After a very long time, I am back! This time around with different energy and different priorities. Bit difficult to hang around as frequent as before but I will definitely try coz I love blogging and I have been missing it for so long

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Why Is Spelling Important ?

Spelling Helps Reading

Learning to spell helps to cement the connection between the letters and their sounds, and learning high-frequency "sight words" to mastery level improves both reading and writing. Joshi, Treiman, Carreker and Moats describe this connection:  "The correlation between spelling and reading comprehension is high because both depend on a common denominator: proficiency with language. The more deeply and thoroughly a student knows a word, the more likely he or she is to recognize it, spell it, define it, and use it appropriately in speech and writing." They also note that "the major goal of the English writing system is not merely to ensure accurate pronunciation of the written word – it is to convey meaning. If words that sound the same (e.g., rain, rein and reign) were spelled the same way, their meanings would be harder to differentiate." ³

Teaching spelling systematically can also dispel the myth that spelling is unpredictable and too confusing for all but those with a natural gift for it , which often happens when a "correct mistakes as they happen" approach is taken. The idea that English is too mixed up to make sense of is a myth perpetuated by lack of instruction and poor teacher preparation.  Spelling is not simple, but when people understand its structure, it is perfectly decodable and not limited to people "born to spell" to understand. For example, many people struggle with spelling the word "broccoli." Which letter should be doubled?  If a student – or teacher or parent - understands the syllable types of the English language, the word makes sense.  "Closed" syllables end in a consonant and have a short vowel sound. Open syllables end in a vowel. Often, a consonant is doubled so that a vowel is clearly short, including when we add suffixes.  Examples are bagged, collie, and broccoli, which would be divided into syllables as broc – co – li. Perhaps it's unfortunate that people who are naturally good at spelling and reading are likely to be teaching it; they may not have needed to have these rules explained, or perhaps don't remember the explanations because they did not have to practice them. Understanding the rules and patterns helps the student who doesn't intuitively pick them up and enables the teacher to clear up confusion instead of having to resort to "it's just how it's spelled."

Others might acknowledge the value of learning to spell, but think that learning the rules and patterns is the stuff of drudgery. When students are practicing in ways that are effective, and getting appropriate feedback and experiencing success, practice is not drudgery. It may not be as fun as recess – but often it can be satisfying and even enjoyable, especially when technology is used creatively so that students can use their strengths with individualized lessons. For instance, students can choose games and activities at sites such as spellingcity.com to practice their words as much as they need. By including language-rich experiences with the words, students use auditory and visual pathways in the learning task. This helps students conquer the challenge of remembering the spellings of words, because the "working memory" can be used more efficiently if both the visual and auditory channels are engaged in the learning task.⁴

Technology is a powerful tool that can make learning easier. Some would argue that it's powerful enough to make learning to spell unnecessary. After all, what are spell checkers for? Spell  checkers are wonderful tools for the small mistakes that good spellers make and for common typographical errors such as typing "t e h" instead of "the." In the hands of the student with good language skills, the spell checker is a real timesaver.  However, it can actually interfere with the learning process. The writer must rely on starting the word correctly and getting most letters right, and the spell checker will not correct when a misspelling is another legitimate word.  Therefore, the student who spells "does" as "dose" will not see the red "correct me" line, and will continue to entrench the misspelling habit, and the reader will be confused. The more advanced the writing task, the more likely we'll need to use exactly the right word.  When a college student writes "lessening" instead of "listening," that student has not learned to think about the relationship between the meaning and spelling of words. His writing is suffering for the lack, and perhaps his reading is as well. Spell checkers also can't be counted on for giving the right word even when they recognize an incorrect spelling. If a writer types "definantly" instead of definitely, Microsoft Word will suggest "defiantly."  "Surpised" will yield "surpassed." The language learner will be more confused, not less. In other words, spell checkers give us reason to teach spelling and precise word usage *more* thoroughly, not less. ⁵

Good use, even mastery, of our complex language does not have to be a thing of the past or reserved for a few. By using the knowledge from years of research and experience and our ever-developing technological tools, we can teach each student to spell well and enable them to read and write fluently. We owe it to our students to give them the skills that are the tools to learning and communication throughout their education and their lives. 

Resources:

¹Rayner, K., White, S., Johnson, R., Liversedge, S. (2006). Raeding Wrods With Jubmled Lettres; There Is a Cost. Psychological Science 17(3), 192-193.  Discussed at: http://blogs.msdn.com/fontblog/archive/2006/05/09/594050.aspx

²Vail, Priscilla (1991). Common Ground: Whole Language and Phonics Working Together. Rosemont, NJ: Modern Learning Press, p. 4

³Joshi, R., Treiman, R., Carreker, S., & Moats, L.. (2008-2009, Winter). The real magic of spelling: Improving reading and writing. American Educator , 9.http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/american_educator/issues/winter08_09/joshi.pdf  p. 10

⁴Mousavi, S. Y., Low, R., & Sweller, J. (1995). Reducing cognitive load by mixing auditory and visual presentation models. Journal of Educational Psychology , 87(2), 319-334.  p. 319

Seven Reasons Teachers Should Blog

I have been blogging since 2007. And since then, I have found myself in numerous discussions and debates on the benefits of blogging, especially in teaching and education. Most of the time,it makes me wonder am I the only one who is questioning my own self for what I am doing and why I like doing it and why must I continue doing it and also why am I so very much interested in getting my students and friends, especially those in teaching career to blog ?

I met Steve Wheeler in LYICT International Conference for the Net Generation in 2008.He was in my focus group and a very kind and knowledgeable man. And I did'nt know that he is a very important and influential man in education until I followed him on Twitter and then became his friend in Facebook, a few weeks later after we came back from the conference.

I have been following his blog and I also have been learning so much from it. Tonight, I want to share what I have read , and which I have agreed, are the answers to all the questions I had asked myself earlier in this article.

Please Read : Seven Reasons Teachers Should Blog