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Spelling maters. Did that first sentence bother you? Since I spelled a word incorrectly, you might think I am incompetent and have nothing worthwhile to say. Please read on.
Being a good speller may not be an indicator of intelligence, but poor spelling reflects sloppiness in writing. I have two very smart (of course) children in elementary school. One is a natural speller, earning 100 percent every time. The other child must practice all week to correctly spell most of the words on the spelling test, and the words this child memorizes for a spelling test do not carry over into assignments. I want all my children to be successful in school and later in life. Should success be determined by correct spelling?
Three teachers shared with me their thoughts about spelling. Together they have 83 years of teaching experience, from kindergarten through eighth grade.
Spelling: Natural or Learned Ability?
Spelling is a talent that comes naturally to some people. Often children who read a lot are good spellers, but not always. Spelling is a visual skill. Talented spellers can look at a word and often know if it is spelled correctly.
To become a better speller, students need to learn the patterns of our language through phonics, word chunks, and Greek/Latin roots.
Spelling for Success
Even if spelling comes naturally to some and not others, it is important in academic success. In a written assignment, a student’s abilities are judged by what the teacher sees, and poor spelling can misrepresent what the student knows. Incorrect spelling shows sloppiness, poor work ethic, carelessness, and lack of responsibility. Misspelled words are often copied incorrectly from one place to the next. A student needs to make the effort to represent himself well by having correct spelling. This can be done through proofreading and being slow and careful with work. Students must learn how to use a dictionary.
Spell check can be a great tool or a hindrance to good spelling. (I just used spell check on “hindrance.”) Teachers find that students often pick the first word on the spell check list, whether it is correct or not. Also, spell check does not check for words that are spelled correctly but used incorrectly, like “to, two, and too.”
All three teachers agree that students need to develop good work habits to succeed. Slow down, do your best, check your work, work hard.
Spelling Bees
For those who have the talent, gift, or natural ability, spelling bees offer a challenge and reward and are entertaining for the audience.
The Scripps National Spelling Bee is held annually. This year it will be in National Harbor, Maryland on June 1–2, 2011 with the semifinals and championship finals televised live on ESPN. To participate in the 2012 Scripps Spelling Bee, schools must check the Scripps website in mid-August for details on enrolling. Currently the only area in Idaho participating in the Scripps National Spelling Bee is the North Idaho Region. Last year four students from that region competed in the National Spelling Bee. Scripps offers study materials, pronouncer guides, test forms, instructions, award certificates, grade-specific word lists, and access to Great American Spell Check, a fundraiser.
My children’s elementary school, Christine Donnell, participated in a multi-school spelling bee the last two years. The first year, my third-grade daughter competed and advanced to the multi-school bee. It was a great experience for her. I talked with Rumana Zahn, the organizer for Christine Donnell Elementary. This year she worked with four other schools. She said the hardest part about coordinating a spelling bee is coming up with the word lists. The words need to be challenging enough for these already excellent spellers.
A committee from the five schools developed word lists, rules, and procedures, and found judges. The word lists and rules were posted on a blog. At Christine Donnell, the classrooms all had their spelling bee tests in the same week. Then two students from each class competed against other students in their grade at the school spelling bee. The top two students from each grade advanced to the multi-school spelling bee.
At the school and multi-school bees, a Bee Master gives a word, the definition, and a sentence using the word. These are created beforehand by the committee. This year each participating school split up the word lists by grade and came up with the lists, definitions, and sentences. The speller says the word, spells the word, and says the word again. Two other judges write down the word as it is being spelled. For the multi-school spelling bee, the words were cut up and put in bags by grade so they would be chosen randomly. More rules are on the bee blog. The costs were covered by PTA and were fairly minimal, with the greatest expense being shirts for each multi-school participant, medals, and a banner that will be used every year.
The purpose of the multi-school spelling bee was to encourage good spelling and also to challenge already good spellers, not just to learn new words but to live through the stress and fright of spelling on stage, and then to be a good winner or loser.
I will continue to work with my child who struggles with spelling so that the work done will reflect real knowledge. Working hard and being responsible is a value that will serve our children well throughout their schooling and as they venture off into the real world. Good luk!
RESOURCES
Scripps National Spelling Bee
www.spellingbee.com
Brainy Bees, Spelling Bee Blog,
meridianschoolsspellingbee.blogspot.com
The Boise School District hosted its annual Spelldown Competition in April. Students in grades 4-6 were invited from the public, private, and charter schools. The top three finishers in each grade level are students enrolled in Boise School District elementary schools. For details and list of winners, go to boiseschools.org.
Docena Holm is a natural speller who can’t get past poor spelling in an advertisement or billboard to care about a product. For some of us lucky ones, it just comes naturally.
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