Spelling is not
just speech written down.
In fact, spelling is more consistent with the visual
aspects of print. For example, the ‘c’
in the words ‘medical’ and ‘medicine’ has different sounds when spoken but looks
the same in print. For example, in the spoken word ‘medical’, the ‘c’ sounds
like a ‘k’ whereas in the spoken word ‘medicine’ the ‘c’ sounds like an ‘s’. In
the written word, the graphic representation does not change and therefore is
more consistent.
One of the
best methods for learning spelling words incorporates both visual and sound
elements and is known as the look-cover-write-check method.
It involves the
following steps:
1.
Look carefully at the targeted
word and carefully note the graphic features of the word.
2.
Cover the word and try and see
the word in the mind’s eye.
3.
Write the word.
4.
Check that the word is the same
as the original targeted word.
A fifth and sixth step
could be added to consolidate word learning and to connect with background
knowledge.
These are:
5.
Think about the meaning of the
word or find a word meaning in the dictionary, and use the word in a new
sentence.
6.
Identify morphemes that are
present within the word and add other morphemes such as prefixes and suffixes
as a word-building exercise.
From: Woolley, G. (In Print). Teaching literacy in the primary classroom. London: Sage.
