This Student Activity Book is designed to be used with the "Guidebook for Parents and Teachers" of the same series. The Level 3 activity book consists of worksheets intended to help children discover and practice the most important patterns and principles that govern English spelling and writing. It includes short and long vowels, punctuation,…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of an instructional spelling approach, Word Study, on adult learners' spelling. The author sought to learn more about participants' stage of spelling development, to gain information from the adults on their interpretations of this approach, and to determine if a short-term intervention would…

Suggests that spelling instruction must go beyond the use of a text or series and that spelling should be impressed on students as an important part of their writing. Proofreading, peer editing of compositions, and other techniques for spelling improvement are discussed. (SJL)

Discusses how young minds come to understandings about how words work, what conditions are necessary for these realizations, and how teachers can help. Discusses instruction that hinders, allows, or helps students' progress. (RS)

Presents an approach to word study instruction, wordsorting, based on recent spelling research. Reviews research that support the conceptual and developmental nature of learning to spell. Presents a conceptual framework consistent with research findings. Explains variations in word sorting activities, describes basic components and extensions, and…

A study analyzed whether a word study instruction based on open sorting would allow children to have more conventions or strategies available for spelling words in their written work. Subjects, all 22 third-grade students in a suburb of a large midwestern city, were given the Qualitative Inventory of Word Knowledge as pre- and posttests. Three…

Assesses the results of a study of spelling development on the junior high level. Concludes that spelling instruction in the upper grades is worthy of serious consideration. (NKA)

A review of the Cohen study (1969) of the structural analysis methods used in spelling book exercises, and an update on the exercises contained in current texts. (DD)

A spelling study expert offers the following strategies for teaching elementary students to spell: making word-sorting games that categorize words by shared characteristics; playing letter-sequencing games; examining how root words and affixes combine to form new words; making spelling meaningful; and linking spelling study with editing and…

Reviews the literature in the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) on teaching spelling and word attack skills at the elementary level. (RB)

How can classroom spelling programs be structured and organized to fit current approaches to language? Ten major considerations can be identified: (1) spelling is a skill of writing; (2) spelling is best learned as a component of writing, and not as a result of studying isolated skills; (3) not all children will pick up spelling as a result of…

A study investigated the source of teacher frustration concerning their students' spelling abilities and whether or not word study increases retention as opposed to a traditional approach to spelling instruction. Subjects, 16 fifth-grade students at a public school in a suburban area of central Virginia, were formed into groups based on…

An action research project was conducted to measure any difference in spelling achievement after Word Study activities were used during spelling instruction. Word Study approaches to spelling instruction offer hands-on experiences with the manipulation of letters to form words. It was hypothesized that students taught spelling skills with a Word…

Describes how an adult male learner who had been identified as learning disabled many years ago participated in a spelling-based word-study program. Describes the program and its theoretical rationale, discusses his progress, and notes implications for adult-literacy learners' spelling instruction. (SR)

A significant amount of research has revealed that many students memorize words for a test, then later forget the correct spellings. A study examined the effectiveness of two approaches to teaching spelling: the "traditional" method based on grade level speller and deductive thinking; and word study based on recent research on developmental…