What logic should educators use in choosing words for students to learn to spell? Common sense provides the answer: students should learn to spell the words they use in writing. What these words are has been a subject of concern since the beginning of this century. Dozens of word frequency lists have been developed over the years, based primarily…

In response to the preceding article by Robert L. Hillerich in the same issue of "Educational Leadership," the author argues that Hillerich's recommendations for spelling instruction do not take into account recent research on the cognitive processes involved in learning to spell. (RW)

Argues that knowing the stages of spelling development can help teachers guide students to spelling improvement, consciousness, and competency. Suggests teaching methods. (FL)

Discusses the immediate and long-term results upon spellers of the deletion of the second consonant from most of the core root words derived from Old and Middle English. Offers new directions for future spelling instruction. Clarifies past and present misperceptions about the underlying orderly character of English spelling. (RS)

Offers a fanciful dialog between Socrates and his followers to present findings about spelling development. Discusses the work of two scholars (Frank Smith and Steven Krashen); then discusses various hypotheses. Concludes that effective spellers get to be that way because they read as if they were writers; and a strong relationship exists between…

Reports on ERIC documents that review research on spelling and that suggest practical activities for spelling instruction. (HOD)

Presents three categories or models of spelling instruction in grades three to six--a traditional model, a transitional model, and a student-oriented model. Outlines theoretical and research foundations, specific spelling instructional strategies, and implications for instruction associated with each model. (SR)

A recurrent issue in education is which spelling words should be taught and how they should be taught. A brief review of several articles that deal with the employment of spelling programs that have incorporated the 100 most frequently used words in their curriculum shows many similarities in philosophies and teaching methods. The concern about…

A review of research which concludes that there is no cause and effect relationship between speech errors and spelling errors, that there is a relationship between Black English and certain spelling errors, and that there is conflicting evidence on the use of intensive phonics in spelling programs. (DD)

Discusses research on the nature and strategies of children's invented spelling, including a developmental model of such spelling. Suggests ways to encourage invented spelling, while examining whether it will interfere with learning to read and write standard spelling. (HTH)

Examines the state of the art of research on how spelling should be taught in the schools, the nature of spelling ability, and implications for teaching and further research. (HTH)

Reviews research on teaching spelling to the learning disabled and presents instructional recommendations. Examines research on reduced unit size and distributed practice, imitation plus modeling peer tutoring strategy training, self-monitoring generalization training, and microcomputer-based remediation. (KH)

Presents an overview of research on the teaching of spelling. Emphasizes that spelling is a subject that can be taught, and instruction has two major objectives: the automatic spelling of a security list and the ability to apply correct spelling in written communication. Focuses on study methods, testing, recording progress, dictionary use, and…

Focusing on the whole language and the direct instructional approaches, this pamphlet summarizes research on teaching and learning spelling. The pamphlet notes that the goal of the whole language approach to spelling instruction is to produce competent, independent spellers who learn through use and express their progress as increasingly…

Documents the progressive spelling strategies and improvement of one third-grade student over the course of eight drafts. (HTH)