Your student can read the word knowledge, but he spells knowlej. He can read the word scissors, but he spells sissers . If he can read these words, why can't he spell them? It doesn't make sense, does it?
After all, spelling appears to be just the flip side of reading. When you read, you translate letters into spoken words. When you spell, you translate spoken words into letters. But spelling is not the flip side of reading! Spelling demands more effort than reading because:
•Many sounds in English can be spelled in more than one way •Spelling requires that students have a good grasp on letter patterns •Spelling has no context clues •Spelling involves a more complex thought process
Good spelling must be taught. Just because the student is a good reader does not mean he will automatically be a good speller. A student can have all the skills he needs to read well, yet still be a poor speller.
Unfortunately, most schools treat spelling as if it were a skill that should come naturally. So explicit spelling instruction is neglected and the student's spelling ability suffers. Spelling lessons should be taught in a logical order and build upon each other for the best results!
Next week I will tell you how to make what you teach your students actually STICK.
