Spelling Caught Or Taught

'With admirable clarity, Mrs Peters sums up what determines competence in spelling and the traditional and new approaches to its teaching.' -Times Literary Supplement

'With admirable clarity, Mrs Peters sums up what determines competence in spelling and the traditional and new approaches to its teaching.' -Times Literary Supplement

How do children learn to spell and what kinds of teaching support them most effectively? Based on a three-year longitudinal study of children's spelling in different primary classrooms, Olivia O'Sullivan, Assistant Director of the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education and Anne Thomas, the former Inset Director of the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education, pose a number of important questions: what kinds of knowledge are involved in spelling? what are the links between learning to read and learning to spell? what kinds of systematic teaching and interventions make a difference to children's progress? Packed with case studies, photographs and examples of children’s work, this unique book sets out the most effective approaches to spelling and provides teachers with a broad set of principles on which to base their teaching. This is an invaluable resource for any teacher or trainee teacher wishing to raise standards in spelling in their classroom.

Trainee and beginning teachers often find the teaching of grammar, punctuation and spelling especially challenging as they are not confident in their own knowledge. This popular text explores and provides the subject knowledge you will need to teach grammar, punctuation and spelling and gives guidance on how to teach it. The text is really accessible and includes lots of examples and teaching ideas, enabling you to approach teaching with ease. Detailed examples of effective lessons show you how to engage children’s interest in some of the more formal aspects of writing and throughout, activities and practical examples demonstrate how you can translate this learning into the classroom. This third edition has been updated to include more examples of children′s work. A new chapter is added on ′Teaching grammar across the curriculum′ to support an integrated approach to the teaching of grammar.

Teaching Spelling: Exploring commonsense strategies and best practices equips teachers with the vital knowledge and skills needed to help their students become proficient writers and spellers. Peter Westwood provides a very clear and concise account of the important skills and processes that underpin accurate spelling, and describes in very practical terms, many evidence-based strategies and methods that teachers can use to help all students become confident, capable and independent spellers. The book also addresses the purposes of various forms of assessment of spelling skills, to guide teaching and planning. Chapters in this accessible and timely text include: the importance of correct spelling visual, auditory and cognitive components of spelling ability general principles for planning instruction proven teaching strategies and methods word study as a teaching approach formal and informal assessment At the end of each chapter the author provides a list of online and print resources, thus enabling readers to extend their knowledge in the various topics. The extensive reference list is also an invaluable source of information on recent research and thinking on the topic of spelling instruction. Teaching Spelling: Exploring commonsense strategies and best practices is an essential resource for all those in teacher education and taking in-service courses.