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Talk; spelling

Thursday stream 3 Session 11.35 - 12.50 Length 25 minutes

Individual styles in learning to spell: a field trial in mainstream schools

Peter Brooks, Sally Weeks, John Everatt

School of Human Sciences, University of Surrey pete@pbrooks48.freeserve.co.uk

Abstract

A concern for increased standards in literacy and spelling is commonly expressed, and is focused upon by the government's National Literacy Strategy. There has been much research on the cognitive and literacy development of children, but this has not been matched by similar amounts of related and carefully controlled study of how they might learn word level literacy skills more effectively. In a one year field trial in mainstream schools, individual strategies for learning spellings were simply established for all children in Years 2 and 3, and used in their usual English and spelling education. These individual strategies approximately doubled all children's rates of spelling development. Such individualisation of learning demands little teacher time and does not add to, or alter, normal class teaching and practice. An inexpensive guide to establishing individual learning strategies, which complements other teaching materials including multi-sensory techniques, is available. It is suggested that such individualised strategies can be used across a range of learning fields, and serve to empower children regarding their own learning. This field trial was part of a three year project investigating the teaching of spelling to children with literacy difficulties sponsored by the DfEE (RR108).