Free Instructional Spelling Resources
Despite having spelling instruction relegated to a mere editing skill tagged onto the end of the Writing Process by some writing “gurus,” good teachers continue to teach spelling through direct and differentiated instruction. Recent reading and writing research have reinforced the need to teach the structural components of words. Word analysis promotes spelling accuracy, correct pronunciation, and vocabulary development.
Spelling instruction is not solely the responsibility of primary elementary teachers. Intermediate, middle, and high school teachers need to both remediate spelling deficiencies and teach advanced spelling skills to their students. After learning the sound-spelling relationships, advanced spelling skills are acquired by learning and practicing the advanced spelling rules, syllabication and accent rules, and language derivations.
Following are articles, free resources (including reading assessments), and teaching tips regarding how to differentiate spelling instruction in the intermediate, middle, and high school from the Pennington Publishing Blog. Bookmark and visit us often. Oh, and don’t forget to copy down the 10% discount code found only on this blog to purchase the quality curricula and resources offered by Pennington Publishing.
Spelling
TSV Diagnostic Assessment
http://penningtonpublishing.com/assessments/TSV%20Spelling%20Assessment.pdf
This diagnostic assessment tests all of the important vowel sound-spellings that students should have mastered (but frequently have not) as foundations to conventional English spelling. Included is a convenient recording matrix for the teacher to plan differentiated instruction to remediate unmastered spelling patterns. Catch these audio files of the diagnostic assessment: TSV Introduction TSV Spelling Assessment
How to Evaluate Spelling Programs
http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/spelling_vocabulary/how-to-evaluate-spelling-programs/
With increasing attention on following Response to Intervention (RTI) guidelines, it makes sense to follow the criteria that orthographic research has established for quality spelling programs.
Ten Components of a Successful Spelling Program
Teachers truly want to differentiate spelling instruction, but the materials, testing, instruction, and management can prove overwhelming to even the most conscientious professional. Using this Spelling Program Checklist can help teachers re-focus to improve their spelling instruction.
How to Differentiate Spelling and Vocabulary Instruction
It makes sense to teach spelling and vocabulary together. Simply put, one affects the other. However, not all of our students are at the same levels of spelling and vocabulary mastery. So, how can an informed teacher (that is you) differentiate spelling and vocabulary instruction in an efficient manner?
Visual Spelling Strategies
http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/spelling_vocabulary/visual-spelling-strategies/
Spelling is primarily an auditory skill; however, when used as an appropriate instructional component of a comprehensive spelling program, visual spelling strategies, such as these “picture spellings” can make sense.
Why Spelling Is So Difficult
http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/spelling_vocabulary/why-spelling-is-so-difficult/
This article explains why the English Spelling System is so difficult to master. Seven suggestions give hope to even the most challenged speller to improve his or her spelling.
Top Twelve Spelling Trends and Fads
http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/spelling_vocabulary/spelling-instructional-trends-and-fads/
A dozen of the most popular instructional spelling trends and fads over the last thirty years are described and rated as “TRUE” or “FALSE,” in terms of recent spelling research. Get ready to be challenged, and perhaps redirected in how you teach spelling.
Diagnostic Spelling Assessments
http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/wp-admin/post.php?post=885&action=edit
In this series on How to Teach Spelling, this first post discusses and provides teaching resources for diagnostic spelling tests.
English Sound-Spellings
http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/reading/how-to-teach-spelling-part-ii/
In this series on How to Teach Spelling, this second post discusses and provides teaching resources for teaching the sound-spelling system. The sound-spelling system is the foundation of conventional spelling.
Spelling Rules
http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/spelling_vocabulary/how-to-teach-spelling-part-iii/
In this series on How to Teach Spelling, this third post discusses and provides teaching resources for teaching the eight conventional spelling rules. These eight rules go beyond the sound-spelling system to lead students to conventional spelling mastery.
The Plurals Spelling Rule
http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/grammar_mechanics/the-plurals-spelling-rule/
The Plurals Spelling Rule Spelling Rule is one of the most consistent and useful spelling rules. Find other spelling rules, tests, and songs or raps in Pennington Publishing’s Teaching Spelling and Vocabulary.
The Ending “ion” Spelling Rule
http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/grammar_mechanics/the-ending-“ion”-spelling-rule/
The Ending “ion” Spelling Rule Spelling Rule is one of the most consistent and useful spelling rules. Find other spelling rules, tests, and songs or raps in Pennington Publishing’s Teaching Spelling and Vocabulary.
The “able” or “ible” Spelling Rule
http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/grammar_mechanics/the-“able”-or-“ible”-spelling-rule/
The “able” or “ible” Spelling Rule is one of the most consistent and useful spelling rules. Find other spelling rules, tests, and songs or raps in Pennington Publishing’s Teaching Spelling and Vocabulary.
The Ending “an” or “en” Spelling Rule
http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/grammar_mechanics/the-ending-“an”-or-“en”-spelling-rule/
The Ending “an” or “en” Spelling Rule is one of the most consistent and useful spelling rules. Find other spelling rules, tests, and songs or raps in Pennington Publishing’s Teaching Spelling and Vocabulary.
The Double the Consonant Spelling Rule
http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/grammar_mechanics/the-double-the-consonant-spelling-rule/
The Double the Consonant Spelling Rule is one of the most consistent and useful spelling rules. Find other spelling rules, tests, and songs or raps in Pennington Publishing’s Teaching Spelling and Vocabulary.
The Silent e Spelling Rule
http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/grammar_mechanics/the-silent-e-spelling-rule/
The Silent Final e Spelling Rule is one of the most consistent and useful spelling rules. Find other spelling rules, tests, and songs or raps in Pennington Publishing’s Teaching Spelling and Vocabulary.
The Final y Spelling Rule
http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/grammar_mechanics/the-final-y-spelling-rule/
The Final y Spelling Rule is one of the most consistent and useful spelling rules. Find other spelling rules, tests, and songs or raps in Pennington Publishing’s Teaching Spelling and Vocabulary.
The i before e Spelling Rule
http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/grammar_mechanics/the-i-before-e-spelling-rule/
Although only 50% of English spellings conform to a predictable sound-spelling relationship, applying The i before e Spelling Rule will significantly increase spelling accuracy.
Spelling Lists and Tests
http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/spelling_vocabulary/how-to-teach-spelling-part-iv/
Teachers who are serious about effective spelling instruction use the spelling pre-test as a diagnostic assessment to differentiate instruction. In this article, teachers will learn how to supplement the spelling pre-test with useful free hyperlinked resources.
Effective Spelling Practice
http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/spelling_vocabulary/how-to-teach-spelling-part-v/
Effective spelling practice is not exclusively memorization. Good spelling practice connects to language development, vocabulary, structural analysis, auditory processing, and writing. Learn how to practice spelling effectively.
Vowel Team Spelling Games
http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/spelling_vocabulary/vowel-team-spelling-games/
Spellers often struggle in the “Within Word” stage of spelling development. The key challenge for spellers within this spelling stage involves the vowel sound-spellings. These three spelling games will help your remedial spellers both recognize and practice these vowel team spellings.
More Articles, Free Resources, and Teaching Tips from the Pennington Publishing Blog
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Teaching Spelling and Vocabulary is the comprehensive curriculum that integrates spelling and vocabulary instruction. Perfect for RtI and intervention classes, the resources teach the standards-based conventional spelling rules with spelling tests, word sorts, and memorable spelling songs. Also get 64 remedial vowel-sound spelling worksheets that correspond with the comprehensive TSV Diagnostic Spelling Assessment to enable the teacher to truly differentiate spelling instruction. Vocabulary instruction is provided through weekly Greek and Latin affixes/roots worksheets, syllable and accent pattern worksheets, context clues worksheets, and syllable transformers. Additional resources include spelling games, vocabulary games, spelling and vocabulary flashcards, extensive word lists, and more. No other spelling-vocabulary program matches the comprehensive resources of this curriculum. Truly differentiate instruction with the resources found in this large three-ring binder. 377 pages
Also check out Differentiated Spelling Instruction, the complementary fourth through eighth grade (Levels A-E) standards-based spelling series, designed to integrate instruction in spelling, structural analysis, and vocabulary. Each level has 32 weekly spelling pattern lessons and all the resources needed to differentiate spelling instruction: spelling pattern word lists with spelling sort worksheets, formative and summative assessments with recording matrices, review games, memory songs with MP3 links, supplementary word lists, and more.
