If you are looking for ways to align your spelling instruction with Science of Reading, we have a few tips that are interactive, easy to implement, and sure to have a positive impact on spelling success.
Word Study
Word study is an approach to spelling instruction that moves away from a focus on memorization. The approach reflects what researchers have discovered about the alphabetic pattern and layers of English orthography. Word study undoubtedly supports students’ spelling achievement. It has the potential to support students’ reading and writing development as well.
This is a practice that can be easily incorporated into daily instruction. To start, choose one word that follows your spelling pattern for the week and analyze the heck out of it. Identify syllable breaks, the types of syllables the word is comprised of, identify the vowel patterns, schwa sounds, and morphology (roots, suffixes, prefixes) to weave in vocabulary. Even one word a day for five minutes can help build strong foundational reading skills.
Hands-On Word Work
Once you’ve introduced a specific orthographic feature or principle, students will need ample opportunities to explore it through hands-on games and activities. Word work can be scheduled throughout the day during independent work time or center time. Students need several activities every week to provide repeated opportunities for examining the concepts you are teaching and to promote inquiry and discovery about the way English words work.
Gone are the days of rainbow words and writing the words over and over. Using our Hands-On Word Work activities in centers supports independent practice and provides a variety of activities that offer repeated practice. Our HOWW pack has kids tuning into sounds, patterns, and syllables. They use word sorts, highlighting, letter tiles, word riddles, and many of other methods for analyzing words and patterns. This resource is available for grades 1-5.
Word Chains
Word chaining and the building of words should be a part of every literacy lesson for beginning readers. When students build words based on the sound symbols taught, they engage in orthographic mapping, which is essential for reading and writing. This linking of speech-to-print is critical for learning to read, and it’s fun! Students can participate in hands-on manipulation of letters to create, read, and manipulate new words.
To do this, start with one word and then say “change the vowel sound to ___” and then from there, have students change different parts to make the next (real or nonsense) word. You can also do something similar with word riddles. For example, “I have two syllables and I’m a compound word. My first syllable is closed and ends with a digraph. It has the same short vowel sound as the word ‘hit.’ My second syllable has the diphthong /ou/ and ends with the same end sound as the word ‘that’. Which word am I?” Our HOWW contains word riddles like this already written and ready to go!
Give it a try!
The Science of Reading has demonstrated methods that best help children learn to read, from the earliest steps in spoken language to being able to successfully decode unfamiliar words. Incorporating these simple but effective routines will help get you on board with the Science of Reading practices. Which will you try first?
