How We Learn to Spell
We all can recall the word we missed in the school spelling bee. Mine was business. Who knew there was an “i” in business? I was sure the proctor made a mistake. That secret “i” broke all the rules. It didn’t even make a sound. How very sneaky that “i” was. For my third grade mind, it was completely unfair.
In crafting a vision for your classroom and building your platform as a spelling instructor, it can sometimes be easy to fall into the traditional path you walked as a youngster. Weekly lists, Thursday quizzes, Friday tests. But, current research is attempting to steer us into a different direction, to cause us as educators to begin to think like a spelling bee contestant. And, to, in fact, teach our students how to become word solvers. Research suggests that our brains are pattern detectors (Cunningham 2004), not mere followers of rules. Our minds are constantly looking for connections and using these connections to build more understanding. It makes far more sense then to transform our thinking about spelling and reclaim this time to unlock the keys within the words themselves. Studying words, their patterns, prefixes, suffixes, and roots is what winners of Spelling Bees have been doing for decades. They have learned the trick: master the patterns, uncover a whole world of words… yes, even the word “business”.
Need ideas on where to start on this word study journey? Want to know what’s out there in terms of research and resources? Check out this month’s list of word activities, assessments, and tried and true strategies.
Happy teaching,
Kelly Harmon