Learning to spell is a difficult but essential task for children learning to read. Several spelling tasks involving different cognitive demands are used in classroom. To provide better guidance for teaching practices, a critical question is whether spelling performance of beginner readers is task dependent. The present study focuses on the…

The potential effect of goal setting to improve the spelling performance of elementary school students was examined. While results tended to support the hypothesis that the setting of specific and difficult goals improved performance more than simply asking students to do their best, differences in group means were not significant. (Author/CB)

Students of varying achievement levels were tested to determine the relationship between proofreading standardized test and written spelling test scores and to find if significant differences exist between mean scores of the two tests. Proofreading tests seem to be justified when information on spelling ability in general is desired. (Author/DF)

There is a significant relation between the ability to spell words and an understanding of their meaning. (JD)

A study of 140 seventh-grade students receiving morphographic spelling instruction indicated that morphographic techniques produced significant gains on program-fair and retention posttests. Morphographic instruction had a small, but significant, effect on conventional spelling. (Authors/CJ)

The effects of a morphemically based spelling program were ascertained for students of low, average, and high spelling achievement levels. Results show that the experimental group, in comparison to the control group, significantly improved its spelling performance. (Authors/JN)

Eleven spelling series were analyzed by grade level to determine their use of high-frequency words, and students' writing samples were examined for misspellings of such words. Researchers found considerable variation among word lists in the series and suggest that student writing may be a better source of words for spelling lists. (PP)

A classroom procedure included error imitation and correction and repeated practice to mastery within regular third-grade spelling instruction. Pretesting and posttesting compared corrected-test procedures with standard practice and practice with fewer words. Significantly higher test scores and teacher ratings documented the effectiveness of the…

A study of elementary school students investigated the effects of immediate feedback during a spelling pretest compared to the usual delayed feedback after dictation of an entire word list. Results indicated a small degree of difference between methods. (Author/DF)

Experiment examined the contribution of phonemic processes to beginning word reading and spelling. Kindergartners received instruction in blending spoken phonemes into words, segmenting spoken words into phonemes, or blending and segmenting. Segmenting ability played a more critical role than blending in very early stages of reading and possibly…

This study found that parents of first graders did use a daily recorded message prepared by the teacher and that it resulted in improved spelling performance by every student and in better compliance with non-academic instructions by families. (PCB)

The effectiveness of two spelling software programs on the weekly spelling performance of underachieving elementary students was studied. Students learned the programs, and data were collected over the school year. Data analyses indicated both programs generated higher accuracy in spelling than traditional procedures. Students sustained the…