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How to Teach Spelling

Here's How To Teach Spelling with Syllable Savvy Spelling

Here is a day by day schedule to show how to teach spelling using the Syllable Savvy Spelling strategy.

The secret of good spellers: The syllables
It's a Method: Not a Curriculum
Syllable Savvy Spelling is not just a curriculum - even though you can purchase curriculum using this method.

Syllable Savvy Spelling is a strategy for learning how to spell.

Syllable Savvy uses the three column spelling method. You can use the three column method with any set of spelling words.

Try it with words your student is currently using. Or use the words on our free sample spelling lists.

How To Teach Spelling with a 5 Day Plan

These instructions assume a five-day academic week. Of course, we often think of a Monday through Friday academic week, but certainly there is flexibility on how the method is used.

If your academic cycle is longer or shorter, these instructions can be modified accordingly.

Day One: Introduce the list

1st Day: How to Teach Spelling with the Syllable Savvy Method

If you are using the pre-printed spelling lessons, tear the lesson out. Review the words in all three columns yourself.

If you are using your own list of spelling words, you will need to start by writing the lesson in the three column format. The first column is the phonic spelling, the second is the regular printing of the word, and the third column is the correct spelling syllable by syllable. Make sure you list the correct number of letters in each syllable.

In addition to the spelling list, the students need their own spelling workpage. This is a simple piece of notebook paper that they fold in half. They will use this spelling workpage for the whole week.

Counting the front and the back side of the paper, the folded spelling workpage has four columns. Today they will use the first column.

The instructor presents the words on the spelling list one by one, showing all three columns.

The majority of the words the students are probably familiar with. Their eyes will see the word written in its regular printed form in the center column.

Let's use the word "register" as an example. In the three columns it would look like this:

re ji ster register re² gi² ster⁴

Tell your student, "This is the word 'register.' Let's sound it out together." Pointing at the first column, sound it out syllable by syllable.

Bring their attention to the third column. "Here is the correct spelling." Point syllable by syllable and pronounce "re - gi - ster." "Look at the first syllable 're'. Is that how you would expect it to be spelled?"

In this example, the spelling and pronunciation are similar and likely what he or she expected.

"Look at the second syllable 'ji.' Is that how you would expect to spell it?"

Now the student notes a discrepency. They might have expected to spell it with a "j" not a "g".

Continue syllable by syllable through the word. After each syllable, the students decide if it is the expected spelling, or if there is a "trick" to it.

Students may want to underline or circle syllables that have unexpected spellings. That act helps to keep it in their memory.

After you have verbally talked through a word, turn the spelling list over so the student cannot see it. Ask them to spell the word on the top line of the first column on their spelling list.

Now, go syllable by syllable through the word and see if they spelled it correctly. Ask, "How did you spell the first syllable?" If they got all the letters correct, write the correct number at the end of the word as it is written on the third column.

If all words syllables are written correctly, go to the next word. If they wrote it incorrectly, point out the mistake, turn the spelling list over, and have them write it again on the next line on their spelling workpage.

In this way, proceed syllable by syallable through the words on the list.

It may seem that this would take a long time. The first lesson or two will take longer as the students get used to the method. After that, it will take only a few minutes to introduce a new list each week.

Some older students who are stronger spellers may do this first lesson independently. Younger students and poorer spellers should have assistance on the first day.

Day 2 - 4: Independent Studying

Teaching Spelling: Students study on their own for three days

The purpose of the phonetic column is to allow students to study their words independently. They do not need a teacher or partner to read the words on the list to them.

The spelling list is folded so only the first column is visible. The student sounds out the word and then writes it on their workpage syllable by syllable.

An alternative method is to cut the first column off from the other two columns by scissors. The student reads the phonetic spelling, then writes the word in syllables on their workpage.

Then, syllable by syllable the student self-corrects each letter using the third column. For reinforcement, have the student write down the correct number of letters written in each syllable.

If the entire word is correct, the student can mark the word correct with a star or other symbol. If the word was written incorrectly, the student re-writes it on the next line of the spelling page to practice and reinforce the correct spelling.

The student uses the same notebook paper that was folded in half as the workpage for the entire week. The first day they write on the first column when working with their teacher or parent. The second day they use the second column. The third day they turn to the back side of the paper and use that column. Finally, on the fourth day they use the last column.

There is an advantage to using only one single sheet of paper as a workpage. At any time in the week you can check that the students were practicing their spelling words and compare how many words were missed.

Day 5: Spelling Quiz

The Spelling Quiz as an Assessment Tool

The fifth day is the spelling test or quiz. The instructor reads each word out loud and the student writes it on a new sheet of paper.

All the words in the list are read before the words are checked by the adult. The words are graded when the entire list is completed.

If a student misses a word on the spelling quiz, it can be added to next week's list. Every list has 15 new words, and room for 5 other words. These can be: