How to Teach Spelling

This is a wonderful, comprehensive spelling program, based on the Orton-Gillingham approach to reading and spelling. It presents a systematic, phonetic method of teaching and learning spelling, believing all students should: recognize the sounds in the English language; be able to decode words; and spell words correctly by relying on spelling rules and generalizations rather than memory. It is a structured, graded program that uses an incremental approach, reviewing previously-learned rules as students progress through the workbooks. Sight words are introduced at intervals and incorporated into the dictation. How to Teach Spelling is the manual for the entire program (and required for its use). It explains the philosophy, methods, and presentation of lessons by spelling rule, specifying grade level for which it is taught. It also contains all of the lessons, including dictation words and sentences. You will need to get familiar with this guidebook before you begin the program, but lessons themselves require little to no preparation. Worktexts contain all the phonograms, spelling rules and generalizations to be covered in that level (corresponding to lessons in the manual), space for copying and dictation, and exercises appropriate for that grade level. Each level contains three Sound Sheets, containing phonograms for memorization. It's like a little phonics course or review in preparation for the lessons. The program refers to the use of Phonics Drill Cards in presenting these phonograms. These are rather expensive, and you can construct your own using information in How To Teach Spelling. We have included them, however, below. How to Spell 1 includes exercise instructions for the teacher on each page. Other levels have a separate Teacher's Key with answers. All previously taught spelling rules are reviewed in later worktexts, so if you have a student needing remedial work in spelling, just begin at her grade level worktext. This is an excellent program for remedial spelling. It is one of the few programs that teaches and reviews all phonograms and spelling rules at upper grades.