Questions Teachers Ask about Spelling: Spelling Instruction and Assessment

1. Questions Teachers Ask about Spelling: Spelling Instruction and Assessment Appalachian State University Carla K. Meyer Nora A. Vines

2. Quick Write • What do you remember about spelling instruction from your elementary years?

3. Why aren’t words spelled like they sound? • The beginning of T.S. Watt’s poem “Brush Up Your English.” I take it you already know Of tough and bough and cough and dough Others may stumble but not you On hiccough, thorough, tough, and through

4. Why aren’t words spelled like they sound? • Alphabet layer • Straight forward to matching of letter sound relationships • E.g. mat nip drink • Pattern layer • Provides information the (a) sounds that a pattern of letters make within a syllable • Scrap (CVC) Scrape CVCe • Appalachian church developmental • Meaning layer • Provides information through the consistent spelling of meaning elements within words. • E.g. pleasepleasant pleasure condemn condemnation condemning

5. How did students learn to spell? • Learning to spell moves from the concrete to the conceptual. • Learning to spell is developmental • (i.e. alphabet layer  pattern layer  meaning layer) • Learning to spell involves explicit examination of words outside of reading and writing.

6. How should spelling words be selected and organized? • Words must be developmentally appropriately. • Reflect spelling features students use but confuse. • Once students move to pattern layer, words should be organized around patterns. • For younger children (k-2) spelling words should be reading sight words. • For older students (3+) most spelling words should be familiar but some new words are okay.

7. How do I assess students’ developmental spelling level? • Spelling may be assessed by administering qualitative spelling inventories. • A series of graded lists with approximately 10 words (Schlagal) • or a single list organized by developmental level. • We will be using a series of lists.

8. Spelling Assessment Assignment • Use Qwik list. • Start two grade levels below. • Proceed to grade level. • Four or fewer words correct represents the frustration level; 5 to 8 correct is the instructional level; 9 or 10 correct is the independent level. • If you notice your child has hit frustration STOP. • Let’s try.

9. What types of instructional activities work best? • Spelling should be combination of explicit examination of words and writing/reading. • Accurate automatized knowledge of basic spelling patterns is at the heart of skilled reading. (Adams, 1990; Perfetti, 1992) • Instruction that encourages examination of words. • Let’s take a look.

10. What type of spelling strategies should be taught? • Spelling by analogy • Think of a words that is similar in sound or meaning • Sound • The unknown word is strain but the student knows rain. • The word is nature-the student does not know nature but knows picture. • Meaning • The unknown word is opposition (many students spell it oppisition) but the student knows oppose. • Like all strategies this must be modeled.

11. How do I assess the students are progressing? • Give spelling inventories. Beginning and end of year. • Weekly pretest and test.

12. Should I allow invented spelling? • Read brief passage we will discuss…

13. What should spelling look like in my classroom? • Spelling: 15 minutes per day • (No spelling homework!) • Start with at least two groups…do it well and then add more!) • Monday- COLD pretest; students write missed words 3 times each (on spelling test papers). IF they score less than 50%, it’s too hard! • 50-80% is instructional. • Tuesday- Closed sort in partners; can do this on white boards, chart paper, SmartBoard, etc. • Wednesday- Individual Sort; draw sort with headers in notebook or on paper; complete a Word Hunt through book reading independently and add to sort. • Thursday- Blind Sort: Teacher Provides Headers and calls out spelling words for students to sort in the correct column. • Friday- Spelling test; Call out words 1a 1b 1c. Students write down their spelling words and if they wish to write other words, write them on the back of the paper.

14. More on Spelling Assessment

15. To do • Multitext Assignment • Finish reading Hoot. • Write essential questions for project. (Theme) *Bring questions to next class. • Identify supporting text. • Begin thinking about topical questions. • Assessment Assigment • Identify an on-grade level 3, 4, or 5 grader with whom you will work.