Noters from “Spelling in Context – Strategies for teachers and learners” by Margaret L. Peters and
Brigid Smith (of Peters and Smith dictation fame!!)
Children should learn to spell words they supply themselves in the course of their own expression.
Children need to be taught clearly defined, joined up handwriting as early as possible.
Children and teachers need to be clear about the differences between being a composer – the
authorial side of writing – and being a secretary – preparing written text for reading by others.
Learning to be an author means:
 Having ideas, feelings and information to communicate to a known audience,
 Knowing how to use writing to reflect on work in progress or experiences and activities
 Being able to write down and then reflect on writing, either with a teacher or with a peer
 Perceiving the possibility of changing or adding to the original text in order to clarify or
improve communication
Learning the secretarial side of writing means:
 Knowing why writing needs to be clear and easily read – perceiving the needs of the reader
 Being able to present writing for an audience
 Being able to identify spelling mistakes
 Having a strategy for learning correct spelling
 Knowing that punctuation helps a reader to understand the writing.
Writers need to be free to think about the message and composition of what they are writing, free
from anxiety about spelling.
Use a ‘magic line’ to help emergent writers to convey their message. Write the first letter (or sound
they hear) followed by a horizontal line. This can be filled in by the teacher at a later time or by
the child using other strategies.
Children to generate word lists of visually similar words to assist in their generalisations. It is best if
the word is generated by their own need or in their writing.
After reading a child’s work, generate a list of the words they can spell rather than focussing on
those which are incorrect.
Handwriting should be taught in letter strings.
Words should never be copied letter by letter.
Spelling programs for students with spelling difficulties should have daily practice based on
analysis of their spelling.
Phonological knowledge is necessary for spelling but not sufficient in itself to teach spelling, visual
strategies need to be introduced as students move from phonetic spelling to transitional stage.
Transitional stage is when the spelling contains letter strings that ‘can happen’ in our language and
spelling system….they are plausible (however not all plausible spellings can be read).
Three questions to ask of children’s spelling ability:
1. Do they have a strategy for learning to spell?
2. Do they look with interest and intent and the intention to reproduce new or difficult words?
3. Do hey see themselves as good or poor spellers?
Plausible - contain letter strings
Invented – phonologically OK but not visually acceptable
Random – they do not fit into any other category
The more miscues on the right of the grid, the higher the need for intervention.