Transcript Why is Spelling so difficult?

Spelling
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Today we will be looking at...
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The Importance of Punctuation
Why spelling is so difficult
Word origins
Attitudes to spelling
Approaches to Spelling
Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check
Spelling Rules
Responding to learner writing
Dictionary skills
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Why is Spelling so difficult?
One letter can have several sounds –
C can sound like:
‘ch – church, chip, chocolate
‘k’ - Christmas, choir, ache
‘sh’ – champagne, machine
• Some words are spelt as they are
pronounced like:
remember, limit –
but others are not – for instance:
said, business, though
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Why is Spelling so difficult?
• Phonemes: (Units of sound).
The alphabet has 26 letters but
44 sounds.
• Each vowel has two sounds – a long
and a short sound like:
Ice cream, Igloo
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Why is Spelling so difficult?
• Different letter combinations can
make the same sound like:
cloud, clown
• Individual letters can make
different sounds like:
yes, fly, happy
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Word Origins
Where do you think the following words
come from?
acoustic
alligator
loco
angst
acid
Bicycle
adios
bizarre
hamburger
calendar
breeze
in memoriam
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Strategies for Spelling
wetheringlessly
How did you remember the word?
Visual learners see smaller words within
the word – wet, her, ring, less
Auditory learners listen to the word and
count syllables such as
weth/er/ing/less/ly.
Kinesthetic learners can write the word
or trace it.
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Strategies for Spelling
• Split double consonants
ap/point, stag/ger
• Draw attention to difficult part
Wednesday, February
• Exaggerate pronunciation
Business, parliament
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Strategies for Spelling
• Exaggerate silent letters
I love knitting knickers
• Stress beginning, mid, end of words
choc – o – late
• Teach groups or families
pope, cope, rope, hope
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Look, Say, Cover, Write,
Check
accommodation
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Some Spelling Rules
85% of words obey a rule!
One rule can cover
hundreds of words!
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Some Spelling Rules
Can you read these words?
hife, sitchem, ludge, yake, kneg,
hation, vack, pheto.
You pronounce the words according to
your previous knowledge of English and
sound patterns.
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Spelling Rules
Rules sometimes can be hard to follow but
some rules easier than others & cover
hundreds of words
EG: i before e except after c
achieve, believe
BUT
either, foreign
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Spelling Rules
Not many words end in ‘j’, ‘q’ or ‘v’
‘Q’ is almost always followed by
‘u’.
Iraq breaks both of the above
rules!
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Spelling Rules
Group words together & pay attention
to word structure
Lead, stead, head
Distribution, deception
Obvious, previous
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Spelling Rules
Righteousness
You only need to remember the four groups that
make up the word to remember how it is
spelled
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Responding to Writing
What strategies is learner
using?
What would you do to help
learner?
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Dictionary Skills
What are some fears learners
have about using a dictionary?
Frustration
Can’t find a word
Not sure what kind of dictionary to use
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Dictionary Skills
• Keep session short –
10-15 min
• Have alphabet on a card or
refer to Learning Journal.
• Use dictionary with clear
print.
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Dictionary Skills
• Start with initial letters & ask
learner to locate first letter in the
dictionary.
• Then, move to next letter and so
on...
• Make personal dictionary.
• Use telephone books/Argos
catalogue.
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Tell me and I will forget.
Show me and I may
remember.
Involve me and I will
understand.
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