A Non-Traditional Approach to Spelling

Elementary teachers looking to differentiate spelling (or just shake things up a bit!) may find this post rather helpful.

What even are spelling best-practices these days?!

Do we explicitly teach spelling strategies or do we not teach spelling strategies?

Is no spelling instruction better than traditional spelling instruction?

Has spelling instruction gone out the wayside due to the prolific use of word processing programs and websites with built-in spell check?

Who in the blazes really knows?

Actually, my man Stephen Krashen knows. Here’s his take on spelling:

“The most likely candidate for building spelling competence is reading. This conjecture is supported by studies showing that each time readers read a passage containing words they cannot spell, they make a small amount of progress in acquiring the correct spelling.”

In other words, research concludes that for the vast majority of people, reading widely and voluminously increases both spelling and vocabulary acquisition. Well, yes, Stephen! Now here’s a spelling conversation that I can get behind! Read and read some more! 🙌🏼

However, if your district mandates spelling lists and spelling grades— or assigning spelling words just sets your teacher heart alight—might I demonstrate a differentiated twist on the traditional spelling list?

A fun, practical, and simple way to differentiate spelling so that your students aren’t studying words they already know how to spell?

It starts with two things: a pretest and two lists.

At the beginning of the week issue a spelling pretest using a list of words that follow a pattern. I follow the patterns enlisted by our reading series, but a quick Google search will land you on any number of free websites that provide a year-long spelling sequence. Look for those that offer grade level appropriate patterns for words and also word families, prefixes/suffixes, homophones, compound words, and word roots/origins.

The other sheet contains your list of grade-level words (List #1) and also a challenge list (List #2) that utilizes the same spelling pattern but with more rigorous words. Creating the challenge list takes a little bit of extra time, but since you can use the same lists year after year it’s worth the added effort.

Pass out the pretest (see below) and read the words from List #1 aloud while students jot them down in the pre-test column. Instruct them to take out a red pen and then either pass out the spelling word list or display on the board. Students carefully self-correct their pre-test. If they spell a word on the pre-test incorrectly they carry it over to their spelling list in the next column. Then they simply pick and choose words from List #2 to create a rigorous list of spelling words specifically tailored to their abilities and chosen by THEM

Now, you might be wondering how to administer a spelling test since each student has a different list?

Here’s where the fun comes in.

Assign each student a spelling partner. On Fridays (or whenever you issue your spelling tests) have partner pairs spread out and find a quiet spot in the room to conduct the test. *My students like to put their tests/word lists on clipboards to make test-giving an extra official and mature experience, but to each his own. They trade lists and take turns reading each other his/her spelling words. It’s all very cute and endearing how seriously they take it. Sometimes they will need help pronouncing a word to their partner or need a quick redirection, but more often than not you will be pleasantly surprised at their level of independence.

And guess what? I don’t issue a spelling grade. I issue a participation/following directions grade.

Gasp!

This levels the playing field for the students who inherently struggle with spelling or who may not have parents with the extra time to devote to spelling mastery during the week. (BTW, I guarantee ZERO parents will be upset about this non-traditional spelling switcheroo.)

Here are some research-based spelling practices that you may want to incorporate into your spelling instruction:

• Use word lists but not arbitrary lists. Build lists to reflect words and patterns likely to be used by writers at developmentally appropriate grade levels and teach a few key rules via mini-lessons.
  
• Pretest and have students self-correct.
  
• Teach students to use a research-based word study technique (such as the look-say-cover-write-check technique) and word sorts.
  
• Use spelling games, spelling choices, and other alternative activities such as word sorting to increase motivation and to take advantage of the social context of learning

Are you ready to try differentiating spelling? Reach out if you have any questions!

yours in reading,
rawley