ELIZABETH SETON SCHOOL Grade School Unit English Department English Department Integrated Spelling Program

I. Introduction Orthography or how words are spelled is one of the crucial threads of literacy development. This composition of componentsorthography, reading, oral language, stories and writing is referred to as the Braid of Literacy (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnson, 2004). By learning about the structure of written words, relationships are forged which extend students overall understanding of words. Students find that the The Threads of Literacy Development relationships among words their sounds, their spelling patterns, and their meaningsare found in the orthography. Through a growing knowledge of the way words are spelled, students vocabularies continue to swell. Wherever purposeful reading, writing, listening and speaking take place, words are learned along the way. Even more words are acquired when words are explicitly examined (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnson, 1996). With this inevitable reality about literacy, spelling, despite being one of the debated aspects of language arts, should deliberately and explicitly be taught. Written English is not the same as spoken English. It is a rich, multilayered system based on a host of linguistic information pooled together in a living sea of speech. Written English is an alphabetic system which achieves greater economical proportions through the patterning of its letter combinations. English vocabularyits meaning, its patterns of use and representation, its alternations in soundall must be directly taught in relationship to the conceptual understandings of the learner (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnson, 1996). It is in this light that the Grade School English Department believes in the implementation of a balanced integrated classroom spelling program that will help all children to develop their ability to spell. It is a common reaction that spelling should not be taught in a traditional formal way (Rosencrans, 1998). This practice does not necessarily suggest that spelling is not being addressed, but rather, children are encouraged to learn to spell by writing instead of through traditional, isolated spelling exercises (Bean & Bouffler, 1987 cited in Rosencrans 1998). Research has suggested that spelling develops most effectively when children are provided with many opportunities to use spelling in a meaningful way. On the other hand, the other approach which has been currently predominantly practiced is the formal spelling instruction. Unfortunately such traditional spelling programs have had less optimum effectiveness (Graves, 1976 cited in Rosencrans 1998). Over the past years they change, focusing on isolated phonetic and structural rules and promoting the attitude that the sole purpose of learning to spell is to pass the test. Good spellers tend to get better, and challenged spellers continue to struggle-not only on the test but in their writing as well. Despite the various advantages and disadvantages the two polarized forms of spelling instructions have, a better method is needed. This form of spelling instruction gives ways to help children become real spellers; ways to teach spelling, not only memorization; ways to help children to learn how to spell, not what to spell; ways to structure activities to help children create their own understanding of the English language and all of these implemented in a real classroom with limited time and resources, thus, a balanced integrated classroom spelling program.

Conceptual Framework The English Department Integrated Spelling Program is grounded on the three paradigms of spelling instructions documented by Heald-Taylor (1998) which are based on the extent to which spelling practices are influenced by traditions, theories, research, and practices reflected over the years.

A S W S W E W S Traditional
S P E L L I N G

A S Transitional S W E W S W S W M W

These three main spelling perspectives which originate from diverse S philosophical and research foundations that appear to parallel particular spelling M practices are traditional, transitional and Student-Oriented E student-oriented (Heald-Taylor, 1998). E W Though no successful spelling program N N would likely fit into any of these T W T individual perspectives since learning to W spell is a very complex process plus the Program Framework consideration of having a widely diverse group of learners in the classroom, the Integrated Spelling Program gives greater consideration on the transitional and student-centered perspectives. Traditional Paradigm. The support for traditional spelling strategies is based more on traditional attitudes and practices than on theory or research. Thus, formal direct instruction, m drill, memorization, imitation, rote learning, and emphasis on correctness are observed. Transitional Paradigm. In the transitional model, the integration and interconnectedness of numerous spelling strategies (phonetic, graphic/visual, syntactic/word patterns, semantic/meaning) and the significance of reading in learning to spell are punctuated. Transitional and traditional practices share common features. Both include direct instruction in phonetic, spelling rules, and study procedures. However, spelling is mainly learned in conjunction with various types of word study such as word sorts and word games. Moreover, direct and interactive instructions are integrated in the transitional paradigm. Direct teaching is used for introducing word lists, word patterns and spelling rules, while interactive strategies are employed when students use word sorts and play spelling games which makes the students more involved in their own learning. Student-Oriented Paradigm. The student-oriented perspective builds on the theory and research of the previous paradigms that phonetic, visual, and semantic functions are continually valued, and that spelling and reading development are mutually supportive. However, there are three main differences: (a) learning to spell is seen as a developmental process, (b) reading provides a context for learning to spell, and (c) spelling is a functional component of writing. Students are expected to engage actively in their own learning as they figure out how much of their spelling for themselves. They also generate their own rules and principles of spelling, examine vocabulary from reading material to discover patterns, respond to group suggestions, find spelling words for spelling instruction in their writing, edit spellings in their written pieces, and monitor their own development. Moreover, the following assumptions (Rosencrans, 1998) are given importance as they provide additional foundational philosophy in the success of the spelling instruction. 1. Instruction should be frequent, planned, and purposeful.

2. Ongoing assessment is an integral part of the learning process and provides impetus for instructional decision. 3. Instruction should be geared to the developmental level of the learner. 4. Spelling is interrelated and interconnected with all the strands of language arts and should not be taught in isolation. 5. Instruction should be focused on teaching a variety of effective spelling strategies rather than on memorizing words. 6. Correct spelling is the product of active engagement in a systematic process for ordering letters into meaningful words. 7. Optimal learning is a social process that best occurs when children engage in both collaboration and independent work. 8. A safe, nonjudgmental classroom climate that promotes risk taking is important for learning.

II. Program Description Anchored on the three paradigms of spelling instructions with heavier emphasis on transitional and student-centered perspectives, the English Department Integrated Spelling Program (Grades 1-6) provides the students with various formal and informal instructional opportunities to examine words carefully, explore their orthographic forms in relation to their meanings and uses, develop reliable and efficient strategies for independent word learning, and extend ones ability and confidence to communicate effectively in writing. Integrated spelling instruction includes a variety of teaching and learning strategies and incorporates spelling instruction into students daily listening, speaking, reading, and writing processes which are within the context of their daily language use and experiences. Managing the Integrated Spelling Program In the administration of the Integrated Spelling Program, the following are implemented: 1. Discuss the need to know the why of spelling. Explicit metacognitive instruction ensures that students internalize the knowledge and apply it to writing in new contexts (Block & Pescowitz, 1990 cited in Rosencrans 1998). 2. Engage students in meaningful language experiences. Students develop an understanding of word patterns and increase their vocabulary when involved in a variety of reading activities (e.g., literature circles, silent reading, author studies). Also, through a variety of regular, purposeful writing experiences (e.g., letters, stories, poems, response journals), students develop an awareness of the need for standard spelling to communicate their ideas and information accurately. 3. Create a classroom environment that values students willingness to take risks and develops their interest in words and word patterns. Students are encouraged to expand their vocabulary and their spelling knowledge by taking risks with unfamiliar words, rather than simply sticking to the known. Involve students in a variety of word study activities (e.g., word derivatives, patterns, rhymes) that are clearly related to their own reading and writing experiences and spelling needs. 4. Determine students spelling needs through continuous assessment, and provide instruction as required and appropriate to students developmental levels. Continuous assessment of students written work and spelling tests is done to obtain information about their spelling knowledge and strategies and to determine the future instructions needed.

5. Discuss the nature or causes of misspellings with students. Students attempts at spelling are based on their current perceptions of the written language. Deviations in spellings aid in understanding the learners thinking and therefore help in planning better spelling instruction. Types of common errors include: omission of letters (often silent letters); inattention to word meaning ( no for know); letter reversals (becuase for because); phonetic spelling or mispronunciation (Febyuary for February); confusing past tense marker ed with related homophones (e.g., guest with guessed); patterns related to doubling consonants (e.g., fadding for fading); irregular letter combinations ( prison for prism); inattention to word root/base or source; and transfer of speech patterns from another language or dialect. 6. Select spelling words for study from a variety of sources or themes. Spelling lists come from teacher-selected words and in some cases student-selected words. Teachers and students may select words for study from a variety of sources including: words students misspell in their own written work; words about which students are curious; words identified by the teacher as ones students need to know; (e.g. developmentally appropriate); and words relevant to a specific topic, theme, activity, or subject. Moreover, instructional pacing is kept synonymous with instructional placingfitting the features of words to be taught to the students understanding of what is to be learned. 7. Emphasize spelling strategies that good (and even challenged) spellers use. Students need to learn and apply spelling strategies within the context of their own writing. Rosencrans (1998) had identified the strategies used by both good and challenged spellers and direct instruction can address many of them. They are the following: challenged spellers report fewer strategies; challenged spellers use visual imagery; good spellers use visual imagery; good spellers break words into parts (not necessarily syllables); good spellers think about smaller, known parts of words; good spellers combine word segments with a visual image of the word; good spellers use active monitoring or visual inspection; good spellers actively pronounce words to cue auditory memory; and good spellers tend to use phonics initially then add visual and semantic information. 8. Set up classroom routines and expectations. A structure of classroom routines with regard to spelling practices and expectations helps encourage independence. When students become familiar with how their class day is structured, most will be able to work independently and cooperatively within the parameters set. Teachers model routines and expectations, and provide time for students to learn and use them. Some considerations regarding routines and expectations include: use of classroom resource material; use of individual, personal word lists (e.g., notebook, file cards); checking and editing procedures;

 selection of words for study (e.g., words to be identified by the teacher and those to be identified by the student); peer testing and tutoring; scheduled and impromptu conferencing; spelling time; and drill procedures. 9. Inform parents about the integrated spelling program and their childs progress. Parents, being the schools clientele and more importantly the teachers partners in helping the children become good spellers, deserve to be made aware of the developmental nature of learning to spell and the integrated spelling program of the school. Through occasional meetings, conferences, notices/letters (through the stu dents diary), performance class standing report, teachers can keep parents posted about their children s progress and make suggestions about what parents can do to help their children become competent spellers. 10. Support challenged students. Teachers may plan remedial instruction for the students who are challenged in the spelling activities and often put so much effort in forming the words they need to write to effectively express their ideas. The following measures may be useful in identifying students deviation patterns and instructional needs: Collect numerous samples of the students spelling errors from a variety of sources (e.g., the students own writing, personal spelling lists, spelling tests) which will provide the diagnostic information. Interview the student to determine the cause of those errors (e.g., phonetic difficulties, inability to visualize, lack of knowledge about patterns or spelling rules). Classify the errors, sorting them into types and frequencies. Select instructional strategies to remediate the student s spelling deficits (e.g., phonetic information, spelling rules or patterns). III. Objectives Grounded on the schools mission of providing quality education to its students, the English Department Integrated Spelling Program aims to: A. develop among students a personal understanding of spelling structures; a good knowledge of sound-symbol relations; a positive, effortful attitude toward spelling; the ability to monitor and self-correct their spellings; the spelling skills and strategies for effective writing; B. identify students spelling level of spelling competence and regard this as basis for remediation or enrichment; C. relate students understanding of words to their own reading and writing; and D. achieve an optimum level of mastery of spelling words given.

IV. Procedures A. Setting the Stage (Orientation) Teachers. The ELA teachers are reminded of the general procedures of the conduct of the Integrated Spelling Program and other information concerning the program through a general meeting before the official start of classes.

 Students. Students are informed of the program during the first subject meeting. ELA teachers begin with an open, honest discussion about the usefulness of learning to spell and when, why, and for whom spelling is an important thing to learn as students will retain learning if they are learning in order to meet their own needs rather than simply meet the requirements or pass the tests (Rosencrans, 1998). Also, expectations are set and an environment with a low affective filter is established which is crucial in language learning (Krashen, 1985 cited in Douglas Brown 2001). The following discussion questions are used as a guide in introducing spelling instruction: Is spelling important? What makes you say that? Is it always significant? Which is more important-test or independent writing? How should you be marked or graded? Who is the best speller you know? How does he or she spell words? B. General Procedures 1. The teacher prepares a list of ten (10) words and presents them in the class. These words can be teacher-selected or student-selected words. These word lists can contain words to be taught for that particular grade level, words for diagnostic spelling tests, words that cause common errors or commonly misspelled, words relevant to a specific topic, theme, activity, frequently written words, or words taken from the reading selection assigned for the week. The teacher presents the words either formally or informally and the students write them in their ELA notebook (N1). Moreover, during the presentation of the words, the teacher takes note of the most commonly spelled words and causes of their misspellings. Time Frame: 20 minutes/Monday Grades 1-3 15 minutes/Monday Grades 4-6 2. The teacher does a followup instruction of the words previously presented. The kind of instruction to be used depends on the result/s of the assessment the teacher utilized during the initial presentation of the words. (Please see appendix for a complete list of practices and strategies that can be used during the followup instruction.) Time Frame: 10 minutes/Tuesday-Thursday Grades 1-3 5-8 minutes/ Tuesday-Thursday Grades 4-6 3. The students take a summative assessment in the form of a test (posttest). This is to measure if the students have learned the words studied over the week. The teacher does not only focus on the phonetic aspect of the words but also on their syntax, semantic, and significance in reading and writing. Formal or informal instruction is used in implementing the test and this is done using the students spelling notebook. Parents signature on the spelling notebook is required. Also, after evaluating the scores, the teacher has the option of considering the test as a recorded quiz/seatwork and decides whether or not the same set of spelling words need further instruction or reteaching the following week. Time Frame: 15 minutes/Friday Grades 1-3 10 minutes/Friday Grades 4-6

V. Evaluation Assessment and evaluation of the English Department Integrated Spelling Program is based on students tests and at the same time takes into consideration the developmental nature of learning to spell by focusing on students growth over time. Although the program gives emphasis on weekly test (every Friday) and assigning a grade to the students spelling ability (score/10), which is a very conspicuous way of determining the success of the program, teachers also focus on gathering information which will provide direction for the next instructional experience. Teachers and even students themselves do continuous and careful observation to assess the students knowledge and abilities. Some formative assessments which may be used to obtain further information about the students spelling knowledge and strategies are: spelling notebooks; learning/spelling logs; observation checklists; conferences; and games.

Prepared by: Remmuel S. Santiago Faculty, English Department Noted by: Ms. Ligaya S. Quiambao Head, Grade School Unit

Approved by: Ms. Teresita F. Religioso Academic Directress

Date Approved: May

, 2011

References: Bear, D. R., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., & Johnston, F. (1996). Words their way (1st ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall. Bear, D. R., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., & Johnston, F. (2004). Words their way (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall. Culpepper, M. A. (2010). Spelling instruction: effective practices. Unpublished M.A. thesis, Sierra Nevada College, Lake Tahoe. Retrieved from www.sierranevada.edu/UserFiles/file/TED/THESES_SP.../Culpepper.pdf Douglas Brown, D. (2001). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy (2nd ed.). San Francisco State University, San Francisco: Longman, Inc. Heald-Taylor, B. G. (1998). Three paradigms of spelling instruction in Grades 3 to 6. The Reading Teacher, 51(5), 404-413. Managing an integrated spelling program. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/mla/inlan004.html Rosencrans, G. (1998). The spelling book: Teaching children how to spell, not what to spell. Newark, Delaware: International Reading Association. Templeton, S. (2011). Teaching spelling in the English/Language Arts Classroom. In D. Lapp & D. Fisher (Eds). Handbook of research on teaching the English Language Arts (3rd ed.). pp. 247-251. Madison Avenue, NY: Routledge. Zutell, J. (1996). The directed spelling thinking activity (DSTA): Providing an effective balance in word study instruction. The Reading Teacher, 50, 98-108.

Appendixes

Practices and Strategies that can be used during Followup Instruction

1. drill, modeling and memorization 2. direct instruction in phonetics and spelling rules 3. word study phonetic/visual connections and phonetic, visual, and semantic connections) 4. interactive strategies word sorts and word games 5. collaborative learning groups Students create crossword puzzles, word bingo, and word hunts. 6. special words Students explore unique words at a special word center where they find origins of words from dictionaries, thesauri, and special books about words. They also create riddles and crossword puzzles from derivatives to challenge other classmates (Heald-Taylor, 1998). 7. conferences Teachers point out one or two things the student does well, draw attention to correctly spelled words, and point out strategies the student presently uses effectively. Teachers then check for spelling errors to introduce a spelling strategy that will assist in spelling a number of words. 8. metacognitive conferences These types of strategies are devoted to finding out from the students about their spelling practices by asking questions. Some of these are: Why is spelling important? What do you do when you come to a word you dont know? How do you know when youve spelled something right? Why did you change this spelling? How do you remember the differences between words with same sounds? Why do you think this word is spelled this way? What do you do when you come to words you dont know how to spell? What strategies did you use to spell in writing today? 9. have-a-try Students experiment with several different spellings and choose the one that looks right. The correct is then written by the teacher or student (Parie & Hornsby, 1985 cited Heald-Taylor 1998). 10. student learning logs In learning logs students record difficult words to spell in their writing pieces and discuss with others the problems they have and the strategies they use to find the correct spelling (Tompkins, 1990). 11. writing Teachers guide the students to use the words in meaningful contexts and in their writing experiences. 12. Directed Spelling Thinking Activity (DSTA) Small groups of students share spelling attempts and discuss reasoning for generating their spelling. This is followed by word hunting and sorting activities conducted individually or with partners to find words that correspond to the patterns discussed in the group. Students, with the assistance of the teacher, develop personal spelling lists, which are studied with partners or alone. Finally, students engage in peer testing, and students record their own growth (Zutell, 1996).

Developmental Spelling Stages (Rosencrans, 1998)

Stages Stage I: Pre-phonetic Spellers use random strings of letter-like forms and scribbles to represent message use a few letters repeatedly mix upper and lower case letters, but show preference for upper case write randomly on page show no understanding of sound-symbol relationship produce text not readable by others Stage II: Phonetic Spellers are aware of sound-symbol relationships represent all essential sound features of a word use blends, consonant digraphs, and long vowel patterns have some sight words leave spaces between words have students develop word families for basic vowel sounds in familiar words discuss and have students practice identifying the spelling patterns and sounds heard in words have students identify familiar words with one and two syllables use the cloze procedure with familiar words use word bags or banks review common consonant and vowel patterns have students sort familiar past-tense words by the ending sound focus on the connection between vowel spelling and spelling changes when adding ing or ed have students do simple word expansion activities encourage and provide opportunities for regular writing have students develop personal word lists have students proofread their own and others' writing have students identify their own problem words have students look for spelling patterns in two, three-, and four-syllable words review basic knowledge from transitional stage have students identify their own problem words have students develop personal spelling lists have students proofread their own and others' writing during the writing process create meaning maps with words that have derivations explore common Latin and Greek derivational forms have students combine forms to make nouns or adjectives have students use a variety of resources to assist them have students write regularly have students write regularly and proofread their own and others' writing have students keep personal word lists provide formal and informal mini-lessons to individuals and groups as needed to review and refine spelling knowledge and strategies read aloud and often display words in students' environment and label objects/pictures create big books and picture dictionaries use dictations and experience charts have students chant and choral read familiar stories and dictations have students categorize words by common patterns develop word bags or banks Instructional Strategies

Stage III: Transitional Spellers use basic word conventions and letter sequences begin to use morphological and visual strategies in addition to phonetic information to determine spellings of unfamiliar words demonstrate greater understanding of vowel digraphs, long vowel patterns, diphthongs, and inflectional endings often include all necessary letters in a word, but reverse some use alternate spellings for the same sound in different words, but do not fully understand the conventions that dictate these differences begin to make meaning-spelling connections spell many words correctly Stage IV: Conventional Spellers apply the basic rules of the English language make the meaning-spelling connection extend knowledge of word structures such as affixes, base words, contractions, compound words, and homonyms demonstrate greater accuracy in using silent consonants and in doubling consonants before adding suffixes recognize when a word does not "look right" and try alternative spellings learn irregular spelling patterns spell most words correctly and quickly

Continued Development: Mature Spellers demonstrate a greater command of an expanding vocabulary often return to a phonetic approach if other strategies fail

The Nature of Spelling Instruction in Relation to Level of Literacy Development (Templeton, 2011)

BEGINNING LITERACY
Alphabetic [Grades K1]

TRANSITIONAL LITERACY
Within-Syllable Patterns [Grades 23]

INTERMEDIATE LITERACY
Between-Syllable Patterns and Morphological Relationships I [Grades 35]

SKILLED/ PROFICIENT LITERACY

Morphological Relationships II [Grades 6 and above]

EMPHASIS IN SPELLING INSTRUCTION Early - Beginning and ending single consonants Early-Middle - Common long vowel patterns Early - Inflectional suffi xes added to base -ed, -ing - Plural endings added to base -s -es - Base words + common prefixes and suffixes Middle - Syllable patterns VCCV bas/ket rab/bit VCV open: hu/man VCV closed: cab/in - Less-frequent vowel patterns Late - Changing fi nal y to i - Patterns in unaccented syllables -2-syllable homophones peddle/pedal dual/duel - 2-syllable homographs PRESent/preSENT REcord/reCORD For vocabulary development, students learn about spelling meaning relationships, including mostfrequently-occurring Greek and Latin roots; for spelling purposes, these will be explored more systematically at the Skilled/Proficient phase. Spelling/Meaning Relationships Related Words: sign signal music musician

Middle - Short vowels - Consonant digraphs Late - Consonant blends

Middle-Late - r- and l-influenced vowels - Three-letter consonant blends str- scr- Common spelling for diphthongs /ow/, /oi/ - Complex consonants Final sound of /k/ Final /ch/: -ch -tch /j/: dge Vge -Compound words -Homophones sail/sale beat/beet

ignite ignition reside resident mental mentality

Greek and Latin Roots -therm-spect-photo-dicAbsorbed Prefixes in- + mobile = immobile ad- + tract = attract

Students learn to apply their understanding of spelling patterns in single-syllable words to decoding polysyllabic words in their reading; for spelling purposes, these polysyllabic words will be studied more systematically during the Intermediate phase.

Expected Learning Outcomes in Spelling (Rosencrans, 1998)

Early Primary Primary-Intermediate
Graphophonic Orthophonic

Intermediate
Morphophonic

Students will: Attitudes

Prephonetic

Phonic

recognize the contexts in which spelling is important. develop a positive , effortful attitude. develop a spelling conscience. develop an interest in words and spelling. Skills learn to spell a variety of words frequently used in writing. learn strategies applicable to spelling a variety of words. apply spelling strategies in all writing activities. monitor the accuracy of spelling while writing. develop skills in proofreading. develop strategies for learning and retaining the spelling of unusual or difficult words. develop a mental dictionary, that is, extend knowledge of one word to spell another. be able to verbalize effective spelling strategies and their application, also known as metacognition. develop visual analysis skills. predict spelling based on meaning. Students will increase understanding of: Knowledge written words conveying meaning. initial consonants. final consonants. medial consonants. spacing between words. consonant blends. short vowel clusters such as at, ash, and ent. regular double vowels such as ee, ea,and ie. vowel clusters such as ou, oi, ow, and au. soft c and g. possessives. complex clusters such as ough, tion, and igh. multisyllable words. punctuations. capital letters. plurals. abbreviations. contractions. prefixes. simple suffixes such as ed, ing, and er. homonyms. word origins. Legend: I Introduction, R Reinforcement

I I I R I R I I I R I I

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