Let’s face it – not all kids are Spelling Bee material. However, learning how to spell proficiently, quite unlike an exceptional aptitude in math, can be honed with the proper training.
Even kids who seem to have extreme difficulties spelling the simplest of words can improve their spelling skills over a short period, if properly guided.
One of the biggest obstructions to learning spelling words is that kids find the drills boring. Teachers give them a certain set of words that they need to master in, say a week, and another set the following week.
In many cases, these words are unrelated – and without a unifying concept, these spelling words merely become clutter in his or her mind.
Presenting spelling instruction as merely tests and word lists won’t be meaningful for learners.
Spelling practice should be thought of as a tool to help learners become more adept at expressing themselves in writing. Their skills should be developed in context to achieve some meaningful purpose, not as an end in itself (Scott, 1994).
Learning spelling words progressively does not take a lot of time – a mentor only needs to introduce the concept of fun in spelling, guide them through the initial stages, and teach them how to use resources so they can work independently in the future.
Naturally, the love for reading should also be introduced, as this helps build a person’s vocabulary, but most – if not all – activities should have the element of fun incorporated in them.
Spelling games provide loads of reinforcement to children and allow them to learn at their own speed, easing pressure off the task of learning how to spell.
Just a few of the ways (Board of Studies NSW, 2007) a parent can make spelling activities more agreeable to kids are:
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‘Playing Detective’, where a child is asked to ‘be a detective’ and find words that sound the same but are spelled differently, words that rhyme, etc.
- Encouraging a child to list down spelling words with three letters, progressing to 4-letter words, 5-letter words, and so on, while using a theme, such as 'Sea Creatures' or 'Grocery Items'.
- Reciting tongue twisters and speech rhymes together.
With interactive technologies, it is now simpler to create environments where children can start learning spelling words by doing, obtain feedback, and continually enhance their understanding and encourage new knowledge (Bransford, et al., 2003).
Using interactive tools such as the popular Ultimate Spelling software provides a welcome change from the monotony of having to review a spelling list, and we all know that computers, barring distracting activities such as chatting and social networking, can often help students develop learning competencies much more effectively than regular tutoring or classroom lectures.
You can use the Ultimate Spelling software whenever you come across challenging words that could not easily be elucidated by run-of-the-mill dictionaries and thesauruses.
References:
Board of Studies NSW, 2007, Supporting your child’s learning – Spelling in K-6. [online] (Updated 15 June 2007). Available at: http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/parents/k6spelling.html [Accessed 04 July 2010].
Bransford, J D, Brown, A L, & Cocking, R R (eds) 1999, How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.
Scott, J E 1994, 'Spelling for readers and writers', The Reading Teacher, vol. 48, no. 2, pp. 188-190.