When children are taught to read, a lot of early practice goes in to simple word identification, pronunciation, and being able to read out loud. Spelling is sometimes overlooked at first, because the oral aspect of language is used both in reading and in conversation. We don’t necessarily need to be able to spell or even write or read in order to talk, after all. All we need to do is memorize the words we hear and how to use and pronounce them. Even the most involved and education-friendly parents won’t point out the window and say to a child, “L-O-O-K A-T- T-H-E C-A-T” – they’ll say (as any of us would), “Look at the cat.” In fact, spelling out words is often a way that parents try to hide information from their kids! It makes sense that people would think it’s logical to wait on teaching spelling rules until after children have a good grasp of reading and word identification.
As research studies have shown, however, while reading practice helps make better spellers, and spelling practice makes better readers, the results of each practice are not the same. In fact, several recent studies show clearly that when the focus is put primarily on spelling, children make more rapid improvement in reading as well. When you think about it, that’s the logical conclusion to come to. After all, a word’s spelling isn’t something you learn all on its own. When you’re learning how to spell a word, you’re also (and probably automatically) saying it out loud, so you’re learning the pronunciation as well. And when children are given lists of words to learn for a spelling test, they’re generally also given the definitions of the words so that they know what they mean and can keep that meaning in mind as they practice the spelling. What’s more, because the act of writing out words in spelling practice stimulates multiple areas of the brain by using both motor skills and visual perception (and vocal production as well when words are said or spelled out loud), there’s a much greater chance that the word, correctly spelled and pronounced, will be stored in long-term memory. That means the next time a child sees that word in a book, they’ll recognize it because they know how to spell it, they’ll know what it means, and they’ll know how it’s pronounced when they’re reading out loud.
If you’re a parent, you can start introducing your child to spelling while you read books to them. Don’t make it boring by having them spell every word, but pick out words now and again, especially ones with tricky letter patterns, and review the spelling. Or pick out a book like The Berenstain Bears and the Big Spelling Bee to help them get interested in spelling, and to teach them how much fun it can be!
References:
Conrad, N. J. (2008). From reading to spelling and spelling to reading: Transfer goes both ways. Journal of Educational Psychology
Foorman, B. R., & Petscher, Y. (2010). Development of spelling and differential relations to text reading in Grades 3-12. Assessment for Effective Intervention
(Visited 7 times, 1 visits today)
