The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore preschool teachers' beliefs about early reading and spelling instruction and how their attitudes toward Direct Instruction (DI) of Print Concept Knowledge (PCK) influenced the literacy skills of preschool students in a Southeastern Virginia school district. Vygotsky's social…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experience of integrating word study spelling programs for second grade teachers across six elementary schools in Northern Virginia. Word study is a developmental spelling approach that can be used by teachers to differentiate instruction and meet student needs. Despite the growing…

A study investigated the source of teacher frustration concerning their students' spelling abilities and whether or not word study increases retention as opposed to a traditional approach to spelling instruction. Subjects, 16 fifth-grade students at a public school in a suburban area of central Virginia, were formed into groups based on…

A study compared a traditional text-oriented spelling program to a non-traditional word study spelling program on the basis of four characteristics: students' academic success, students' self-esteem, interest in spelling, and time spent on- and off-task. The sample group consisted of two third grade classes, and both spelling programs had been…

A survey of 42 faculty members in the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) was conducted to aid in the development of a spelling course for VCCS students; 21 questionnaires were returned. The survey investigated causes of spelling problems, possible solutions, most common types of errors, curricula in which students have most spelling…