Keep your own spelling notebook on hand. Particularly if you are a visual learner, identifying new words to spell and practicing during free time will help you better remember how to spell the word. Consistent practice spelling your chosen words will etch the spelling into your memory. Review the “rules” of spelling to help you become a more proficient speller. For example, did you remember that the letter ‘c’ represents the sound /k/ when followed by an ‘a’, ‘o’, or ‘u’ (think cat, cot, cut), but represents the sound /s/ when followed by an ‘e’, ‘i’ or ‘y’ (think center, city, cycle)? Utilize online resources that are designed to improve spelling ability. Websites can be a helpful tool for practicing spelling in your spare time. There are also mobile apps that can help you drill spelling.
Develop short phrases for complicated words. For example, “Necessary = 1 collar and 2 socks (to remember one ‘c’ and two ‘s’s). ” Try spelling mnemonics that use a phrase. For example, “Rhythm = Rhythm Helps Your Two Hips Move. ” Make up rhymes. For example, “‘I’ before ‘E’, except after ‘C’, or when sounded ‘A’, as in neighbor and weigh. ” Compose nonsense stories. “In order to remember that ‘cemetery’ is spelled with three ‘e’s’, think of a lady shrieking “e-e-e!” as she walks past a cemetery. ”
Learn some common Greek roots to help with spelling. For example, the Greek ‘ped’, meaning ‘foot’, is present in the words peddle, pedal, pedicure, and pedestrian, and the Greek ‘poli’, meaning ‘city’, can be found in metropolis, police, cosmopolitan, and political. Learn simple Latin roots to help with spelling. The Latin ‘ject’, meaning ‘to throw’, can be found in reject, eject, injection, and projectile, while the Latin ‘cred’, meaning ‘to believe’, can be found in incredible, credit, credible, incredulous, and credo.
Speak out loud. Spelling the words out loud as you write will introduce your child to verbal spelling. Make labeling a family activity. Encourage decoration of labels, or repetition of letters as you spell out the objects. Have your child trace words. Hold your child on your lap (or next to you) and place your hand over his, helping him to print a word while saying the word out loud and spelling the letters as you go. Try fingerpainting. This is a fun and involved way to learn letters and words. Fun introductions to spelling are the first step to learning how to successfully memorize the spelling of a word.
Begin spelling with short words that are easy to sound out (think ‘cap’, ‘bat’, and ‘sit’ instead of ‘cape’, ‘bait’, or ‘sight’0. [7] X Research source Use words in which the letter sounds correspond to their most common sounds (think “gram” instead of “gem”). [8] X Research source Start by pronouncing and spelling these words and have your child repeat after you, and progress to asking your child to spell these words on his own. Introduce words in a logical pattern, beginning with words that adhere to the most basic and frequently encountered conventions. This will help your child see spelling conventions in words and learn to generalize from these words to others. [9] X Research source
Alternate between pronunciation and spelling. For example: “House. H-O-U-S-E. House. ” Exaggerate pronunciation to teach the correlation between pronunciation and spelling. Encouraging children to remember to “pronounce it for spelling” can help them spell the word correctly in the future. [10] X Research source Point out that not all words are spelled as they are pronounced. Words like “stranger”, “bomb”, and “should” can be confusing.
Practice spelling in short bursts. Require fifteen minutes of spelling review after school, fifteen minutes after soccer practice, and fifteen minutes after supper. Shorter and more frequent periods of practice are often more effective than one long review session. Introduce 12-15 new words each week from second grade (age 8-9) on. Choose these words from reading material that your child may encounter in other classes, or pick groups of words that exhibit similar spelling conventions. Review old words as you introduce new words. Repetition is key in learning how to spell.
Identify characters that you do not have in your native language. For example, English speakers will recognize the letter ‘n’, while Spanish speakers need to know both ‘n’ and ‘ñ’, and French speakers will have to know ‘ç’ in addition to ‘c’. Understand the function of these characters in a word and how they are pronounced. Directly learning the sounds of the language and the letters those sound sequences represent will facilitate spelling. [12] X Research source
Review spelling patterns and the correlation between pronunciation and spelling. Break words down and identify any root words, if possible. Identify and pay specific attention to non-phonetic words. Understanding the spelling patterns and conventions of the language will help you identify these words. Use mnemonic devices or repetition to memorize both these patterns and the words to which they patterns apply. Be patient. Learning how to memorize the spelling of a word in your native language took time and effort. This will too.
Speak with a native speaker to ensure that you are pronouncing words correctly. Read in the language you wish to learn, and identify complex words for spelling practice. Practice spelling words by writing them in a notebook and testing yourself. Have a friend (and if possible, a native speaker) give you a spelling test out loud. This will help you better associate pronunciation and spelling.
