“F” for Effort
Okay, so maybe I am not so good at this “blog” thing. Last night just as I was finishing my first blog entry, the phone rang. I picked up on the first ring as I so often do only to hear laughter on the other end. I knew that it was Reza and immediately I asked, “you must have read my blog.” Reza took a deep breath and asked, “do you make your students check their spelling.” My mouth dropped open in horror. ‘Oh no I thought, millions of people are reading my entry at this very moment, and I have spelling error.” Reza continued to laugh on the other end. “Um…”thoughs (thoughts)”?” he said laughing.
So, I am not the best speller and I will be the first to admit it, but when did my spelling capabilities go awry? I can recall religiously practicing my weekly spelling words each with my mother and receiving a decent score on the Friday tests; but why didn’t I retain more of it? On reading studies done about children and spelling there is the age-old debate about teaching children to spell using the “Whole word” method or teaching them to spell using phonics. The trend prior to the 1980’s was to teach phonics, but in the mid-80’s the method drastically changed to the whole word method. The debate still holds strong today about which method is best. If I am the poster child for phonics maybe educators need to stick to the whole word method.
But, does spelling have anything to do with literacy or ones intellect? According to Steve Hendrix, staff writer for the Washington Post, it may not. Steve himself professes: “I am the world’s worst speller—as *annointed by Yale University. (But they also proved, scientifically with lab coats and everything, that I’m not stupid).” Though I didn’t receive my degree from an Ivy League school, I still believe that I too would take second place for the world’s worst spelling. I believe that Steve and I both suffer from a missing link in the "Predictable sequence of steps" that happen with children lean to spell. According to an article posted on brainconnection.com this is the simple sequence that must take place in order for a child to learn to spell:
- Every syllable has a vowel letter
- Many sounds are represented with letter combinations
- How we spell a sound depends on its position in a word
- Only certain letters are doubled
- Meaningful word parts are often spelled consistently
Steve and I may have missed something in the sequence that now makes it difficult to go back become a good speller. Because spelling happens during the most malleable stage of our lives, early childhood, it would make sense that the brain would have a harder time developing spelling skills as an adult.
So Reza, I am not an idiot; I am just “Spelling sequenced challenged.” See Steve, there is hope for us yet. The next time we turn around there may even be a support group for us.
*Anointed was spelled wrong in Steve’s article…this wasn’t my doing for once!
