Spelling is a THINKING process--not a rote memorization task.

Accurate spelling requires the integration of phonological, orthographic, and morphological knowledge.

With 1120 spellings for 44 phonemes (Devonshire, Morris, & Fluck, 2013), achieving mastery of English's orthographic system is challenging.  Explicit, systematic skills should be directly taught to help students reach mastery.  Among these are orthographic mapping, syllable structures, and phonics rules.

Word lists are organized by grade level, phonics patterns, Introduction words (pre-test), and Application words (post-test).  There are high frequency words built into the lessons and are denoted in red.  Home Study lists include the introduction words, application words, as well as several others that follow the pattern.  Families are encouraged to practice mapping 5-7 of these words each night to practice the phonics pattern and even give dictation sentences using those words.  Memorization through drilling is not recommended, nor is it supported by research.  If students master the phonics pattern, they will likely be able to apply it to other words with the same pattern.  The point of word study isn't to memorize a list of words; the point is to practice learning the phonics pattern through analyzing the word's structure.

Notes from the author:

• These lessons are designed to highlight the more common and useful phonics rules of English.  They are designed with the time constraints and setting in mind that SLPs and Special Educators navigate during weekly sessions in a school setting.   These lessons are not fully inclusive to all spelling rules, nor are they sufficient for addressing all areas of structured literacy.  They simply provide an introduction and practice opportunities for students to begin making sense of the opaque orthographic system of English.  

• Evidence-based research drove the design of these lessons.  Consideration was given to the school-based context within which the Special Educators provide literacy interventions.  

Informal Assessments & Progress Monitoring 

Spelling inventories should address how students spell different vowel patterns, consonant patterns, syllable types, and inflectional morphemes.  This will give the instructor information to allow for deep analysis of student spelling errors, which should then be used to guide intervention instruction.