How do I teach the spelling rules?
The best way to teach spelling rules is by demonstrating them with letter tiles and
then reviewing them with flashcards. Spelling rules should not be taught in isolation.
After you present the rule, teach words that follow it.
12

13. Tip #7: Silent E Ha
s
Five Jobs
* What are the jobs of Silent E?
You are probably familiar with the most common job of Silent E, which is to make
the vowel before it long, as in the word note. But did you know that Silent E has four
more jobs as well?
Job #2: Make the c or g soft, as in the words dance and hinge.
Job#3: Keep u and v from being the last letter in a word, as in have and clue.
Similarly, Jobs #4 and #5 explain the reason for Silent E in words like castle and awe.
* Why is it important to know the jobs of Silent E?
Understanding the five jobs of Silent E helps students see the patterns of English
spelling. Instead of seeing English as being random or full of exceptions, they can see
that there are reliable patterns. This makes it easier to categorize words and remember
their spellings.
* How do I teach the jobs of Silent E?
Teach the five Jobs of Silent E one at a time. When children are learning Vowel-
Consonant-E words, discuss the first job of Silent E. When they learn the rule that
English words don’t end in u or v, explain how Silent E is added to the word so that u
or v isn’t the last letter. When they are learning about words that end in Consonant+l-e,
like pickle, that’s when you can discuss how Silent E adds a vowel to a syllable that
wouldn’t otherwise have one.
In All About Spelling, we recognize the importance of helping children organize their
developing minds. We provide them with a special Silent E Book in which they can
group words according to the jobs of Silent E.
13

14. Tip #8: Teach
Syllable Types
* What are syllable types?
There are six basic syllable types in English.
First, we teach Closed Syllables. A closed syllable ends in a consonant. The vowel has
a short vowel sound, as in the word bat.
Next, we teach Open Syllables. An open syllable ends in a vowel. The vowel has a long
vowel sound, as in the first syllable of apron.
As the student masters each syllable type and the related spelling words, we continue
on until all six syllable types have been taught.
* Why are the syllable types important?
With the knowledge gained through labeling syllable types, students can answer
spelling questions for themselves, such as:
Why do we double the p in stepping but not in weeping?
Why do we need a double consonant in little but not in maple?
* How do I teach syllable types?
Syllable types are best taught when students can divide words into syllables and label
them using meaningful symbols. I recommend doing this right on your dry erase board
when the student is using the letter tiles.
m o m e n t
14

15. Tip #9: Tame the
Rule Breakers
* What are Rule Breakers?
Rule breakers are those words that do not follow the spelling rules. Have a procedure
in place to help students memorize these tricky words.
* How do I teach the Rule Breakers?
Here are some practical ideas for you:
1. Ask your student which part of the word doesn’t follow the rules. Have your
student circle that portion of the word to draw attention to it. In All About Spelling,
we actually throw these words (“bad guys”) into Jail. This helps the concept stick
in the student’s mind.
2. Use tactile methods such as having the student write the word with his finger on
carpet or on the table to help cement the unusual pattern. Here are more ideas for
tactile surfaces:
http://www.all-about-spelling.com/tactile-ways-to-practice-spelling.html
3. Teach similar troublesome words together, such as one and once, and would, could,
and should.
4. For words in which a sound is muffled, encourage the student to “pronounce for
spelling.” For example, when we say the word cabin, it often sounds like “cabun.”
To pronounce for spelling, we would emphasize the last syllable: cab-IN.
15

16. Tip #10: Teach
Word Parts
Thousands of words can be made with prefixes, suffixes, and root words. Knowing
these word parts enables students to spell words such as neurologist, multitude, and
chiropractic. For example, recognizing the Greek root graph gives students a clue as to
how to correctly spell words like geography, graphic, and graphite.
It’s also important to know how to add prefixes and suffixes to base words. There are
some simple rules that will help your child correctly form longer words with ease. All
About Spelling presents these rules in an easy-to-remember way.
16

17. Tip #11: Make
Review a Priority
Consistent review is the key to getting spelling facts and spelling words to “stick.”
Teaching something once or twice does not mean our children have actually mastered
it. Mastery takes time and practice. However, achieving mastery doesn’t have to be
boring.
Have your students practice spelling concepts with the letter tiles and flashcards and
through dictation. Use a variety of techniques to ensure that your students retain the
knowledge they need to become successful spellers. A few minutes of review every day
can go a long way.
Here are six strategies for spelling review that will help you get information into your
student’s long-term memory:
http://www.all-about-spelling.com/spelling-review.html
Review is built right into the All About Spelling lesson plans, helping your students
achieve mastery.
17

18. Tip #12: Dictation
Exercises Are
Important
Dictation exercises are great practice and allow your students to use their spelling
words in context. Start out with short dictated phrases and then move on to sentences
and, eventually, paragraphs. In the dictation exercises, remember to include only words
that have already been taught.
I suggest ending every lesson with dictation exercises. This provides “real world”
practice for students without the stress of generating new ideas. Dictation is a bridge
between spelling and writing that can increase writing skills and confidence. It also
helps increase children’s working memory as they practice holding more words in their
minds at one time. A good working memory is important for all areas of learning.
18

19. Tip #13: Teach Proper
Homophone Usage
* What are homophones?
Homophones are words that sound alike but are spelled differently. Here’s an example
of homophones being used incorrectly: Eye wood like ewe two meat my hoarse.
This is an extreme example, of course, but students are faced with the choice between
these sound-alike words every time they write. Do I use their or there? What about led
or lead ?
* How do I teach homophones?
I recommend teaching the word with the most common usage first and introducing
the other homophone later. Remember to explain the meaning of the homophone
when teaching your student how to spell it. Include homophone pairs in dictation
exercises so that students can practice choosing the correct word for the sentence.
Here are several articles on homophones, including worksheets, games, and a
“Homophone Machine” to tickle your funny bone:
http://www.all-about-homophones.com/articles
19

20. Tip #14: Provide Diverse
Writing Opportunities
To build your students’ spelling ability and confidence, it is important to provide as
many writing opportunities as possible—no matter what subject you are teaching.
There is an infinite number of ways to incorporate writing into every type of lesson, so
use your imagination to create engaging cross-curricular writing activities.
Examples include writing out math word problems, writing step-by-step instructions
for a science experiment, writing a favorite lunch menu, writing out a shopping list,
writing a story about a pet, writing a poem about a historical figure, writing letters
to pen pals, and creating a class newsletter or magazine. The possibilities are truly
endless!
20

21. Tip #15: Keep the
Focus!
Spelling skills are used in “real life” as often as math skills are, so it is extremely
important to stay focused on spelling lessons. That’s easier said than done when a
child is struggling with spelling!
Here are some ideas to help you keep focused on spelling:
* Have a predictable schedule and stick with it.
* Don’t allow interruptions to the spelling lesson.
* Eliminate background noise: turn off the radio, the television, and the ringer on
the phone.
* If you find the first subject of the day. aside in favor of other subjects, teach
spelling as
that spelling is getting pushed
* Chart your child’s parents!) can All Aboutfar they’vewe provide progress charts so
that students (and
progress. At
see how
Spelling,
come.
* Visualize how much easier your child’s life will be in the future when he is able
to spell with ease.
21

22. Tip #16: Reading Builds
Up Visual Memory
Read, read, read! Set aside time for reading books and magazines, word banks, and the
students’ personal spelling lists.
The words for beginning spellers are fairly regular, but intermediate students will be
faced with words that aren’t as straightforward. For example, a student may wonder if
/rān/ is spelled rane or rain. A student who reads on a regular basis can draw upon his
visual memory of the word in order to spell it correctly.
Reading is so important that each level in the All About Spelling series has corresponding
short story collections. As children read and enjoy these beautifully illustrated stories,
they form a visual memory of how the words should look.
22

23. Tip #17: Keep Lessons
Short but Frequent
Short, frequent lessons are much better than longer, sporadic lessons.
In a short lesson, your child’s attention is less likely to wander, and you’ll find that you
can accomplish more. Keep the lessons upbeat and fast-paced and use teaching tools
and activities that engage the child’s interest.
For most students, I recommend fifteen to twenty minutes per day, five times a week.
You can adjust the length of the lesson up or down according to your individual child’s
attention span and specific needs.
23

24. Tip #18: Misspellings
Can Be a Teaching
Opportunity
When your student makes a spelling mistake, take a look at what caused the error. Is
there a spelling rule or concept that needs to be reviewed? Is the student pronouncing
the word correctly? Are letters being transposed? If you tackle the cause of the
misspelling, you will help your student grow in spelling ability more quickly.
Here are ideas for handling spelling errors in your child’s writing:
* Separate the task of writingword spacing, of editing. punctuation, capitalization,
on at once—handwriting,
from the task
grammar,
Students have a lot to focus
spelling, plus trying to think up original ideas and how to present them in a
logical and interesting manner. Write on one day and edit the next day.
* If they don’t find all of their own spelling errors, you can either point them out
directly, or put a light X next to each line where there is an error. Then ask them
to read it one more time to see if they can find the error.
* Once the student finds the spelling error, determine if it is a phonetic error or
a rule error. If it is a phonetic error, have him pronounce the word exactly as he
wrote it. If it is a rule-based error, ask him if there is a rule that applies to the
word he wrote. If the word can only be determined visually, ask if he knows any
other letters or letter teams that can stand for the same sound.
* Make note of the misspelled words so you can be sure to review them in the next
spelling lesson.
* Only hold your students accountable for words and patterns they have already
studied.
* Keep corrections light and positive; remember, this is hard work for your
children!
24

25. Tip #19: A Strong
Foundation Is K
ey
Very often, the reason children struggle with spelling is that they are missing some
basic yet important information.
For example, most struggling students switch letters or leave out letters entirely. They
do so because they don’t know how to hear each sound in the word. They often
spell words in nonstandard ways because they don’t know the phonograms or reliable
spelling rules. They can’t identify syllables or the reasons for adding Silent E.
Without these basic skills, spelling can be very difficult.
The solution is to help students build a strong foundation. Teach them clearly and
simply, adding just one new skill at a time. Bring clarity, instead of confusion.
When working with older children, start at the beginning, briefly review the concepts
they do know, and concentrate on the concepts they don’t know. Help them quickly
build that strong foundation, and then move on. Your child will be a much stronger
speller by doing this, and you’ll both be much less frustrated.
We designed the All About Spelling program to be relevant for all ages, whether your
students are 6 or 66. The program can be used by children and adults to build a strong
foundation for literacy.
25

26. Tip #20: Use a
Roadmap
When you’re driving to an unknown destination, it’s a lot easier to get where you are
going when you have a detailed map in front of you. Teaching spelling is the same way.
If you want your students to reach their destination, you’ll need some well-planned
lessons to guide you. Lesson plans help you keep your eyes on the road—that is, your
attention on your students—instead of on trying to figure out what to teach next.
Teaching without a lesson plan means that concepts may be presented in a disjointed
manner, which will only confuse your children. When lessons are planned ahead of
time, however, you’ll be confident knowing that you’re not missing any important
components or forgetting to cover a crucial concept. You’ll be able to keep the lesson
moving and keep your students engaged.
Keep in mind the following guidelines when planning your spelling lessons or when
evaluating prepared lesson plans:
* Lessons shouldfoundation for the next. lesson building upon the previous one
and laying the
be sequential, with each
* Lessons should each child.
customizable for
include daily review, use multisensory techniques, and be
26

27. I hope you have found this report helpful for both
you and your student.
If you would like to take a look inside a program
that incorporates all of the tips and suggestions
in this report, I invite you to visit my website at
www.AllAboutSpelling.com
...taking the struggle out of spelling

28. References
Farkus, R.D. (2003). Effects of traditional versus learning-styles instructional methods on
middle school students. The Journal of Educational Research, 97, no. 1.
Gillingham, A. and Stillman, B. W. (1997). The Gillingham manual: Remedial
training for students with specific disability in reading, spelling, and penmanship (8th ed.).
Cambridge: Educators Publishing Service.
Hanna, P.R. and others (1966). Phoneme-grapheme correspondences as cues to spelling
improvement. Washington: U.S. Office of Education Cooperative Research.
Rippel, M. (2006). All About Spelling Level 1. Eagle River, WI: All About Learning
Press.