Challenges in Teaching Spelling

Many teachers experience common challenges when teaching their students how to spell. Read on to discover how All About Spelling approaches each challenge and the solutions the program offers to help kids become independent spellers. 

Challenge: “My students need remedial help in spelling.” 

Solution: All About Spelling helps students build a strong foundation in spelling. It teaches students the logic and structure behind spelling, and it fills in gaps in their understanding of spelling. The program is customizable to meet the needs of your students, and it gives them the skills they need to become strong, independent spellers.

Challenge: “Help! My kids forget their spelling words by Monday!”

Solution: Regular review is very important. Without it, many kids remember the words long enough to pass the spelling test...but by Monday, they've already forgotten what they've learned. All About Spelling incorporates an individual spelling review for each student. This ensures that the student gets the practice he or she needs to master each concept.

Challenge: “The method of ‘copying the words ten times’ doesn't work for my student.”

Solution: Too many spelling books cause failure by just presenting a list of words and expecting the student to learn them. All About Spelling teaches the 72 basic phonograms and reliable spelling rules, all of which help students learn to spell at a fundamental level—without having to memorize by repetition.

Challenge: “I don’t know about teaching rules…aren’t there too many exceptions?”

Solution: Most spelling books that DO present rules often teach rules that are not true. An example of an erroneous rule is “When two vowels go walking, the first does the talking.” That “rule” is true less than 50% of the time (see the words break, count, boil, eight, and you). All About Spelling teaches spelling rules and generalizations that are solid and dependable, such as “C says /s/ before e, i, or y” and “The vowel in a closed syllable is usually short.”

If there are exceptions to the rules, you are told about them up front and given strategies for dealing with words that “break the rules.”  

Challenge: “My child is a hands-on learner.”

Solution: The letter tile method that All About Spelling uses captivates children with a hands-on method of learning. Working with letter tiles holds students' attention longer because they are more actively involved in the lesson. 

Challenge: “My student doesn’t understand the spelling rules—and I’m not sure that I do, either!”

Solution: Some spelling concepts are difficult to explain without getting “wordy” and losing the attention of the student. To solve this problem, All About Spelling uses letter tiles to explain abstract concepts in a concrete way. Students are able to “see” and “manipulate” ideas in a hands-on way by using the tiles to learn and practice new concepts. The letter tile method is very effective in communicating the spelling rules.  

Challenge: “My child just can’t remember how to spell all of the words on her spelling list.”

Solution:  Many spelling methods throw too much at the student at one time. For example, in a single lesson, some spelling methods have the students learn that the sound of long a can be spelled:

a (as in apron)
a-consonant-e (as in lake)
ai (as in nail)
ay (as in hay)
ey (as in they)
ei (as in their)
eigh (as in eight)
ea (as in great)

For many students, it is simply too much to learn all of the possible spellings of long a at the same time. All About Spelling teaches a single concept per lesson. Mastering one spelling concept before moving on to the next allows the student to be successful. 

Challenge: “The program I’m using right now is so confusing and takes so much preparation.” 

Solution: All About Spelling offers step-by-step lesson plans that lay out material clearly and concisely so you can focus your attention on your student instead of on figuring out what to do next. Teaching tips and strategies for overcoming obstacles are sprinkled throughout the lessons. You don’t need a degree in education or hours of planning every night to teach All About Spelling—all the work has been done for you.

Challenge: “When it comes to spelling outside of class, my students misspell the same words they were able to spell in the spelling lesson.”   

Solution: Since the real purpose of learning to spell is to be able to write fluently, All About Spelling teaches students strategies for spelling in real life. Dictated sentences and phrases and Writing Workshop activities give your students the opportunity to apply what they have learned.