This report describes two preliminary studies (a pilot study involving 11 children and a main study involving 24 children) that examined letters chosen in the spelling of nonsense words to determine whether children with learning difficulties in spelling exhibit systematic ways of spelling. The studies showed that phoneme-grapheme grammars differ…

A longitudinal study determined if children's invented spelling served as a viable predictor of reading achievement and compared the predictive value of assessing children's invented spelling relative to other notable predictors, such as letter names, letter sounds, a concept of a word, and phonemic awareness. Subjects, 52 kindergarten children…

Tests a hypothesis about the growth of word knowledge in kindergarten and first graders. Notes that it was predicted that phoneme awareness develops in phases and that ability to finger-point read interacts with phoneme awareness in the development of early reading skill. Concludes that structural equation modeling showed that the longitudinal…

Examines the progress of seven children, ages three to five years old, in the acquisition of written language. Relates findings to suggestions for types of writing experiences to provide in preschool programs. (PCB)

Finds that kindergarten children trained in phonemic awareness significantly outperformed control children in phoneme segmentation, letter name and sound knowledge, and reading phonetically regular words and nonwords. Notes that they produced invented spellings rated developmentally superior to those of the control children. (SR)

Presents a group-guided invented-spelling instructional strategy called "Making Words" which teachers can use with beginning readers to develop their ability to spell words and to apply this knowledge when decoding during reading. Discusses how to plan and teach the strategy. Describes two sample lessons, and explores why the strategy works. (PRA)

The results of four experiments refute the idea that children rely heavily on their knowledge of letter names when they begin trying to spell words. Although kindergartners and first graders sometimes spelled the nonword /var/ as "vr," they were less likely to spell the nonword /ves/ as "vs" or the nonword /tib/ as…

The effects of different early word spelling practices on reading and spelling were studied in 145 five-year-old children. Three experimental treatments were designed to mimic different teaching activities by having children practice invented spelling (IS group), copied spelling (CS group), or invented spelling with feedback on correct orthography…

A study examined the invented spelling of kindergarten and first grade students as an indicator of problem-solving strategies. The study explored the operations, by gender, of good spellers and poor spellers and how those operations change over time. A sample of 12 kindergarten girls and 12 kindergarten boys who were learning to read and write in…

A study determined attitudes of elementary teachers of grades K-6 towards the use of invented spelling. Twenty-nine teachers in two rural school districts in Northwest Ohio completed a questionnaire designed to investigate the extent of whole language use, spelling strategies taught, and attitudes towards invented spelling. Results indicated that…

A study investigated whether predictions of reading achievement could be improved by studying the relative contributions of alphabetic knowledge and invented spelling over time. Subjects, 38 upper middle-class children enrolled at an elementary school in the Midwest, were administered an alphabetic knowledge task (measuring letter names and letter…

Misspellings evidenced by 69 3rd graders in a battery containing 25 words and 20 nonsense syllable items were analyzed phonologically. Children with histories of disordered phonologies (n=29) showed more phonologically based deviations in their misspellings, relied more on less productive spelling strategies, and showed poorer phonological…

Discusses the use of invented spelling to help kindergarten students learn to spell. It provides a natural foundation for building spelling abilities by making students think about words and generate new knowledge. Activities are suggested and guidelines are presented for a developmentally sensitive spelling program. (SM)

Describes how elementary teachers can get good results using invented spelling in the classroom. The article presents the history of invented spelling and whole-language learning, then explains how to use core word lists, avoid sloppy drafts, conduct conferences, teach spelling effectively, and create a balance between writing and spelling. (SM)

A study investigated whether invented spelling is superior to the traditional method of teaching spelling and whether invented spelling strengthened the reading and writing connection. Subjects were students in two second-grade classes at two different elementary schools in a school district in south-central Pennsylvania. Both teachers used the…