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INTRODUCTION

This project grew out of my and my students' frustration with spell check. Time and time again I would receive essays full of spelling errors which I knew spell check would have flagged. My students were equally certain that they had indeed used spell check. Traditional keyboarding instruction had not addressed the editing needs of my students so we have been working to fill in the gap. The exercises we have developed are based on the following problems and solutions:

Problem #1: Spelling can be humiliating, frustrating, and, in general, extremely difficult.

Solution: Success begets success. These exercises were designed to discourage passivity and encourage a problem solving approach to spelling. I strongly recommend beginning with someone else's errors (some template paragraphs are included). This will remove the humiliation and encourage analytical spelling.

Problem #2: All spell checks are not equal

Solution: Students need to know this. They need to know that the spell check is only as good as it is programmed. They also need to know that the tool that works best for one person may not be helpful for another. I encourage them to try many different software programs and assess their effectiveness for helping with the individual's spelling difficulties.

Problem #3: Spell check is not a mind reader. Even the best spell check can't be programmed to recognize all misspellings.

Solution: Students need to have a variety of spelling strategies and have direct, guided practice using them with spell check. These strategies should include those which are being taught in decoding instruction.

Spell-check software:

• limited by programming
• requires word recognition
• requires phonemic and phonetic skills

Hand held spellers:

• often better programmed for LD
• student must identify possible misspellings
• game distractions

Word prediction software:

• requires letter/sound knowledge (basic phonics)
• requires some sequencing skills
• slow

Tips:

• Tool should be taught directly:
  • spelling lists
  • dictated sentences
  • checking practice paragraphs
  • using with own work
• Teach specific strategies (to both the student and the tool):
• Strategies:
  • count and mark syllables
  • tap number of sounds
  • tap sequence
  • consonant sound options (source: Phono-Graphix)
  • vowel sound options (source: Phono-Graphix)
  • consonant pairs (source: Lindamood-Bell)
  • using rhyming words (sounds like)
  • cheat/check lists
  • use of thesaurus to double check
  • personal spelling lists

ANALYZING SPELLING ERRORS AND CHOOSING EFFECTIVE TOOLS

Passivity is deadly to spelling. I meet so many students with the "either I know it or I don't" attitude. They see misspellings either as the fault of the computer or as a hopeless cause. Effective spelling instruction and remediation requires a clear understanding of strengths and weaknesses. Analyzing spelling errors will both help the students understand where they need work (and knowing what you don't know is a significant part of learning) and help choose the most effective tool. Two good sources for word lists which provide a good picture of strengths and weaknesses are the Developmental Spelling Analysis by Kathy Ganske (UVa) and the nonsense word assessment included in the Wilson Reading System.

Assessment Activities created in ClarisWorks

PRACTICE FORMS

Download Practice forms created in ClarisWorks

MICROSOFT WORD

• Visual cuing of misspellings
• Can create customized dictionaries for specialized vocabulary and foreign words
• Grammar option "commonly confused words" will catch some homonym errors
• AutoCorrect option can be programmed to fix misspellings that won't be picked up by spell check (i.e. "sed" for "said")

• Spell check must be reset (options under tools) to run again after the initial checking. This is a problem for those who are trigger happy.
• The multitude of options can be overwhelming. Choose a focus (i.e. don't check spelling and grammar at the same time).

Templates (Microsoft Word) for Practice Paragraphs

These paragraphs are for providing students with direct practice using spell check but on someone else's work. This removes the humiliation, provides practice on different types of errors, and encourages an analytical approach to spelling. They may be copied and pasted into different word processing programs or printed and used with handheld spellers. They have a variety of spelling errors and require a variety of strategies.

Download Practice Paragraphs created in Microsoft Word

Word Lists (Microsoft Word) for Practicing Using Spelling Tools

These word lists are examples of ones which will help students to understand the structure of and patterns within words. They also focus on trouble spots. When a letter is left out of a blend, for example, spell check frequently cannot get the word. The various options for representing long vowel patterns are another are of focus. There is sometimes no way (short of visual memory) of knowing which is correct. I tell students that if their spelling is legal (they choose letters which will represent the sought sound), spell check should get it.

Download Word Lists in Microsoft Word

SUPPORT MATERIALS

• rhyming dictionary
• homonym dictionary
• sound option cue cards
• commonly confused vowels cue cards
• sight (non phonetic) word lists
• personal dictionaries of troublesome words (i.e. their, there)

Download Support Materials in ClarisWorks

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Mary Thayer
TOPS Teacher
Fairfax County Public Schools
Summer 2000