SPELLING MATTERS EXPLORING QUESTIONS COMMONLY ASKED ABOUT SPELLING. Webinar 8 December 2010

Kia ora koutou !

By the end of this webinar I hope you will have: a better understanding of the importance of spelling an increased awareness of the reasons why English spelling is complex a more informed knowledge of spelling strategies a taste for learning more! Webinar Objectives

Webinar Overview 1 How important is spelling? 2 Why is English spelling so complex? 3 What do good spellers do? 4 What spelling strategies can be taught?

How important is spelling? People are often judged on their spelling A well-written text can lose its credibility if there are spelling mistakes Spelling mistakes can create the wrong impression about a person Lack of confidence in spelling can lead to a self-image as a poor speller Fear of failure and humiliation Writing anxiety Societys valuesSelf-perception The impact on the individual

How important is spelling? Good spelling makes writing so much easier! Automaticity in spelling allows the writer to focus on the creation of ideas and conveying meaning Accurate spelling enhances fluency in writing What is the role of spelling in writing?

How important is spelling? Good spelling reinforces success in reading: mutually beneficial Learning to decode and learning to spell are inextricably linked: built on same foundation Decoding and spelling are the foundations of literacy. (Nicholson, 2005 ) What is the role of spelling in reading?

Dual Goal writtenspoken How important is spelling? The interplay between decoding and spelling Decoding: from unknown to known Spelling: from known to unknown (encoding) written spoken

Any questions or comments so far?

Why is English spelling so complex? English spelling is complex, but it is not random English spelling appears to be arbitrary and irregular, but in fact only 4% of English words are truly irregular. (Joshi, R.M., Treiman, R., Carreker, S., & Moats, L.C.,2009) No consistent mapping between letters and sounds, e.g. go, some, do and hot English spelling reflects the history of the English language. The English language has the richest vocabulary of all languages.

Adult Learners Learn Best in a Meaningful Context. Why is English spelling so complex? The layers of the English language Greek 15-20% Latin & French 60 % Anglo-Saxon 20-25%

Question time

What do good spellers do? They are word conscious, they recognise patterns and notice word origins They have a natural, intuitive awareness of language systems and language structure They have an implicit knowledge of spelling rules and conventions

What do good spellers do? phonology semantics morphology orthography

What spelling strategies can be taught? Letter-sound relationships Unpacking words into prefixes, roots and suffixes Practising common letter patterns and syllable patterns Exploring word origins

Conclusion Teach spelling in context Teach systematically and explicitly rather than randomly and incidentally Balance skill instruction with plenty of practice in reading and writing Foster an interest in words, make your learners word conscious and encourage them to look for patterns

Any questions, comments, concerns?

References Henry, M.K. (2006). Unlocking literacy: Effective decoding & spelling instruction. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes. Joshi, R.M., Treiman, R., Carreker, S., & Moats, L.C. (2009). How words cast their spell. American Educator, 32(4), Moats, L.C. (2010). Speech to print: Language essentials for teachers. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes. Nicholson, T. (2005). At the cutting edge: The importance of phonemic awareness in learning to read and spell. Wellington, New Zealand: New Zealand Council for Educational Research. Templeton, S. & Morris, D. (1999). Questions teachers ask about spelling. Reading Research Quarterly, 34(1), Retrieved from ProQuest Education Journals database.