Thirty-six third grade students, identified as the poorest spellers in their grade in three schools in Saskatoon (Canada), were selected to participate in a study of computer assisted spelling programs. Two groups used computer assisted spelling programs, one emphasizing meaningful words, the other nonmeaningful words; while a third group used a…

The premise of this paper is that English orthography has formed a system that represents more than phonetic values, but also represents semantic, etymological, and preferential values. The paper notes that English is a fairly regular and complex system in which both sound and meaning share leading roles in determining spelling. Studies are…

A study was conducted to determine the precise content of elementary school spelling instruction. Spelling textbooks for grades one through six from seven major commercial publishers were selected on the basis of their use in elementary classrooms and were subjected to a critical, computer-assisted analysis in order to identify and classify the…

This paper presents three viewpoints of the coding of language in English spelling: the classical view (that letters are a code for phonemes but that English spelling contains much irregularity), the revolutionary position (that letters do not code phonemes at all), and the eclectic view (that English spelling does code phonemes but that it also…

This article deals with the teaching of spelling to students of foreign languages. Sample spelling exercises are given, mostly for the teaching of French. The simplest exercises involve filling in blanks with letters in response to a picture, the copying of whole words in activities such as crossword puzzles and sentences with blanks, and…

Two crucial factors in teaching spelling are the teacher's understanding of the material to be learned and the teacher's understanding of the nature of the learner. Psycholinguistics is relevant to both the material and the learner. In teaching spelling, it is possible to draw insights from behavioral and cognitive psychology as well as from Noam…

This discussion on spelling and phonics focuses on beginning reading vocabulary (phonology and graphemics of high utility words), factors in word perception (their recognition in teaching word perception skills), premises and principles of phonics (their relation to curriculum content and to methods), phonic rules or spelling patterns (their…

The program described in this book enables children and adults to spell 96 percent of the words they use correctly, to develop a spelling conscience and the necessary dictionary skills to enable correct spelling of the remaining 4 percent, and to provide the encouragement and practice that will lead to skill and enjoyment in manipulating language.…

This paper analyzes a typical school spelling task in terms of an information processing model of spelling performance. Based on principles embodied in a computer simulation program previously reported (SPEL by Simon and Simon) the model proposed here has been expanded to try to account for many more kinds of student error than were possible with…

A paper and four research studies involving computer assisted instruction (CAI) are reported. "On Narrowing the Credibility Gap for Computer-Assisted Instruction" by Harold E. Mitzel reviews the cost, shortage of programs, and lack of detailed educational plans as major reasons for the nonacceptance of computer-assisted instruction. "A Comparison…

This report is concerned with the formulation of a sequence for the spelling-to-sound correspondence rules that cover the 1- and 2-syllable words in the speech comprehension vocabularies of 6- and 9-year-olds. One major function of the rule sequence is to serve as a basis for developing reading instruction materials for the sequence and content of…

Two projects of individualizing spelling instruction utilizing different methodology are reported in this document. The program for students in grades 2-6 was based on the "Brigham Young University Laboratory Guide," and the program for junior high students was developed by the instructor of the program. The project reports present…

"Scratch,""Scribe," and "Scribble" are three strategies for teaching writing at any grade level. They are short, ongoing activities that do not require grading. "Scratch" concerns spelling, "Scribe" dictation, and "Scribble" the writing process. (SJL)

Making their own dictionaries gives beginners confidence in their writing, reading, and spelling progress. (Editor)

This product review discusses trends in the development of hand-held learning aids, including calculators. Two electronic spelling aids are described. Features include a speaker through which the machines respond to entries. (Author/MP)