Teachables: How to manage Spelling

Now, I’ll be the first to own up to the fact that I am really, really not too good with my own spelling lol

It is something that I am refining as well, in my adult years. The dawn of the beautiful entity that is Microsoft Word and its almighty autocorrection system was the undoing of my cognition revolving around the art of Spelling when I was younger.

and it is, an art. Now with students not having to essentially know any kind of technical spelling to live, perhaps apart from their names, this skill is in total peril.

With students that are Dyslexic as well - the challenge shifts from being one that is centered on practice alone, to one that is centered on deep learning shifts. I notice that many of my students with Dyslexia are trained hard in phonics. I respect most modes of teaching, but I cannot help but wonder how it actually helps.

Here is my take on how to manage this angle.

Understanding the language you are mastering

So, with English, one has to understand that it is a non-phonetically inclined language. Meaning, that it is naughty and does not follow regular sound rules.

So, with the word Peak - why is there an a?

With the the word Sight - why is there a g?

Geraldine - my name - why is it pronounced as een and not ine.

And on and on and on.

Sure, you can learn Phonics and master the rules behind these very sneaky entities, but I feel that limits the fluency of students. The goal is to master both. If you are so focused on the phonetically rules of how to spell, you lose the ability to think out of the box. Because - rules break every time.

English, for example, is born from the tapestry of many languages - Latin, German, French, etc… so the spelling and pronunciation reflects that.

I would suggest to understand that speaking is not something you can perfect. It is something you can grow into and with.

It breaks my heart to see students cracking their heads over Chinese character memorising, for example. I always ask myself if it would actually help them in their lives.

Ways of learning can be shifted, which I will detail how a little later :)

This is not to say that phonetically inclined languages require rote memorisation instead - I think it is easier to apply this technique, but it still kills the nature of the language and its natural flow.

Understanding then, why learning spelling still matters

Just a small point of perspective, in that smoothening out speaking allows for you to cognitively connect to your chosen languages.

It is really that simple. Relying on autocorrection is fun and efficient, but it is dulling your brain every time it happens, ya know.

So, getting a word right on my own, is a small win.

I think spelling, for me, also helps me understand the nature of the language I am using. The history and cultural context that shaped how a simple word is written.

So, for learning characters, for example, I always love asking my Japanese students about what the kanji they are using actually means when broken apart. Their names, to start.

By knowing the elements of a full character, it could help in how one remembers it. Not blindly looking at strokes, but actually knowing what constitutes the word at hand.

Finding personal patterns instead

Moving into the specifics now, I do not believe, at all, in testing spelling rigorously. For it to be melded into one’s long-term memory, you would need to first identify what words you are actually getting wrong each time.

This is especially important for Dyslexic students, as there is always a dominant pattern of error at hand!

So, looking at your writing is more than enough. Compositions, Comprehension answers, Paper 1 and 2 essays, General Papers, Directed and Situational Writing - the whole collection.

Love letters, even?

The heavy lifting has to start from there, taking down words always spelt wrongly and then practicing from there.

Join me for classes if you need help with this - I love finding patterns as such!

Perfecting the patterns identified

From there, you would need to write them down, and start actively practicing on correcting them.

For Dyslexic students, it’s about observing why and how you are getting these words “wrong.”

The ones I have found to be most dominant are, for example:

Teenages rather than Teenagers

That’s it.

So, notice that it is not even an error, but an exclusion.

That type of thing.

Give a few minutes of your week to this observation, and naturally, you will not only correct the offending word, but also …

Applying these corrections to other words

Going back to my previous point of learning language organically, this is exactly how.

By looking closely at your errors, you would then know how similar words work and thus, would be able to successfully apply the same patterns you have mastered.

For example:

Teenagers - so, we can apply this logic to - Passengers / Avengers - spelling and context as well.

That’s how true learning happens - not by isolating terms and curving memory, but by developing understanding of patterns and seeing them apply in more places than one.

PS: how many spelling mistakes did I make in this post? Hmm.