Spelling

Strategies

Adapted from Guiding Thinking for Effective Spelling by Alice Vigors 2015
 Teaching Spelling
A Focus

Adapted from the work of Heidi Bush by Alice Vigors 2015

Teach & Investigate Through:

Reading Writing Word Study Investigations

▪ Is an opportunity to apply the ▪ Engage students in
▪ Gives us a context for focus in the context for which it is ▪ Gives us explicit
being learnt - writing.
thinking, discovering,
our spelling focus. teaching time.
▪ Gives students an opportunity to wondering.
▪ Allows students to ▪ Can be short, sharp
see an ‘expert in action’ as we ▪ Expect students to
see what they’ve been apply, model and think aloud, how and focused.
apply what has been
learning, in print. we are using the focus in our ▪ Makes clear to
writing. taught
▪ Can be an engaging students WHAT they
▪ Gives us an authentic teaching ▪ Enable flexible
‘hook’ for the focus. context and opportunities for are learning and WHY.
discussion & questioning.
groupings.
 Spelling Strategies

You can write some words by thinking about

(Phonological) the sounds your hear in the word.

You can write some words by thinking about

the way the word looks or by thinking about
the letter patterns.

You can write some words by thinking about

(Morphemic) the structure of words and their meaning.

You can use what you know about one word to

(Etymological) work out a new word.

You can use people, books, charts and

computers to help you check your spelling.
Adapted by Alice Vigors 2015
 Sound Strategy
You can write some words by thinking about the sounds you can
hear in the word.
Prompts:
Say the word slowly. Listen to the sounds the letters make. Write the
sounds in order.
Do you know any other words that sound almost the same?
Clap the syllables: listen carefully. Write the word, syllable
by syllable. Make sure you have represented each
sound with a letter or letters.
Say the word in parts, and write down each part (chunking).
Adapted by Alice Vigors 2015
 Visual Strategy
You can write some words by thinking about the way the words
look or by thinking about the letter patterns.
Prompts:
Do you know other words that look similar?
Look at the word. Ask yourself which parts look right?
Think about how the word looks. Try different letter patterns.
What other letters could you use to write that sound?

Adapted by Alice Vigors 2015

 Meaning Strategy
You can write some words by thinking about the structure of
words and their meaning.
Prompts:
Think about the meaning. Does it give you any clues to the spelling pattern?
Begin with the base word.
Does the meaning of the word help you with the spelling?

Adapted by Alice Vigors 2015

 Connecting Strategy
You can use what you know about one word to work out a new
word.
Prompts:
Does the word remind you of any other words you know? How?
Is there any other word that looks or sounds the same?
Can you use this information to help you spell this word?
What do you know about words that might help?
Say the word slowly: listen carefully. Do you know a memory
trick to help you?
Try using parts of other words to make parts of the new word.
Adapted by Alice Vigors 2015
 Checking Strategy
You can use people, books, charts and computers to help you to
check your spelling.
Prompts:
Is the word on the word wall or class chart?
Can you locate the word in a dictionary?
Try entering the word on the computer and using the spell
checker.

Adapted by Alice Vigors 2015