Being smart about teaching spelling

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Being smart about teaching spelling

• Anna M. T. Bosman
• Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen
• a.bosman_at_pwo.ru.nl
• www.annabosman.eu

Kingston Ontario, September 20, 2007
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Dutch education system

• Kindergarten at 4 years (K1 and K2)
• Primary school
• Grade 1 starts at 6 years
• Grade 6 ends at 12 years
• Special Education
• Schools for a-specific problems
• Schools for specific disorders (Blind, deaf,
  behavioral problems,physically handicapped etc.)

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Consistency levels between letters sounds
Letters
English 69 Dutch 86
dir deer/dear par pair/pear

Tear Wind
English 28 Dutch 37
Sounds
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The effect of visual dictation
van Hell, J. G., Bosman, A. M. T., Bartelings,
M. G. C. (2003). Visual dictation improves
spelling performance in three groups of Dutch
students with spelling disabilities.
Learning Disability Quarterly, 26, 239-255.
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Words
Consistent Inconsistent
mat pair (pear)
storm foam (fome)
not cheap (cheep/chiep)
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Participants
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Students with specific learning problems
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Students with general learning problems
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Students with severe behavioral problems
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Gain from pretest to retention test
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Conclusions

• Visual dictation is effective for all types of
  students
• Visual dictation is particularly effective for
  words with inconsistent spellings

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Regularized vs. Standard reading

• Bosman, A. M. T., van Hell, J. G., Verhoeven,
  L. (2006). Learning the spelling of
• strange words in Dutch benefits from
  regularized reading. Journal of Educational
• Psychology, 98, 879-890.

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Words
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Participants
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Regular education
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Special education
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Conclusions

• Regularized reading is more effective than
  standard reading for all spellers
• The spelling is well retained in
  regular-education students
• The spelling is not so well retained in
  special-education students

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Regularized reading vs. Enhanced regularized
reading

• Bosman, A. M. T., van Hell, J. G., Verhoeven,
  L. (2006). Learning the spelling of
• strange words in Dutch benefits from
  regularized reading. Journal of Educational
• Psychology, 98, 879-890.

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Words
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Participants (special education)
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Good spellers
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Poor spellers
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Conclusions

• Regularized reading in special-education students
  is relatively well retained when the training is
  extended
• Poor spellers benefit to the same extent as
  good spellers
• Practicing the funny pronunciation contributes
  to learning the spelling

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Improving spelling while writing essays

• Willemen, M., Bosman, A. M. T., van Hell, J. G.
  (2000). Beter leren spellen
• tijdens het stellen Improving spelling
  while writing essays. Pedagogische
• Studiën, 77, 173-182.

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Participants
Education Age G/B Training Control
Regular 88 8/16 12 12
Special 118 3/11 7 7
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Spelling errors in essays ()
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Conclusions

• Regular-education as well as special-education
  students can succesfully spell check their essays
  
• A very short training helps to reduce the number
  of spelling errors in essays

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The lesson of this story

• Spelling needs to be taught and practiced
• Poor spellers gain as much as good spellers
• Spelling exercises are best geared to the
  spelling problem at hand

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Thank you for your attention

• Anna M. T. Bosman
• Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen
• a.bosman_at_pwo.ru.nl
• www.annabosman.eu

Kingston Ontario, September 20, 2007