Spelling
Action Research Report
Effect of Direct Instruction of Spelling Rules on the Improvement of Spelling Accuracy
Karen James
Boiling Springs Intermediate School
Boiling Springs, South Carolina
ABSTRACT The effect of direct spelling rules instruction on students’ achievement was investigated. Pre- and post-student spelling test, surveys and teacher observations were used to record changes in attitudes and academics. In this study, I investigated how the direct instruction of specific spelling rules into my 5th grade language curriculum would impact my students’ attitude towards spelling and their ability to apply the rule and correctly spell commonly misspelled words. My motivation for focusing on spelling was a direct result in the poor performance on PASS testing in the area of conventions as well as observing the same poor performance in students’ classroom writing. According to Dilts (1997) Spelling is an important and fundamental language skill that does not come "naturally" to everyone. In fact, intelligent people who otherwise excel in the classroom, even in language abilities, may experience strong and even debilitating difficulties in spelling. According to NLP ability with spelling is not a function of some kind of 'spelling gene ' but rather the structure of the internal cognitive strategy one is using as one spells. Thus, if people experience difficulty with spelling, it is not because they are 'stupid, ' 'lazy ' or 'learning disabled ' but rather because they are trying to use an ineffective mental program. Good spelling is function of learning how to learn new words. As a specific mental capability spelling is subject to be influenced by deeper psychological processes such as beliefs and identity issues. To become more confident and accurate students must know the process for how to learn new spelling words. I wanted to teach students the “trick” (rules) that would give them the tools needed to spell some commonly misspelled words.
Effect of Direct Instruction of Spelling Rules on the Improvement of Spelling Accuracy
Karen James
Boiling Springs Intermediate School
Boiling Springs, South Carolina
ABSTRACT The effect of direct spelling rules instruction on students’ achievement was investigated. Pre- and post-student spelling test, surveys and teacher observations were used to record changes in attitudes and academics. In this study, I investigated how the direct instruction of specific spelling rules into my 5th grade language curriculum would impact my students’ attitude towards spelling and their ability to apply the rule and correctly spell commonly misspelled words. My motivation for focusing on spelling was a direct result in the poor performance on PASS testing in the area of conventions as well as observing the same poor performance in students’ classroom writing. According to Dilts (1997) Spelling is an important and fundamental language skill that does not come "naturally" to everyone. In fact, intelligent people who otherwise excel in the classroom, even in language abilities, may experience strong and even debilitating difficulties in spelling. According to NLP ability with spelling is not a function of some kind of 'spelling gene ' but rather the structure of the internal cognitive strategy one is using as one spells. Thus, if people experience difficulty with spelling, it is not because they are 'stupid, ' 'lazy ' or 'learning disabled ' but rather because they are trying to use an ineffective mental program. Good spelling is function of learning how to learn new words. As a specific mental capability spelling is subject to be influenced by deeper psychological processes such as beliefs and identity issues. To become more confident and accurate students must know the process for how to learn new spelling words. I wanted to teach students the “trick” (rules) that would give them the tools needed to spell some commonly misspelled words.
References: Groff, Patrick. (1994). Spelling. Journal of the Simplified Spelling Society, 3-7. Peters, Margaret L. (1985). Spelling, Caught or Taught?: A New Look. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. Kamil, Mosenthal (2000). Handbook of Reading Research: Volume III. Mahwah, NJ. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.