English Has 7 Types of Syllables There are 7 types of syllables found in the American English Language. My students always get excited when I tell them this. Our language is rich with words, yet all of our words only contain 7 types of syllables. Wow! That sounds manageable to learn. When students are familiar […]
My Inspiration Picture this ...it was the first day of school and I was hired as a special education teacher to teach 4th/5th grade students with learning disabilities. A 5th-grade boy walks in the door, but instead of looking for his seat, he makes a beeline straight for me. Drew was tall with bright red […]
I HATE SPELING! Written by: Dan Patrick, Parent & Guest Blogger That's right... I was the kid in grade school that had zero stars on the class "Spelling Stars" chart at the end of my 4th-grade year. To give some perspective, this chart was large, colorful and hung proudly next to the door for everyone […]
Rule Based Most people don’t realize that only 4% of American English words are truly irregular and have to be learned through whole-word methods such as memorizing. Building understanding through applying spelling rules takes away the need to rely on memorization to spell words. Secondly, memory can be an area of trouble with students who […]
I’ve used several different spelling programs. Why haven’t they worked? This is a question I'm asked on a regular basis. If you've tried spelling program after spelling program with no real success, then you know first hand that not all programs work for all types of spellers. Some students seem to be natural spellers while […]
Just Sound it Out “Sound it out” is a common direction that students are given when they can’t read a word. “Sound it out” makes sense to most of us because it’s what most readers do when they can’t read a word. They sound it out. But, what if you don’t read like most readers? […]
Does Spelling Really Matter? What Do Researchers Say? Researchers are in agreeance; spelling instruction matters and poor spelling should not be ignored. Noah Webster published his first dictionary in 1806. In 1773, Noah Webster was quoted saying, "Spelling is the foundation of reading and the greatest ornament of writing."✍️ Catherine Snow (expert on language and […]
Phonics vs. Phonemic Awareness Phonics is a big word in education. You could say it’s a “buzz” word. There are many phonics workbooks, programs, and games on the market. In its simplest form, phonics teaches letter/sound correspondences. Phonics helps children learn to read, spell, and write. Phonics is generally taught between Kindergarten and 2nd grade. […]
