Read on for our favorite method of learning to spell!
Before you can begin, you should make a spelling notebook for each child.
In it put:
A copy of the 10 steps
A copy of the daily spelling activities
Lots of notebook paper
All worksheets, tests... and any other spelling *stuff*!
Step 1: Find a good list of words.
I started with the first word, and worked our way down the list. I say the word, and use it in a sentence. If they spell it wrong, stumble through it, or stare at me blankly, it goes on the list. We pretest to ten words, and that makes up our spelling list for the week.
Step 3: The Ten Steps!!
I think this is the most important part. I honestly don�t know where it came from (I stumbled across it on a web page many moons ago) but if I did, I would give the author a huge thank you! After we have pretested to ten words, we sit down and do each of the ten steps� once per word.
Say (pronounce it aloud)
Look (look carefully. Ask yourself questions such as, "Can I spell it the way it looks? How many syllables are there? Are there any double letters? Silent letters? What are the vowels in each syllable? Anything peculiar about this word? How many letters are in the word? Are there any odd syllables? Any parts of the word spelled unlike they sound? Anything unusual about the word? Any difficult combinations? Is the word a noun verb, etc.")
Say (say the letters while looking at the word)
Close (close eyes and visualize the word and spell it)
Check (check that you got it right)
Trace (trace the word on your desk, in a sand tray, on sand paper, on a fabric board, using large arm motions)
Write (without looking)
Check (was it right?)
Repeat (steps 1-8, if it was not right)
Sentence (write the word in a sentence)
Step 4: Daily Work
Here is our schedule of daily work.
Monday: Put into alphabetical order and use in a sentence.
Tuesday: Write words three times.
Wednesday: Word find and Crossword Puzzle.
You will be able to make these at www.edhelper.com
I use the sentences from Monday as the clues for the crossword puzzle.
Thursday: Trace, Copy, Recall
Fold a piece of paper into thirds, lengthwise. Use the first column to write the word. Write it again in the second column, paying attention to the letters.
Flip the paper over and write it in the third without looking. At first, it is easier to do one word at a time, but try to work up at doing trace and copy for all ten words, and then flip the paper and recall all of them at once!
Friday: Test!
As soon as we grade the test, any word that is misspelled is immediately added to next weeks list. That way, they work with them till they get it right.