Spelling: Methods used to teach and learn spelling

Spelling is the writing of words with the necessary letters and diacritics present in an accepted standard order.

Words are the building blocks of our life. A strong vocabulary empowers us to think, learn, read, write, and speak with ease.

Did you know that:

- Students on average already know 50 to 75% of the words presented to them on their weekly spelling word list.

- 2.5 to 3.5 hours per week are spent on average "studying" them.

- Many of the words tested on Monday’s test are simply “crammed” into short-term memory, and are often not remembered by the student on the following Monday.


Methods used to teach and learn spelling

Learning proper spelling by rote is a traditional element of primary education. Now phonics method is used in teaching reading and spelling in the US, UK and in many countries.

Phonics method emphasizes the importance of "sounding out". Using sound to helps learner to recognized the word(s), read the word(s) and spell the word(s) in block(s) of letters instead of letter by letter.

It is interesting to note that traditional language teaching methods emphasize written language over spoken language, a second language speaker may have a better spelling ability than a native speaker despite having a poorer command of the language.

Spelling test are usually used to assess a student's mastery over the words in the spelling lessons. They can also be an effective practice method.

There are many free spelling tests on websites on the Internet:

Spellcheck.net, an online spell checker

spellr.us, a web-based website spell check and spell check monitoring tool

Spellometer, measures frequency of common errors on websites

Spellery, checks for spelling mistakes on websites

Espindle, a website with free quizzes.

A multiple choice test of 50 commonly misspelled words
Movement to accept variant spellings, Times Online
Ginger Software, Spell checker for people with dyslexia and other learning difficulties.

Ghotit Dyslexia Help, An on-line spell checker for kids and adults with dyslexia and ESL-students

Source of information:

All the sites listed in this blog and

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spelling#Methods_used_to_teach_and_learn_spelling