Spelling

Reading 2.4 Henderson, E.H., & Templeton, S. (1989). A developmental perspective of formal spelling instruction through alphabet, patter and meaning. In F.Christie (Ed.), Writing in schools: Reader (pp.50-60). Deakin: Deakin University Press.

Learning log

My spelling has always been a strong point. I remember having spelling tests every Friday in primary school, so having to study the words during the week. I vaguely remember having to use the spelling words within sentences – to place the words within a context. However, I also loved reading as a child, and really read a lot which I think was an important factor.

Henderson notes the 3 “ordering” principles in the English spelling system:

1. alphabetic
2. within-word pattern
3. meaning

I think the 5 stages that Henderson details are important to remember and should guide a teacher in providing the foundation and development for students in mastery of spelling (these are not all the specific examples to be included within the stages (see article ), but major points.

Stage 1: preschool children – spelling reflects their concept of the form and function of print (eg they have heard stories, they know what writing is, beginning knowledge of letters and names of the letters(

Stage 2: beginning stages of formal reading instruction; scanning words letter by letter – importance of sight words: learn to recognize words organized around common features eg short vowel, beginning consonant digraph, long vowel etc); instruction in letter formation and writing.

Stage 3: (grades 3 and 4) beginning to from the within-word pattern principle – able to read silently, oral reading becomes more natural, learn that some consistent spellings and patterns are more frequent than others, and that patterns are conditioned by their environment; begin to understand open/closed syllable conventions of English; also begin to deal with 3 ordering principle of meaning (e.g. that -ed means something has already happened); learn the consistent spellings and meanings of many prefixes and suffixes

Stage 4: conventions of syllable juncture ...of joining of common inflections to single-syllable words. Need to study both common and uncommon vowel patterns in stressed syllables; need to understand characteristics of unstressed syllables – scan words systematically syllable by syllable to note the patterns.

Stage 5 : derivational relationships – patterns of silent/sounded consonant; vowel alternation patterns e.g. long-to-short; inspect various consonant alternation patterns; contribution of Greek and Latin forms to spelling/meaning connection.

Finally I believe an important aspect that Henderson concludes with is, that spelling is an active and concrete process and pivotal to both reading and 'applying [word] knowledge through purposeful writing'. Interestingly we need to remember that mastery of spelling parallels the acquisition of an adult vocabulary. Also that critically, students need to examine words, to make discriminations, and to practice these routines of examining words. There is also the informal element to spelling instruction...using inquiry (very important I think to encourage students to be engaged in an inquiry into words) and a routine to analyze words.