Description

“Teaching kids to spell.” Enough said. Just reading those words may make your hair stand on end or send shivers up your spine.

For some, teaching kids to spell ranks right up there with teaching kids to write or getting a root canal. Teaching kids to spell can also conjure up lots of questions, such as:

Is spelling instruction even important?
If so, what words do I teach?
Should I let my child misspell words…ever?
Why does my child misspell words, even after he’s learned them?
What should spelling instruction look like?
How do I teach spelling effectively?
Is it phonics or is it sight words?
What kind of spelling instruction does my struggling reader need?

I am very excited to announce the launch of my new ebook (PDF file), Teaching Kids to Spell: A Developmental Approach to Spelling. I believe spelling is probably one of the most misunderstood topics within literacy. I certainly did not understand it when I first started teaching in the classroom.

But after being introduced to a developmental approach to spelling and teaching through the lens of this model with all kinds of students, it clicked for me and for my students (including my own children).

Please note: The intended audience for this book is parents, but teachers and tutors could also benefit from the information in it.

Topics Covered in Teaching Kids to Spell

You can look through the Table of Contents from my book (see above) and read through some of my descriptions below to get an idea of what you’ll find inside:

Debunking some of the myths about misspellings, such as “Something is wrong because my child cannot spell as well as he can read.”
Understanding WHY kids misspell words
Spelling Development- How do spellers progress in their understanding of the alphabet, phonics, and word meanings?
Invented Spelling– What is it? Is it okay? When is it NOT okay? Does it serve a purpose?
Spelling Strategies- Strategies to teach spellers in every stage of spelling, including ideas such as: stretching out words and writing the sounds the child hears, studying word patterns or chunks, visualizing words, and studying word meanings as they relate to spelling.
Sight Words- What are they? How important are they? Ways to hold kids accountable to the sight words you have taught.
Hands-On Spelling Ideas for teaching the alphabet and phonics patterns (There are over 100 ideas in this chapter!)
Exceptional Products and and Resources for Teaching Spelling- I’ve included a ton of resources and products to help teach spelling to your child.
An appendix containing many practical charts and printables to guide you through the process of teaching kids to spell.

So, if teaching kids to spell sends shivers up your spine or makes your hair stand on end, you will WANT to read this book!

I KNOW you will find practical ideas for teaching your own kids to spell. Not in the traditional way of drills, worksheets and Friday testing, but in meaningful, hands-on, and developmentally appropriate ways.