10

Setting up for spelling

success Ten tips for
thoughtful learning

VOLU M E 19

NU M B ER 3

OCT OB ER

2 014

Christine Topfer

16

Developing a curiosity about words and how they

work is the key to a successful spelling program.
Each student needs to develop a growth mindset
where they see spelling as a thinking activity in
which they can succeed. Ron Ritchhart reminds us
that classroom culture sets the tone for learning
and shapes what is learned (Ritchhart & Perkins,
2008). This is especially important when developing
a spelling conscious classroom where student
thinking is made visible. So how do we develop
a classroom culture that supports the rhythm of
thoughtful learning about words? The following tips
support a classroom culture of thoughtful learning.
1. Find out where learners are in their learning
This is an important starting point for
developing student learning about spelling. It
is the words students use and confuse in their
writing that provide the windows to the next
teaching steps, so take a close look at student
writing and consider:
the patterns of errors and notice what they can
do; how are they clever?
what might be some of their misconceptions
about how words work?
what are they doing when trying to spell new
or difficult words?
what were they thinking about when they
chose to write particular letter combinations?

How do you find out what students know about

how to solve words? What strategies are they
using? You can use a spelling interview to gain
student voice in this assessment process or use a
spelling analysis tool like the one below to find
the patterns in student learning.
As Richard Gentry (2004) notes, there is
evidence that spelling accuracy is enhanced by
getting in the habit of correcting ones spelling
in writing, collecting the misspelled words, and
studying them explicitly (p.18).
2. Teach spelling strategies to guide thinking
about words
When the efficient use of spelling strategies
is modelled students build a repertoire of
spelling strategies. This opens up new ways for
them to think about words, so they can make
conscious choices when writing, and find new
ways to make connections with new words
they are learning. Effective spellers are ones
who are aware of when they dont know how
to spell a word and consciously know a variety
of strategies such as sound, visual, meaning,
connecting and checking in order to write a
word accurately. From the earliest age, students
need to learn strategies effective spellers use to
write new words, as they learn about the sound,
visual and meaning structures of the language.

Learning to name the strategies gives students

the language to talk about their thinking.
Sound focusing on sound
Visual focusing on the look of words
Meaning thinking about word meanings
and meaningful word parts
Connecting making connections with other
words
Checking making use of other resources
such as live, print and electronic
What would your students say if you asked them
what they had learned that helped them to spell
words?
3. Provide opportunities for students to think
about which spelling strategy will help them
to remember their words
Students can use sound, visual, meaning or
connecting strategies to assist them to remember
words.

(Topfer & Arendt, 2010, p.128)

PR IM AR Y

Learning intention
We are learning to listen for rhyming words
We are learning that words that rhyme sound the
same at the end of a word
Success criteria
We will be able to identify rhyming words in stories
we hear
We will be able to suggest other words that rhyme
with words we hear

PR AC TIC ALLY

4. Provide daily opportunities for writing for a

variety of purposes and audiences
It is important that students are motivated and
engaged in the process of writing and provided
with opportunities to publish and celebrate their
work. This ensures that spelling is practised and
valued in its context of use in all learning areas.
Students should be encouraged to have a go at
writing juicy words that enhance their message
using spelling strategies to think about how to
attempt words they are not quite sure about.
5. Ensure students own their learning
Be clear about what you want students to learn
about words and ensure that they know where
they are going in their learning, that is, what
they are trying to improve. Using learning
intentions and spelling goals will assist students

to own their
learning.
Introduce the
idea of one
second words
where students
make a commitment to getting a couple of
tricky words right the first time they write
them. They consciously take an extra second to
ensure the word is spelled correctly in their first
draft writing. These words can be taken from
their personal word list and are usually high
frequency words that need to be mastered.
6. Teach proofreading skills and provide time,
support and resources for students to check
their spelling
Students should be actively involved in word
solving as they work through the process of
checking, locating and producing alternative
spellings using a variety of resources.
Activating learners as instructional resources
for one another, by working collaboratively,
assists learners to develop independence with
proofreading.
Following are
a few ideas to
get you started
in building
independence in
checking:
Buddy
checking
(writer reads
first) Students
proofread
their writing
using one
colour and
then they
use another
colour as they work with their buddy to
proofread their writing together.
Buddy checking (reader reads first) Students
provide feedback to each other by reading each
others writing and using sticky flags to indicate
a line containing a spelling error. The number of
errors noticed in the line can also be written on
the sticky flag. The student who owns the work
rereads their work and uses resources to correct
the spelling.
Try it two ways Students circle three words
in draft writing that are tricky; then the student
tries to write the words two ways. They discuss
their thinking about the spelling strategy that
will help them to remember the word with the
teacher or a buddy.

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NU M B ER 3
VOLU M E 19

18

7. Provide students access to the words they need

to write
Access to words on word walls, book marks or in
spelling journals/word study notebooks enables
students to take responsibility for self or buddy
checking in a timely and efficient manner. The
high frequency words and unit words should
always be available for the students to use to
check their writing.
Spelling journals can be used as a resource for
writing by using them to record words with
common patterns, high frequency words and
curriculum words so they can be referred to when
checking writing.
8. Plan for reflective conversations to improve
word study
We learn from those around us and engagement
in thoughtful learning with others will enhance
learning. Conversations provide opportunities for
students to make their thinking visible enabling
you to plan next steps to assist students with their
word learning and strategic thinking for spelling.
After writing, ask: Did anyone
try any new or difficult words
in their writing today? Ask the
students to circle a couple of
words they had to think about
this normalises the practice of
thinking about spelling and
enables students to learn from
others thinking as they come
to understand the spelling process. Choose a few
students to share with the class so you can all be
involved in the thinking about that word.
Ask: How did you work out which letters to
write? What did you think about?
After a test, ask students to circle words they
think are nearly right; when looking at student
attempts in a test (or in their writing) talk with
them about what they were thinking when they
chose to use those particular letters. You may be
surprised by their response, revealing much about
their current understanding.
Alternatively you might like to ask: Which words
are you sure about and which words are you
not sure about? Once again this gives you more
information about student spelling thinking.
As part of conferencing, ask: Are there any words
in your writing that you are not sure about? Tell
me what you did to try to work the word out.
Students can talk together about how they might
attempt the word.
These classroom discussions demonstrate
evidence of learning, enabling you to know
what spelling strategies students are using, so
you can provide learning experiences to support
productive spelling.

Dylan Wiliam (2011) reminds us, Questions that

provide a window into students thinking are not
easy to generate, but they are crucially important if
we are to improve the quality of students learning
(p.77).
9. Examine (notice and name) patterns and
connections between words
Part of inviting students to notice is helping them see
what kind of things might be noticed, and to name
the things being noticed. For example, Did anyone
notice any interesting words? any words that
are a bit alike? any words with the pattern/rule
we have been learning about? Make your classroom
come alive with students noticing patterns and
connections between words throughout the day in
all learning areas, not just in an isolated part of the
day. Once noticing is a part of your classroom culture
students will begin bringing words from home to
add to the class word inquiries.
10. Enhance curiosity about words by documenting
thinking for later reflection
After a word sorting or other spelling activity,
record student thinking about patterns they have
noticed, as this will give you a window into their
misconceptions and their new learning. Consider
how you might document this (ink the thinking) so
you can revisit the thinking and understandings at a
later time.
Spelling journals can be used as a place for students
to record spelling thinking. Reflective prompts:
What did I learn about words today that is most
helpful to me?
Which strategy helped me remember my words?
Why?
Which technique do I find most useful for helping
me to remember words?
What were some of the tricky parts of words?
What will I remember next time I write those
words?
References
Gentry, R. (2004). The science of spelling. Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann.
Johnson, P. (2004). Choice words: How our language affects
childrens learning. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.
Ritchhart, R., & Perkins, D. (2008). Making thinking visible.
Educational Leadership, 65(5), 2245.
Topfer, C., & Arendt, D. (2010). Guiding thinking for effective
spelling, Melbourne, Vic: Education Services Australia.
Wiliam, D. (2011). Embedded formative assessment, Bloomington,
IN: Solution Tree.

Christine Topfer is currently working as a Lead Teacher, Literacy

and Numeracy for the Department of Education in Tasmania. She has
co-authored a book titled, Guiding thinking for effective spelling and is
currently the national vice-president of ALEA.
(Contact: christine.topfer@education.tas.gov.au)

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