Homeschool Teachers

Scientific research has proven that studying spelling does not make you a better speller. If that’s the case, some of us will be good spellers and some won’t, regardless of studying. So should you include spelling in your curriculum?

Proper spelling is part of communication and the greatest need in our world is for clear communication. I’ll admit that spell checking programs on the computer are easy to use but relying solely on that will not help you communicate “which” child is the better speller if you are using the word “witch.”

I have two kids and both read and comprehend extremely well. One is a good speller, one not so good. My visual learner is the better speller. He can see images in his head, including images of how words are formed. That gives him an upper hand in spelling. My not so good speller is an auditory learner so finding a program to fit his learning style was important as well as an experimental journey for us.

In homeschooling, the goal of the parent is to teach their children skills to engage them in the world around them. That goal can best be met when we understand each child’s strengths and weaknesses and the method by which he learns best. We are not limited to a set curriculum and just because schools use methods that typically teach to one syle of learner does not mean that we should follow down that mistaken path.

There are numerous spelling programs available, but whichever one works for you is the best one. I have spent lots of money and five years working with different spelling curriculum but I think I’ve found the best one for our family: Sequential Spelling.

First of all, it teaches sound patterns. For a kid that can’t picture the word in his head this is important. We start with the word know, then knowing, knowledge, acknowledge, acknowledged, acknowledgment. Breaking words down by syllables and adding prefixes or suffixes is the key skill here. And you should realize that syllables coincide with sound, not pictures.

Second, your kids will become confident spellers because there is immediate feedback and results. Students don’t have to study more words or patterns or rules. They begin to recognize more and more patterns and start spelling words correctly that they’ve never seen before - this is a benefit to the visual learner as well.

Last, and most important for the teacher’s sake, you can use the same program with multiple children at the same time. You no longer have to do 5th and 3rd and 7th grade spelling separately in the same day. Because patterns are learned progressively, a third grader can spell the same words as a seventh grader.

If studying spelling does not make you a better speller than why should you try at all? I’m saying that we no longer “study” spelling. We look and listen for patterns in words and learn how to reproduce them on paper, whether we use visual or auditory skills to do it.

The reliance on technology for communication in the last 25 years has played a huge part in people constantly communicating, but decreasing the value of our communication. I may not have much to say, but I do want to be understood when I speak or write. If you can’t understand me then what I have to say is meaningless to you. No wonder people can’t get along with each other!

Whether at home or between warring countries, clear communication and understanding others is the key to better relationships. Proper spelling is just one of the factors necessary in the communication equation.

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