Stages of Spelling Development

In the first stage, called the Emergent Stage, children are able to convey his/her message by scribbling, drawing shapes, writing mock letters, and/or random strings of letters/numbers. In some cases, one letter represents an entire word or the most salient sound of a word. Some Emergent children confuse letters, numbers, and letter-like forms and substitute letters and sounds that feel and look alike (e.g., the sounds /v/ and /f/, the letters d and b)
The child generally lacks knowledge of the alphabet, lacks left-to-right directionality in writing, and lacks concept of word (one-to-one matching of spoken and written words). Consistent spacing between words and consistent use of letter-sound correspondences are absent.
What Students Do Independently
• Hold writing utensils
• Write on page
• Distinguish between writing and drawing
• Draw letters and letter-like shapes
• Left-to-right directionality
• Some letter-sound matching

What Students Use but Confuse
• Draw and scribble for writing
• Confuse letters, numbers, and letter-like forms
• Wrap writing from right to left at the ends of lines
• Substitute letters and sounds that feel and look alike (e.g., the sounds /v/ and /f/, the letters d and b)

What is Absent
• Sound-symbol match
• Left-to-right directionality
• Sound-symbol relationships
• Consistent spacing between words
• Consistent use of letter-sound correspondences

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In the next stage, called the Letter Name Stage, children are first able to distinguish consonant sounds that come at the beginning of a word and then are next able to hear the ending consonant sounds. Later they are able to hear more refined distinctions in blends and digraphs, first at the beginnings of words and then at the ends. Also within this stage is the ability to hear short vowel sounds in the middle of one syllable words. Students begin to understand letter-sound correspondences. At this stage, students are becoming phonemic spellers. They