What Makes an All-Star Speller

What Makes an All-Star Speller

Lots of reading and writing is the key to learning to spell better

For some people, good spelling comes naturally. But that may not be a talent that your child has inherited. Sandra Wilde, an associate professor of education at Oregon's Portland State University and author of You Kan Red This! (Heinemann Press), advises parents on how their children can overcome spelling difficulties.

What makes some children good spellers, and others awful?

Two factors: One is that you have done a lot of reading; there is increasing evidence that seeing words over and over again in print increases the chance that you will know how to spell them. The other is natural spelling ability, which some people have more than others. Those who have the ability are more likely to be able to write a word and see that it's spelled correctly.

How can spelling be taught to both types?

Those who are naturally good spellers are going to teach themselves through reading. The ones who are not naturally good spellers must learn to proofread their writing, because when they get out into the world – applying for jobs and writing on the job – society expects 100 percent spelling accuracy.

Hew important is it that children spell correctly from the start?

Actually, the thinking now is that it's better at first not to focus on correct spelling. The term “invented spelling” refers to the spellings that children come up with on their own based on their knowledge of written language. A young kid writing the word “read” might write it “red”. Teachers and researchers have discovered that if children are encouraged to use their own invented spelling, they can start writing in kindergarten of first grade. Through writing, they are teaching themselves about spelling, because they are thinking about “What sounds are in this word? And “What letters would I use to spell this sound?”

Typically, if kids see words in print enough, they start spelling them correctly. In some ways, it's similar to learning how to talk. Really young children talk in baby talk and don't pronounce words correctly. We focus on the meaning instead, and eventually their speech gets better.

Grease. Photo by Elena 

How valuable is learning spelling by rote – memorizing lists and taking spelling tests?

One of the problems with the traditional spelling test and spelling books, where kids have to learn 20 words a week, is that on average kids know before studying them, so they aren't really learning very much. Instead of doing a list of 20 words for each kid, tests should focus on words kids want to learn, which are often words they use in their own writing. I think 3 to 5 words per week is about right. Have kids get invloved in choosing words, and get them asking, “What words would I like to learn?” I think this is especially valuable starting around 3rd grade when they know a lot of common words.

Do you like computer spell-checkers?

I think they're a really valuable tool, but not a panacea. They don't do much for really young kids, because their spellings are not precise enough for the computer to know what they were trying to spell. One problem is that they don't detect if you've used the wrong word. A lot of my college students will spell-check but not proof-read, so I'll find instances where they use the word “their” which is spelled correctly, but the situation calls for the word “there”. Spell-checkers are something I recommend for high school students and adults who are not naturally good spellers and need to fine-tune their spelling.